linux-kernel - Re: Race in the inotify debug code

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Date:	Wed, 5 Sep 2007 09:05:47 -0700
From:	Andrew Morton <akpm@...ux-foundation.org>
To:	Chuck Ebbert <cebbert@...hat.com>
Cc:	linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org, christian.mandery@....com,
	amy.griffis@...com, Nick Piggin <nickpiggin@...oo.com.au>
Subject: Re: Race in the inotify debug code

> On Thu, 23 Aug 2007 11:25:18 -0400 Chuck Ebbert <cebbert@...hat.com> wrote:
> https://bugzilla.redhat.com/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=248355
> 
> Description of problem:
> Warnings in the kernel log (dmesg):
> BUG: warning at fs/inotify.c:172/set_dentry_child_flags() (Not tainted)
>  [<c0497a37>] set_dentry_child_flags+0x67/0x13d
>  [<c0497c27>] remove_watch_no_event+0x2f/0x3b
>  [<c0497d15>] inotify_remove_watch_locked+0x12/0x3e
>  [<c0600c17>] mutex_lock+0x1a/0x29
>  [<c0497fdd>] inotify_rm_wd+0x6d/0x8a
>  [<c04983b1>] sys_inotify_rm_watch+0x38/0x4f
>  [<c0404f70>] syscall_call+0x7/0xb
> 
> Appears randomly, about every second/third day.
> 
> Still happening in kernel 2.6.22.
> 
> 
> static void set_dentry_child_flags(struct inode *inode, int watched)
> ...
>         spin_lock(&dcache_lock);
>         list_for_each_entry(alias, &inode->i_dentry, d_alias) {
>                 struct dentry *child;
> 
>                 list_for_each_entry(child, &alias->d_subdirs, d_u.d_child) {
>                         if (!child->d_inode) {
>                                 WARN_ON(child->d_flags & DCACHE_INOTIFY_PARENT_WATCHED);
>                                 continue;
>                         }
> 
> But in dcache.c, the locks are dropped before this flag is cleared, leaving
> a race window:
> 
> void d_delete(struct dentry * dentry)
> ...
>         spin_lock(&dcache_lock);
>         spin_lock(&dentry->d_lock);
>         isdir = S_ISDIR(dentry->d_inode->i_mode);
>         if (atomic_read(&dentry->d_count) == 1) {
>                 dentry_iput(dentry);  <================ drops dcache_lock and dentry->d_lock
>                 fsnotify_nameremove(dentry, isdir);
> 
>                 /* remove this and other inotify debug checks after 2.6.18 */
>                 dentry->d_flags &= ~DCACHE_INOTIFY_PARENT_WATCHED;
>                 return;
>         }
> 
> (The comment is nice, it says the debug code should have been removed long ago.)

We've been chasing this bug for a year or so.  Thanks for maybe-solving it.
I forwarded your email to Nick a few days ago but he's presently tied up
with kernel slummit.  Please let us not forget about this?
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