linux-kernel - Re: [BUG 3.0.0-rc1] ksm: NULL pointer dereference in ksm_do

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Date:	Thu, 2 Jun 2011 19:43:05 +0200
From:	Andrea Arcangeli <aarcange@...hat.com>
To:	Hugh Dickins <hughd@...gle.com>
Cc:	Chris Wright <chrisw@...s-sol.org>,
	Andrea Righi <andrea@...terlinux.com>,
	CAI Qian <caiqian@...hat.com>, Rik van Riel <riel@...hat.com>,
	Mel Gorman <mel@....ul.ie>,
	KAMEZAWA Hiroyuki <kamezawa.hiroyu@...fujitsu.com>,
	linux-mm@...ck.org, linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org,
	Andrew Morton <akpm@...ux-foundation.org>
Subject: Re: [BUG 3.0.0-rc1] ksm: NULL pointer dereference in ksm_do_scan()

On Thu, Jun 02, 2011 at 10:29:39AM -0700, Hugh Dickins wrote:
> AndreaA, I didn't study the patch you posted half an hour ago,
> since by that time I'd worked it out and was preparing patch below.
> I think your patch would be for a different bug, hopefully one we
> don't have, it looks more complicated than we should need for this.

I didn't expect two different bugs leading to double free.

If you've time please review my other patch too because mmput runs
with no mmap_sem hold and I think the ksm scan code runs under the
assumption that __ksm_exit is waiting in down_write() when
ksm_mmlist_lock is released (before freeing the mm_slot), and that
assumption is wrong. ksm_test_exit may very well be true despite
__ksm_exit didn't run yet, and ksm scan will proceed freeing after
changing the mm_slot and ksm_exit will be free to run and free again
immediately after the ksm scan releases the ksm_mmlist_lock and before
it clears the MMF_VM_MERGEABLE (because the mm_slot has been changed
before releasing the ksm_mmlist_lock).

The rmap_list being null will kind of hide it, the fact there's so
little time between the unlock of the ksm_mmlist_lock and the clearing
of MMF_VM_MERGEABLE (that will stop ksm_exit from calling __ksm_exit
at all) will also hide it. At least in
unmerge_and_remove_all_rmap_items remove_trailing_rmap_items will nuke
the rmap_list just before this race runs so making it more likely
possible.
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