[PATCH v3 01/24] sched: Fix cpuset_mutex double unlock in __sched_setscheduler()
From: Mathieu Desnoyers
Date: Thu Nov 05 2026 - 14:43:40 EST
From: Andrea Parri <parri.andrea@xxxxxxxxx>
A sched_setattr() with SCHED_FLAG_KEEP_POLICY on a SCHED_DEADLINE task
unlocks cpuset_mutex twice if the task's policy changes concurrently:
WARNING: bad unlock balance detected!
7.4.0-rc1 #1 Not tainted
-------------------------------------
repro/126 is trying to release lock (cpuset_mutex) at:
[<ffffffff9a17cacc>] __sched_setscheduler+0x9cc/0xc40
but there are no more locks to release!
...
Call Trace:
print_unlock_imbalance_bug.part.0+0xfb/0x110
lock_release+0x286/0x2e0
__mutex_unlock_slowpath+0x1a/0x400
__sched_setscheduler+0x9cc/0xc40
__x64_sys_sched_setattr+0xa3/0x1b0
do_syscall_64+0x106/0x5f0
entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x77/0x7f
__sched_setscheduler() samples p->policy before taking any lock, and
restarts from the recheck label if p->policy differs under the rq lock.
The restart drops cpuset_mutex but leaves cpuset_locked set, so a pass
that no longer needs the mutex still unlocks it on its way out:
CPU 1 CPU 2
__sched_setscheduler(KEEP_POLICY)
policy = p->policy /* DEADLINE */
__sched_setscheduler(SCHED_OTHER)
p->policy = SCHED_OTHER
cpuset_locked = true
cpuset_lock()
rq = task_rq_lock(p)
oldpolicy != p->policy
cpuset_unlock()
goto recheck
/* no cpuset_lock() this time */
...
if (cpuset_locked)
cpuset_unlock()
Without CONFIG_DEBUG_MUTEXES, or CONFIG_DEBUG_RT_MUTEXES on PREEMPT_RT,
nothing warns. The second unlock still clears the owner field regardless
of who holds the mutex, so another task can lose cpuset_mutex inside its
critical section. Entering SCHED_DEADLINE needs CAP_SYS_NICE, but a
racing caller that owns the task does not need it if it samples a policy
other than SCHED_DEADLINE.
Clear cpuset_locked when dropping the mutex for the restart. This should be
safe because the flag is only tested on the paths leaving the next pass,
after that pass has set it again if it took the mutex.
The following program, run as root, reproduces the splat, which no longer
appears with this applied. On PREEMPT_RT it crashes the kernel within
seconds, which this also fixes:
#define _GNU_SOURCE
#include <pthread.h>
#include <stdint.h>
#include <sys/syscall.h>
#include <unistd.h>
struct attr {
uint32_t size, policy;
uint64_t flags;
int32_t nice;
uint32_t prio;
uint64_t runtime, deadline, period;
};
static volatile int stop;
static volatile pid_t target;
static void set(struct attr a)
{
a.size = sizeof(a);
syscall(SYS_sched_setattr, target, &a, 0);
}
static void *sleeper(void *arg)
{
target = syscall(SYS_gettid);
while (!stop)
usleep(1000);
return arg;
}
static void *switcher(void *arg)
{
while (!stop) {
/* SCHED_DEADLINE, 2us every 1s */
set((struct attr){ .policy = 6, .runtime = 2000,
.deadline = 1000000000,
.period = 1000000000 });
set((struct attr){ .policy = 0 }); /* SCHED_OTHER */
}
return arg;
}
static void *racer(void *arg)
{
/* KEEP_POLICY | KEEP_PARAMS */
while (!stop)
set((struct attr){ .flags = 0x18 });
return arg;
}
int main(void)
{
pthread_t t[5];
int i;
pthread_create(&t[0], NULL, sleeper, NULL);
while (!target)
usleep(100);
pthread_create(&t[1], NULL, switcher, NULL);
for (i = 2; i < 5; i++)
pthread_create(&t[i], NULL, racer, NULL);
sleep(30);
stop = 1;
for (i = 0; i < 5; i++)
pthread_join(t[i], NULL);
return 0;
}
An LLM helped find the PREEMPT_RT crash and write this patch and its test.
Fixes: 111cd11bbc54 ("sched/cpuset: Bring back cpuset_mutex")
Reported-by: Sashiko <sashiko-bot@xxxxxxxxxx>
Link: https://sashiko.dev/#/patchset/20261016062629.2102883-1-sh_def%40163.com
Signed-off-by: Andrea Parri <parri.andrea@xxxxxxxxx>
Cc: stable@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Reviewed-by: Waiman Long <longman@xxxxxxxxxx>
Reviewed-by: Kayra Cizmeci <kayracizmeci@xxxxxxxxx>
Reviewed-by: Juri Lelli <juri.lelli@xxxxxxxxxx>
---
kernel/sched/syscalls.c | 4 +++-
1 file changed, 3 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
diff --git a/kernel/sched/syscalls.c b/kernel/sched/syscalls.c
index 45a127deeadd..2af550f92ac6 100644
--- a/kernel/sched/syscalls.c
+++ b/kernel/sched/syscalls.c
@@ -640,8 +640,10 @@ int __sched_setscheduler(struct task_struct *p,
if (unlikely(oldpolicy != -1 && oldpolicy != p->policy)) {
policy = oldpolicy = -1;
task_rq_unlock(rq, p, &rf);
- if (cpuset_locked)
+ if (cpuset_locked) {
cpuset_unlock();
+ cpuset_locked = false;
+ }
goto recheck;
}
--
2.47.3