Linux EXT4 FS development
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From: Yun Zhou <yun.zhou@windriver.com>
To: <tytso@mit.edu>, <adilger.kernel@dilger.ca>,
	<libaokun@linux.alibaba.com>, <jack@suse.cz>,
	<ojaswin@linux.ibm.com>, <ritesh.list@gmail.com>,
	<yi.zhang@huawei.com>
Cc: <linux-ext4@vger.kernel.org>, <linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org>,
	<yun.zhou@windriver.com>
Subject: [PATCH v3] ext4: fix race in ext4_convert_inline_data() leading to BUG_ON in writepages
Date: Fri, 3 Jul 2026 11:23:03 +0800	[thread overview]
Message-ID: <20260703032304.4088040-1-yun.zhou@windriver.com> (raw)

ext4_convert_inline_data() has two unsafe lockless fast paths that can
observe a transient state from a concurrent convert_inline_data_nolock()
that has destroyed inline data but then fails and restores it.  A racing
thread sees the transient state, concludes no conversion is needed, and
creates dirty pages via block_page_mkwrite().  The restoring thread then
re-sets inline data + MAY_INLINE_DATA, leaving dirty pages coexisting
with inline data, triggering BUG_ON in ext4_do_writepages().

A similar race exists with ext4_da_convert_inline_data_to_extent():
after it copies data to page cache and clears MAY_INLINE_DATA, a
concurrent convert_inline_data_nolock() can restore MAY_INLINE_DATA.

Simply moving the MAY_INLINE_DATA check inside xattr_sem would require
taking the write lock, starting a journal handle, and reading the inode
location on every call -- even for inodes that have long since been
converted.  This causes measurable performance regression on filesystems
with the inline_data feature enabled.

Fix this by introducing EXT4_STATE_INLINE_CONVERTED, a monotonic
(set once, never cleared) per-inode state bit indicating that inline
data has been successfully copied out to page cache or a data block.
This provides:

1. A safe lockless fast path in ext4_convert_inline_data(): once the
   bit is set, return 0 immediately without any locking overhead.

2. A WARN_ON_ONCE guard in convert_inline_data_nolock(): if the bit
   is unexpectedly set at restore time, warn.  This should not happen
   given the MAY_INLINE_DATA check prevents entering nolock when DA
   conversion is in progress.

3. Inside xattr_sem, only call convert_inline_data_nolock() when both
   has_inline_data AND MAY_INLINE_DATA are set.  When has_inline_data
   is set but MAY_INLINE_DATA is clear, DA conversion is in progress;
   skip convert_nolock to avoid destroy+restore re-setting MAY.

The bit is set in all successful conversion paths:
- ext4_convert_inline_data_nolock() on success
- ext4_convert_inline_data() when inline data is gone after nolock
- ext4_da_convert_inline_data_to_extent() after page cache copy
- ext4_convert_inline_data_to_extent() after block_commit_write

Fixes: 7b4cc9787fe3 ("ext4: evict inline data when writing to memory map")
Reported-by: syzbot+d1da16f03614058fdc48@syzkaller.appspotmail.com
Closes: https://syzkaller.appspot.com/bug?extid=d1da16f03614058fdc48
Signed-off-by: Yun Zhou <yun.zhou@windriver.com>
---
v3:
- Introduce EXT4_STATE_INLINE_CONVERTED monotonic bit for safe lockless
  fast path, avoiding performance regression from always taking xattr_sem.
- Add WARN_ON_ONCE at restore point as sanity check.
- Skip convert_nolock when MAY_INLINE_DATA is clear (DA convert in
  progress) to prevent destroy+restore re-setting MAY.

v2:
- Reworked fix: root cause confirmed via ftrace.
- Removed both unsafe lockless fast paths, serialize under xattr_sem.
- Skip convert_nolock when MAY_INLINE_DATA is clear (DA convert in
  progress) to prevent destroy+restore from re-setting MAY.

 fs/ext4/ext4.h   |  1 +
 fs/ext4/inline.c | 44 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++------------------
 2 files changed, 27 insertions(+), 18 deletions(-)

diff --git a/fs/ext4/ext4.h b/fs/ext4/ext4.h
index b9b0ada7774b..310aeb14f9f0 100644
--- a/fs/ext4/ext4.h
+++ b/fs/ext4/ext4.h
@@ -2049,6 +2049,7 @@ enum {
 	EXT4_STATE_FC_FLUSHING_DATA,	/* Fast commit flushing data */
 	EXT4_STATE_ORPHAN_FILE,		/* Inode orphaned in orphan file */
 	EXT4_STATE_FC_REQUEUE,		/* Inode modified during fast commit */
+	EXT4_STATE_INLINE_CONVERTED,	/* inline data copied out, do not restore */
 };
 
 #define EXT4_INODE_BIT_FNS(name, field, offset)				\
diff --git a/fs/ext4/inline.c b/fs/ext4/inline.c
index 8045e4ff270c..1b6abacf12e6 100644
--- a/fs/ext4/inline.c
+++ b/fs/ext4/inline.c
@@ -671,6 +671,8 @@ static int ext4_convert_inline_data_to_extent(struct address_space *mapping,
 
 	if (folio)
 		block_commit_write(folio, from, to);
+	if (folio && !ret)
+		ext4_set_inode_state(inode, EXT4_STATE_INLINE_CONVERTED);
 out:
 	if (folio) {
 		folio_unlock(folio);
@@ -921,6 +923,7 @@ static int ext4_da_convert_inline_data_to_extent(struct address_space *mapping,
 	clear_buffer_new(folio_buffers(folio));
 	folio_mark_dirty(folio);
 	folio_mark_uptodate(folio);
+	ext4_set_inode_state(inode, EXT4_STATE_INLINE_CONVERTED);
 	ext4_clear_inode_state(inode, EXT4_STATE_MAY_INLINE_DATA);
 	*fsdata = (void *)CONVERT_INLINE_DATA;
 
@@ -1172,8 +1175,14 @@ static int ext4_convert_inline_data_nolock(handle_t *handle,
 	}
 
 out_restore:
-	if (error)
-		ext4_restore_inline_data(handle, inode, iloc, buf, inline_size);
+	if (error) {
+		WARN_ON_ONCE(ext4_test_inode_state(inode,
+					EXT4_STATE_INLINE_CONVERTED));
+		ext4_restore_inline_data(handle, inode, iloc, buf,
+					 inline_size);
+	} else {
+		ext4_set_inode_state(inode, EXT4_STATE_INLINE_CONVERTED);
+	}
 
 out:
 	brelse(data_bh);
@@ -1959,22 +1968,16 @@ int ext4_convert_inline_data(struct inode *inode)
 	handle_t *handle;
 	struct ext4_iloc iloc;
 
-	if (!ext4_has_inline_data(inode)) {
-		ext4_clear_inode_state(inode, EXT4_STATE_MAY_INLINE_DATA);
+	if (!ext4_has_feature_inline_data(inode->i_sb))
+		return 0;
+
+	/*
+	 * Once inline data has been successfully copied out (to page
+	 * cache or a data block), this bit is set and never cleared.
+	 * It is safe to check without locks -- the bit is monotonic.
+	 */
+	if (ext4_test_inode_state(inode, EXT4_STATE_INLINE_CONVERTED))
 		return 0;
-	} else if (!ext4_test_inode_state(inode, EXT4_STATE_MAY_INLINE_DATA)) {
-		/*
-		 * Inode has inline data but EXT4_STATE_MAY_INLINE_DATA is
-		 * cleared. This means we are in the middle of moving of
-		 * inline data to delay allocated block. Just force writeout
-		 * here to finish conversion.
-		 */
-		error = filemap_flush(inode->i_mapping);
-		if (error)
-			return error;
-		if (!ext4_has_inline_data(inode))
-			return 0;
-	}
 
 	needed_blocks = ext4_chunk_trans_extent(inode, 1);
 
@@ -1990,8 +1993,13 @@ int ext4_convert_inline_data(struct inode *inode)
 	}
 
 	ext4_write_lock_xattr(inode, &no_expand);
-	if (ext4_has_inline_data(inode))
+	if (ext4_has_inline_data(inode) &&
+	    ext4_test_inode_state(inode, EXT4_STATE_MAY_INLINE_DATA))
 		error = ext4_convert_inline_data_nolock(handle, inode, &iloc);
+	if (!ext4_has_inline_data(inode)) {
+		ext4_set_inode_state(inode, EXT4_STATE_INLINE_CONVERTED);
+		ext4_clear_inode_state(inode, EXT4_STATE_MAY_INLINE_DATA);
+	}
 	ext4_write_unlock_xattr(inode, &no_expand);
 	ext4_journal_stop(handle);
 out_free:
-- 
2.43.0


             reply	other threads:[~2026-07-03  3:23 UTC|newest]

Thread overview: 2+ messages / expand[flat|nested]  mbox.gz  Atom feed  top
2026-07-03  3:23 Yun Zhou [this message]
2026-07-03 13:23 ` [PATCH v3] ext4: fix race in ext4_convert_inline_data() leading to BUG_ON in writepages Zhou, Yun

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