Re: [kvm-devel] KVM: kvm_vcpu_block task state race

[Avi K. <av...@qu...>]

Marcelo Tosatti wrote:
> There's still a race in kvm_vcpu_block(), if a wake_up_interruptible()
> call happens before the task state is set to TASK_INTERRUPTIBLE:
>
> CPU0                            CPU1
>
> kvm_vcpu_block                  
>
> add_wait_queue
>                                 
> kvm_cpu_has_interrupt = 0
>                                 set interrupt
>                                 if (waitqueue_active())
>                                         wake_up_interruptible()
>
> kvm_cpu_has_pending_timer
> kvm_arch_vcpu_runnable
> signal_pending 
>
> set_current_state(TASK_INTERRUPTIBLE)
> schedule()
>
> Can be fixed by using prepare_to_wait() which sets the task state before
> testing for the wait condition.
>
> Unfortunately it can't use wait_event_interruptible() due to
> vcpu_put/vcpu_load.
>
>   

schedule() will call vcpu_put()/vcpu_load() for us through preempt 
notifiers.  I feel a little uneasy about it, but no concreate reason why 
not to rely on it.

-- 
Do not meddle in the internals of kernels, for they are subtle and quick to panic.