linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH] slab: fix a crash by reading /proc/slab

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Date:   Tue, 9 Apr 2019 09:41:47 +1000
From:   "Tobin C. Harding" <me@...in.cc>
To:     Linus Torvalds <torvalds@...ux-foundation.org>
Cc:     Qian Cai <cai@....pw>, Andrew Morton <akpm@...ux-foundation.org>,
        Christoph Lameter <cl@...ux.com>, penberg@...nel.org,
        David Rientjes <rientjes@...gle.com>, iamjoonsoo.kim@....com,
        Tejun Heo <tj@...nel.org>, Linux-MM <linux-mm@...ck.org>,
        Linux List Kernel Mailing <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>
Subject: Re: [PATCH] slab: fix a crash by reading /proc/slab_allocators

On Sun, Apr 07, 2019 at 07:35:34PM -1000, Linus Torvalds wrote:
> On Sat, Apr 6, 2019 at 12:59 PM Qian Cai <cai@....pw> wrote:
> >
> > The commit 510ded33e075 ("slab: implement slab_root_caches list")
> > changes the name of the list node within "struct kmem_cache" from
> > "list" to "root_caches_node", but leaks_show() still use the "list"
> > which causes a crash when reading /proc/slab_allocators.
> 
> The patch does seem to be correct, and I have applied it.
> 
> However, it does strike me that apparently this wasn't caught for two
> years. Which makes me wonder whether we should (once again) discuss
> just removing SLAB entirely, or at least removing the
> /proc/slab_allocators file. Apparently it has never been used in the
> last two years. At some point a "this can't have worked if  anybody
> ever tried to use it" situation means that the code should likely be
> excised.

The bug doesn't trigger on every read of /proc/slab_allocators (as noted
later in this thread by Qian).  I tried to repro it with a bunch of
different configs and often `cat /proc/slab_allocators` just returns
empty.

I've got a patchset ready to go sitting in my tree that removes SLAB, I
could just send it to start the conversation :)


	Tobin