Re: [PATCH v2] KVM: guest_memfd: take the invalidate lock when unbinding a dying file

From: David Hildenbrand (Arm)

Date: Thu Sep 10 2026 - 04:50:05 EST


On 9/1/26 09:20, Shivank Garg wrote:
> kvm_gmem_unbind() takes mapping->invalidate_lock only if the
> get_file_active() succeeds. When the guest_memfd file is dying, its
> reference count is already zero so get_file_active fails and the binding
> is removed without holding the invalidate lock.
>
> kvm_gmem_invalidate_{start,end}() checks f->bindings independently to
> decide whether to begin or end KVM MMU invalidation. So, the bindings
> must therefore remain stable between the two calls. Otherwise, unbind
> can remove a binding after start increments mmu_invalidate_in_progress,
> but before end finds the binding and decrements it.
> Example, unbind race with memory failure:
>
> CPU 0: memory failure CPU 1: memslot delete
> ---------------------------------- ---------------------------
> (guest_memfd file is dying)
> kvm_gmem_error_folio()
> kvm_gmem_invalidate_start()
> finds binding
> mmu_invalidate_in_progress++
> kvm_gmem_unbind()
> get_file_active() fails
> removes binding
> kvm_gmem_invalidate_end()
> no binding found
> counter stays elevated
>
> mmu_invalidate_retry() then returns 1 forever, so guest page faults
> retry without ever installing a mapping and the guest hangs.
>
> Remove the distinction between live and dying files in the unbind path.
> Always use slot->gmem.file and take the invalidate lock when it's non-NULL.
> Normal unbind callers hold slots_lock, which prevents release from clearing
> the pointer or freeing the file state until unbind completes. Final VM
> teardown can only see a NULL pointer because guest_memfd pins the KVM until
> release has cleared all bindings.
>
> Fixes: ae431059e75d ("KVM: guest_memfd: Remove bindings on memslot deletion when gmem is dying")
> Cc: stable@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Reported-by: Sashiko <sashiko-bot@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Closes: https://lore.kernel.org/all/20260728092027.225CF1F000E9@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Suggested-by: Sean Christopherson <seanjc@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Signed-off-by: Shivank Garg <shivankg@xxxxxxx>
> ---
> Tested on a 7.3-rc1, AMD EPYC 7713.
>
> Changes in V2:
> - Treat a dying file as the normal case: always use slot->gmem.file and
> take invalidate lock, drop use of gmem_get_file for unbind and fold
> __kvm_gmem_unbind() into caller. (Sean)
> - Drop NUMA selftests changes from this series, and will be sent separately. (Sean)
> - Link to V1: https://lore.kernel.org/kvm/20260823-shivank-gmem-fix-split-v1-0-512a29fb8e86@xxxxxxx
> ---
> virt/kvm/guest_memfd.c | 44 ++++++++++++++++++--------------------------
> 1 file changed, 18 insertions(+), 26 deletions(-)
>
> diff --git a/virt/kvm/guest_memfd.c b/virt/kvm/guest_memfd.c
> index 625e62e1a031..21bb3710edfe 100644
> --- a/virt/kvm/guest_memfd.c
> +++ b/virt/kvm/guest_memfd.c
> @@ -668,48 +668,40 @@ int kvm_gmem_bind(struct kvm *kvm, struct kvm_memory_slot *slot,
> return r;
> }
>
> -static void __kvm_gmem_unbind(struct kvm_memory_slot *slot, struct gmem_file *f)
> +void kvm_gmem_unbind(struct kvm_memory_slot *slot)
> {
> + struct file *file = slot->gmem.file;
> unsigned long start = slot->gmem.pgoff;
> unsigned long end = start + slot->npages;
> + struct gmem_file *f;
>
> - xa_store_range(&f->bindings, start, end - 1, NULL, GFP_KERNEL);
> -
> - /*
> - * synchronize_srcu(&kvm->srcu) ensured that kvm_gmem_get_pfn()
> - * cannot see this memslot.
> - */
> - WRITE_ONCE(slot->gmem.file, NULL);
> -}
> -
> -void kvm_gmem_unbind(struct kvm_memory_slot *slot)
> -{
> /*
> * Nothing to do if the underlying file was _already_ closed, as
> * kvm_gmem_release() invalidates and nullifies all bindings.
> */
> - if (!slot->gmem.file)
> + if (!file)
> return;
>
> - CLASS(gmem_get_file, file)(slot);
> -
> /*
> * However, if the file is _being_ closed, then the bindings need to be
> * removed as kvm_gmem_release() might not run until after the memslot
> - * is freed. Note, modifying the bindings is safe even though the file
> - * is dying as kvm_gmem_release() nullifies slot->gmem.file under
> - * slots_lock, and only puts its reference to KVM after destroying all
> - * bindings. I.e. reaching this point means kvm_gmem_release() hasn't
> - * yet destroyed the bindings or freed the gmem_file, and can't do so
> - * until the caller drops slots_lock.
> + * is freed. Modifying the bindings is safe even if the file is dying
> + * as kvm_gmem_release() nullifies slot->gmem.file under slots_lock,
> + * and only puts its reference to KVM after destroying all bindings.
> + * I.e. reaching this point means kvm_gmem_release() hasn't destroyed
> + * the bindings or freed the gmem_file and can't do so until the caller
> + * drops slots_lock, so there's no need to verify the file is live.
> */
> - if (!file) {
> - __kvm_gmem_unbind(slot, slot->gmem.file->private_data);
> - return;
> - }
> + f = file->private_data;
>
> filemap_invalidate_lock(file->f_mapping);
> - __kvm_gmem_unbind(slot, file->private_data);
> + xa_store_range(&f->bindings, start, end - 1, NULL, GFP_KERNEL);
> +
> + /*
> + * synchronize_srcu(&kvm->srcu) ensured that kvm_gmem_get_pfn()
> + * cannot see this memslot.
> + */
> + WRITE_ONCE(slot->gmem.file, NULL);
> filemap_invalidate_unlock(file->f_mapping);
> }

Besides fixing something, this does make the code simpler :)

Reviewed-by: David Hildenbrand (Arm) <david@xxxxxxxxxx>

--
Cheers,

David