[PATCH] fs: assert on ->i_count in iput_final()

[PATCH] fs: assert on ->i_count in iput_final()

[Mateusz Guzik]

Notably make sure the count is 0 after the return from ->drop_inode(),
provided we are going to drop.

Inspired by suspicious games played by f2fs.

Signed-off-by: Mateusz Guzik <mjguzik@gmail.com>
---

boots on ext4 without splats

 fs/inode.c | 7 +++++++
 1 file changed, 7 insertions(+)

diff --git a/fs/inode.c b/fs/inode.c
index ec9339024ac3..fa82cb810af4 100644
--- a/fs/inode.c
+++ b/fs/inode.c
@@ -1879,6 +1879,7 @@ static void iput_final(struct inode *inode)
 	int drop;
 
 	WARN_ON(inode->i_state & I_NEW);
+	VFS_BUG_ON_INODE(atomic_read(&inode->i_count) != 0, inode);
 
 	if (op->drop_inode)
 		drop = op->drop_inode(inode);
@@ -1893,6 +1894,12 @@ static void iput_final(struct inode *inode)
 		return;
 	}
 
+	/*
+	 * Re-check ->i_count in case the ->drop_inode() hooks played games.
+	 * Note we only execute this if the verdict was to drop the inode.
+	 */
+	VFS_BUG_ON_INODE(atomic_read(&inode->i_count) != 0, inode);
+
 	state = inode->i_state;
 	if (!drop) {
 		WRITE_ONCE(inode->i_state, state | I_WILL_FREE);
-- 
2.34.1

Re: [PATCH] fs: assert on ->i_count in iput_final()

[Jan Kara]

On Wed 01-10-25 03:00:10, Mateusz Guzik wrote:
> Notably make sure the count is 0 after the return from ->drop_inode(),
> provided we are going to drop.
> 
> Inspired by suspicious games played by f2fs.

Whoo, those are indeed interesting.

> Signed-off-by: Mateusz Guzik <mjguzik@gmail.com>
> ---
> 
> boots on ext4 without splats
> 
>  fs/inode.c | 7 +++++++
>  1 file changed, 7 insertions(+)
> 
> diff --git a/fs/inode.c b/fs/inode.c
> index ec9339024ac3..fa82cb810af4 100644
> --- a/fs/inode.c
> +++ b/fs/inode.c
> @@ -1879,6 +1879,7 @@ static void iput_final(struct inode *inode)
>  	int drop;
>  
>  	WARN_ON(inode->i_state & I_NEW);
> +	VFS_BUG_ON_INODE(atomic_read(&inode->i_count) != 0, inode);

This seems pointless given when iput_final() is called...

>  	if (op->drop_inode)
>  		drop = op->drop_inode(inode);
> @@ -1893,6 +1894,12 @@ static void iput_final(struct inode *inode)
>  		return;
>  	}
>  
> +	/*
> +	 * Re-check ->i_count in case the ->drop_inode() hooks played games.
> +	 * Note we only execute this if the verdict was to drop the inode.
> +	 */
> +	VFS_BUG_ON_INODE(atomic_read(&inode->i_count) != 0, inode);
> +

I'm not sure this can catch much but OK...

								Honza
-- 
Jan Kara <jack@suse.com>
SUSE Labs, CR

Re: [PATCH] fs: assert on ->i_count in iput_final()

[Mateusz Guzik]

On Wed, Oct 1, 2025 at 2:07 PM Jan Kara <jack@suse.cz> wrote:
> > diff --git a/fs/inode.c b/fs/inode.c
> > index ec9339024ac3..fa82cb810af4 100644
> > --- a/fs/inode.c
> > +++ b/fs/inode.c
> > @@ -1879,6 +1879,7 @@ static void iput_final(struct inode *inode)
> >       int drop;
> >
> >       WARN_ON(inode->i_state & I_NEW);
> > +     VFS_BUG_ON_INODE(atomic_read(&inode->i_count) != 0, inode);
>
> This seems pointless given when iput_final() is called...
>

This and the other check explicitly "wrap" the ->drop_inode call.

> >       if (op->drop_inode)
> >               drop = op->drop_inode(inode);
> > @@ -1893,6 +1894,12 @@ static void iput_final(struct inode *inode)
> >               return;
> >       }
> >
> > +     /*
> > +      * Re-check ->i_count in case the ->drop_inode() hooks played games.
> > +      * Note we only execute this if the verdict was to drop the inode.
> > +      */
> > +     VFS_BUG_ON_INODE(atomic_read(&inode->i_count) != 0, inode);
> > +
>
> I'm not sure this can catch much but OK...
>

It can catch drop routines which bumped the ref but did not release
it, or which indicated to continue with drop while someone else
snatched the reference.

Preferaby the APIs would prevent that in the first place, but there is
quite a bit of shit-shoveling before that happens.

Re: [PATCH] fs: assert on ->i_count in iput_final()

[Jan Kara]

On Wed 01-10-25 14:12:13, Mateusz Guzik wrote:
> On Wed, Oct 1, 2025 at 2:07 PM Jan Kara <jack@suse.cz> wrote:
> > > diff --git a/fs/inode.c b/fs/inode.c
> > > index ec9339024ac3..fa82cb810af4 100644
> > > --- a/fs/inode.c
> > > +++ b/fs/inode.c
> > > @@ -1879,6 +1879,7 @@ static void iput_final(struct inode *inode)
> > >       int drop;
> > >
> > >       WARN_ON(inode->i_state & I_NEW);
> > > +     VFS_BUG_ON_INODE(atomic_read(&inode->i_count) != 0, inode);
> >
> > This seems pointless given when iput_final() is called...
> >
> 
> This and the other check explicitly "wrap" the ->drop_inode call.

I understand but given iput() has just decremented i_count to 0 before
calling iput_final() this beginning of the "wrap" looks pretty pointless to
me.

> > >       if (op->drop_inode)
> > >               drop = op->drop_inode(inode);
> > > @@ -1893,6 +1894,12 @@ static void iput_final(struct inode *inode)
> > >               return;
> > >       }
> > >
> > > +     /*
> > > +      * Re-check ->i_count in case the ->drop_inode() hooks played games.
> > > +      * Note we only execute this if the verdict was to drop the inode.
> > > +      */
> > > +     VFS_BUG_ON_INODE(atomic_read(&inode->i_count) != 0, inode);
> > > +
> >
> > I'm not sure this can catch much but OK...
> >
> 
> It can catch drop routines which bumped the ref but did not release
> it, or which indicated to continue with drop while someone else
> snatched the reference.

Right. 

> Preferaby the APIs would prevent that in the first place, but there is
> quite a bit of shit-shoveling before that happens.

Agreed.

								Honza

-- 
Jan Kara <jack@suse.com>
SUSE Labs, CR

Re: [PATCH] fs: assert on ->i_count in iput_final()

[Mateusz Guzik]

On Wed, Oct 1, 2025 at 3:08 PM Jan Kara <jack@suse.cz> wrote:
>
> On Wed 01-10-25 14:12:13, Mateusz Guzik wrote:
> > On Wed, Oct 1, 2025 at 2:07 PM Jan Kara <jack@suse.cz> wrote:
> > > > diff --git a/fs/inode.c b/fs/inode.c
> > > > index ec9339024ac3..fa82cb810af4 100644
> > > > --- a/fs/inode.c
> > > > +++ b/fs/inode.c
> > > > @@ -1879,6 +1879,7 @@ static void iput_final(struct inode *inode)
> > > >       int drop;
> > > >
> > > >       WARN_ON(inode->i_state & I_NEW);
> > > > +     VFS_BUG_ON_INODE(atomic_read(&inode->i_count) != 0, inode);
> > >
> > > This seems pointless given when iput_final() is called...
> > >
> >
> > This and the other check explicitly "wrap" the ->drop_inode call.
>
> I understand but given iput() has just decremented i_count to 0 before
> calling iput_final() this beginning of the "wrap" looks pretty pointless to
> me.
>

To my understanding you are not NAKing the patch, are merely not
particularly fond of it. ;)

Given that these asserts don't show up in production kernels, the
layer should be moving towards always spelling out all assumptions at
the entry point. Worst case does not hurt in production anyway, best
case it will catch something.

For iput_final specifically, at the moment there is only one consumer
so this indeed may look overzealous.

But for the sake of argument suppose someone noticed that
dentry_unlink_inode() performs:
        spin_unlock(&inode->i_lock);
        if (!inode->i_nlink)
                fsnotify_inoderemove(inode);
        if (dentry->d_op && dentry->d_op->d_iput)
                dentry->d_op->d_iput(dentry, inode);
        else
                iput(inode);

... and that with some minor rototoiling the inode lock can survive
both fsnotify and custom d_iput in the common case. Should that
happen, iput_locked() could be added to shave off a lock trip in the
common case of whacking the inode. But then there is 2 consumers of
iput_final. etc.

Re: [PATCH] fs: assert on ->i_count in iput_final()

[Jan Kara]

On Wed 01-10-25 16:28:15, Mateusz Guzik wrote:
> On Wed, Oct 1, 2025 at 3:08 PM Jan Kara <jack@suse.cz> wrote:
> >
> > On Wed 01-10-25 14:12:13, Mateusz Guzik wrote:
> > > On Wed, Oct 1, 2025 at 2:07 PM Jan Kara <jack@suse.cz> wrote:
> > > > > diff --git a/fs/inode.c b/fs/inode.c
> > > > > index ec9339024ac3..fa82cb810af4 100644
> > > > > --- a/fs/inode.c
> > > > > +++ b/fs/inode.c
> > > > > @@ -1879,6 +1879,7 @@ static void iput_final(struct inode *inode)
> > > > >       int drop;
> > > > >
> > > > >       WARN_ON(inode->i_state & I_NEW);
> > > > > +     VFS_BUG_ON_INODE(atomic_read(&inode->i_count) != 0, inode);
> > > >
> > > > This seems pointless given when iput_final() is called...
> > > >
> > >
> > > This and the other check explicitly "wrap" the ->drop_inode call.
> >
> > I understand but given iput() has just decremented i_count to 0 before
> > calling iput_final() this beginning of the "wrap" looks pretty pointless to
> > me.
> >
> 
> To my understanding you are not NAKing the patch, are merely not
> particularly fond of it. ;)

Yes, it isn't annoying me enough to nak it but I couldn't resist
complaining :)

> Given that these asserts don't show up in production kernels, the
> layer should be moving towards always spelling out all assumptions at
> the entry point. Worst case does not hurt in production anyway, best
> case it will catch something.

Well, I think that when we get too many asserts, the code is harder to
read.

> For iput_final specifically, at the moment there is only one consumer
> so this indeed may look overzealous.
> 
> But for the sake of argument suppose someone noticed that
> dentry_unlink_inode() performs:
>         spin_unlock(&inode->i_lock);
>         if (!inode->i_nlink)
>                 fsnotify_inoderemove(inode);
>         if (dentry->d_op && dentry->d_op->d_iput)
>                 dentry->d_op->d_iput(dentry, inode);
>         else
>                 iput(inode);
> 
> ... and that with some minor rototoiling the inode lock can survive
> both fsnotify and custom d_iput in the common case. Should that
> happen, iput_locked() could be added to shave off a lock trip in the
> common case of whacking the inode. But then there is 2 consumers of
> iput_final. etc.

Right. And when we grow second iput_final() caller, I'd withdraw my
complaint about pointless assert ;).

								Honza
-- 
Jan Kara <jack@suse.com>
SUSE Labs, CR

Re: [PATCH] fs: assert on ->i_count in iput_final()

[Christian Brauner]

On Wed, 01 Oct 2025 03:00:10 +0200, Mateusz Guzik wrote:
> Notably make sure the count is 0 after the return from ->drop_inode(),
> provided we are going to drop.
> 
> Inspired by suspicious games played by f2fs.
> 
> 

Applied to the vfs-6.19.inode branch of the vfs/vfs.git tree.
Patches in the vfs-6.19.inode branch should appear in linux-next soon.

Please report any outstanding bugs that were missed during review in a
new review to the original patch series allowing us to drop it.

It's encouraged to provide Acked-bys and Reviewed-bys even though the
patch has now been applied. If possible patch trailers will be updated.

Note that commit hashes shown below are subject to change due to rebase,
trailer updates or similar. If in doubt, please check the listed branch.

tree:   https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/vfs/vfs.git
branch: vfs-6.19.inode

[1/1] fs: assert on ->i_count in iput_final()
      https://git.kernel.org/vfs/vfs/c/655c4a4f00fc