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There is a race in the kernel cpuset code, between the code
to handle notify_on_release, and the code to remove a cpuset.
The notify_on_release code can end up trying to access a
cpuset that has been removed. In the most common case, this
causes a NULL pointer dereference from the routine cpuset_path.
However all manner of bad things are possible, in theory at least.
The existing code decrements the cpuset use count, and if the
count goes to zero, processes the notify_on_release request,
if appropriate. However, once the count goes to zero, unless we
are holding the global cpuset_sem semaphore, there is nothing to
stop another task from immediately removing the cpuset entirely,
and recycling its memory.
The obvious fix would be to always hold the cpuset_sem
semaphore while decrementing the use count and dealing with
notify_on_release. However we don't want to force a global
semaphore into the mainline task exit path, as that might create
a scaling problem.
The actual fix is almost as easy - since this is only an issue
for cpusets using notify_on_release, which the top level big
cpusets don't normally need to use, only take the cpuset_sem
for cpusets using notify_on_release.
This code has been run for hours without a hiccup, while running
a cpuset create/destroy stress test that could crash the existing
kernel in seconds. This patch applies to the current -linus
git kernel.
Signed-off-by: Paul Jackson <pj@sgi.com>
Acked-by: Simon Derr <simon.derr@bull.net>
Acked-by: Dinakar Guniguntala <dino@in.ibm.com>
Signed-off-by: Linus Torvalds <torvalds@osdl.org>
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