linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH 2/2] KVM: VMX: fix memory order between loading vmcs and clearing vmcs

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Date:	Thu, 29 Nov 2012 10:04:22 +0800
From:	Xiao Guangrong <xiaoguangrong@...ux.vnet.ibm.com>
To:	Marcelo Tosatti <mtosatti@...hat.com>
CC:	Avi Kivity <avi@...hat.com>, Gleb Natapov <gleb@...hat.com>,
	LKML <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>, KVM <kvm@...r.kernel.org>
Subject: Re: [PATCH 2/2] KVM: VMX: fix memory order between loading vmcs and
 clearing vmcs

On 11/29/2012 08:04 AM, Marcelo Tosatti wrote:
> On Wed, Nov 28, 2012 at 08:54:14PM +0800, Xiao Guangrong wrote:
>> vmcs->cpu indicates whether it exists on the target cpu, -1 means the vmcs
>> does not exist on any vcpu
>>
>> If vcpu load vmcs with vmcs.cpu = -1, it can be directly added to cpu's percpu
>> list. The list can be corrupted if the cpu prefetch the vmcs's list before
>> reading vmcs->cpu. Meanwhile, we should remove vmcs from the list before
>> making vmcs->vcpu == -1 be visible
>>
>> Signed-off-by: Xiao Guangrong <xiaoguangrong@...ux.vnet.ibm.com>
>> ---
>>  arch/x86/kvm/vmx.c |   17 +++++++++++++++++
>>  1 files changed, 17 insertions(+), 0 deletions(-)
>>
>> diff --git a/arch/x86/kvm/vmx.c b/arch/x86/kvm/vmx.c
>> index 29e8f42..6056d88 100644
>> --- a/arch/x86/kvm/vmx.c
>> +++ b/arch/x86/kvm/vmx.c
>> @@ -1002,6 +1002,15 @@ static void __loaded_vmcs_clear(void *arg)
>>  	if (per_cpu(current_vmcs, cpu) == loaded_vmcs->vmcs)
>>  		per_cpu(current_vmcs, cpu) = NULL;
>>  	list_del(&loaded_vmcs->loaded_vmcss_on_cpu_link);
>> +
>> +	/*
>> +	 * we should ensure updating loaded_vmcs->loaded_vmcss_on_cpu_link
>> +	 * is before setting loaded_vmcs->vcpu to -1 which is done in
>> +	 * loaded_vmcs_init. Otherwise, other cpu can see vcpu = -1 fist
>> +	 * then adds the vmcs into percpu list before it is deleted.
>> +	 */
>> +	smp_wmb();
>> +
> 
> Neither loads nor stores are reordered with like operations (see
> section 8.2.3.2 of intel's volume 3). This behaviour makes the barrier
> not necessary.

Ouch, yes, you are right. My memory is wrong. It seems only later-read
can be reordered with early-write.

But if 'read vs read' and 'write vs write' can be guaranteed by CPU, smp_wmb()
and smp_rmb() should only be a complier barrier, so i think we can add the barriers
to improve the readable and the portable.

And anyway, the current code missed complier-barrier.

> 
> However, i agree access to loaded_vmcs is not obviously safe. I can't
> tell its safe with vmm_exclusive = 0 (where vcpu->cpu can change at any
> time).

If vmm_exclusive = 0, the vmcs can removed from percpu list when vcpu is scheduled
out. The list is not broken.

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