* [PATCH] mm/slab: Call call_rcu() directly from __kfree_rcu_sheaf() in any context
@ 2026-10-16 15:53 Puranjay Mohan
2026-10-17 15:54 ` sashiko-bot
0 siblings, 1 reply; 2+ messages in thread
From: Puranjay Mohan @ 2026-10-16 15:53 UTC (permalink / raw)
To: linux-mm; +Cc: Puranjay Mohan, Vlastimil Babka, Harry Yoo, Andrew Morton
__kfree_rcu_sheaf() can run with allow_spin == false, e.g. from
kfree_rcu_nolock(), where it may interrupt call_rcu() itself on the same
CPU. call_rcu() was not reentrant, so commit 69abda97a09b2 ("mm/slab:
extend deferred free mechanism to handle rcu sheaves") added a fallback:
when !allow_spin and IRQs are disabled, the full rcu sheaf is put on a
per-CPU llist and submitted to call_rcu() later from irq_work.
call_rcu() now handles this itself. When it is called with IRQs disabled
(from NMI, or re-entered from instrumentation), it stages the callback on
a per-CPU list and re-issues it from irq_work. Callers no longer need to
guard against that, so always call call_rcu() directly and remove the
rcu_sheaves llist and its irq_work handling.
Signed-off-by: Puranjay Mohan <puranjay@kernel.org>
---
mm/slub.c | 28 +++-------------------------
1 file changed, 3 insertions(+), 25 deletions(-)
diff --git a/mm/slub.c b/mm/slub.c
index 8fbc6bf8ebc51..6c44f4495db5a 100644
--- a/mm/slub.c
+++ b/mm/slub.c
@@ -4145,7 +4145,6 @@ static void flush_all(struct kmem_cache *s)
struct deferred_percpu_work {
struct llist_head objects;
struct llist_head objects_by_rcu;
- struct llist_head rcu_sheaves;
struct irq_work work;
};
@@ -4154,7 +4153,6 @@ static void deferred_percpu_work_fn(struct irq_work *work);
static DEFINE_PER_CPU(struct deferred_percpu_work, deferred_percpu_work) = {
.objects = LLIST_HEAD_INIT(objects),
.objects_by_rcu = LLIST_HEAD_INIT(objects_by_rcu),
- .rcu_sheaves = LLIST_HEAD_INIT(rcu_sheaves),
.work = IRQ_WORK_INIT(deferred_percpu_work_fn),
};
@@ -6308,22 +6306,8 @@ bool __kfree_rcu_sheaf(struct kmem_cache *s, void *obj, unsigned int free_flags)
* we flush before local_unlock to make sure a racing
* flush_all_rcu_sheaves() doesn't miss this sheaf
*/
- if (rcu_sheaf) {
- /*
- * With !allow_spin, we might have interrupted call_rcu()'s
- * IRQ-disabled critical section. If IRQs are not disabled,
- * we know that's not the case.
- */
- if (unlikely(!allow_spin && irqs_disabled())) {
- struct deferred_percpu_work *dpw;
-
- dpw = this_cpu_ptr(&deferred_percpu_work);
- if (llist_add(&rcu_sheaf->llnode, &dpw->rcu_sheaves))
- irq_work_queue(&dpw->work);
- } else {
- call_rcu(&rcu_sheaf->rcu_head, rcu_free_sheaf);
- }
- }
+ if (rcu_sheaf)
+ call_rcu(&rcu_sheaf->rcu_head, rcu_free_sheaf);
local_unlock(&s->cpu_sheaves->lock);
@@ -6532,12 +6516,10 @@ static void free_to_pcs_bulk(struct kmem_cache *s, size_t size, void **p)
static void deferred_percpu_work_fn(struct irq_work *work)
{
struct deferred_percpu_work *dpw;
- struct llist_head *objs, *objs_by_rcu, *rcu_sheaves;
+ struct llist_head *objs, *objs_by_rcu;
struct llist_node *llnode, *pos, *t;
- struct slab_sheaf *sheaf, *next;
dpw = container_of(work, struct deferred_percpu_work, work);
- rcu_sheaves = &dpw->rcu_sheaves;
objs = &dpw->objects;
objs_by_rcu = &dpw->objects_by_rcu;
@@ -6571,10 +6553,6 @@ static void deferred_percpu_work_fn(struct irq_work *work)
kvfree_call_rcu(head, objp);
}
-
- llnode = llist_del_all(rcu_sheaves);
- llist_for_each_entry_safe(sheaf, next, llnode, llnode)
- call_rcu(&sheaf->rcu_head, rcu_free_sheaf);
}
static void defer_free(struct kmem_cache *s, void *head)
base-commit: e52c7c28dbece00f54dff26e1554df2fe59b02f3
--
2.53.0-Meta
^ permalink raw reply related [flat|nested] 2+ messages in thread* Re: [PATCH] mm/slab: Call call_rcu() directly from __kfree_rcu_sheaf() in any context
2026-10-16 15:53 [PATCH] mm/slab: Call call_rcu() directly from __kfree_rcu_sheaf() in any context Puranjay Mohan
@ 2026-10-17 15:54 ` sashiko-bot
0 siblings, 0 replies; 2+ messages in thread
From: sashiko-bot @ 2026-10-17 15:54 UTC (permalink / raw)
To: Puranjay Mohan, linux-mm; +Cc: Vlastimil Babka, Harry Yoo, Andrew Morton
Thank you for your contribution! Sashiko AI review found 2 potential issue(s) to consider:
- [High] mm: call_rcu() list corruption due to reentrancy from NMI
- [Low] mm: unused llnode field in struct slab_sheaf
--
commit 81da114bf5411864e59d873df170399156acac6d
Author: Puranjay Mohan <puranjay@kernel.org>
mm/slab: Call call_rcu() directly from __kfree_rcu_sheaf() in any context
This patch removes the deferred irq_work fallback for rcu_sheaves and
instead calls call_rcu() directly from __kfree_rcu_sheaf() in all contexts.
The commit message states that call_rcu() now natively handles reentrancy
from NMIs.
> diff --git a/mm/slub.c b/mm/slub.c
> index 8fbc6bf8ebc51..6c44f4495db5a 100644
> --- a/mm/slub.c
> +++ b/mm/slub.c
> @@ -4145,7 +4145,6 @@ static void flush_all(struct kmem_cache *s)
> struct deferred_percpu_work {
> struct llist_head objects;
> struct llist_head objects_by_rcu;
> - struct llist_head rcu_sheaves;
> struct irq_work work;
> };
[Severity: Low]
This isn't a bug, but since this patch removes the rcu_sheaves list and all
its associated logic, should the llnode field in struct slab_sheaf also be
removed?
It appears the llnode field in struct slab_sheaf was only used to defer
this call_rcu() invocation.
[ ... ]
> @@ -6308,22 +6306,8 @@ bool __kfree_rcu_sheaf(struct kmem_cache *s, void *obj, unsigned int free_flags)
> * we flush before local_unlock to make sure a racing
> * flush_all_rcu_sheaves() doesn't miss this sheaf
> */
> - if (rcu_sheaf) {
> - /*
> - * With !allow_spin, we might have interrupted call_rcu()'s
> - * IRQ-disabled critical section. If IRQs are not disabled,
> - * we know that's not the case.
> - */
> - if (unlikely(!allow_spin && irqs_disabled())) {
> - struct deferred_percpu_work *dpw;
> -
> - dpw = this_cpu_ptr(&deferred_percpu_work);
> - if (llist_add(&rcu_sheaf->llnode, &dpw->rcu_sheaves))
> - irq_work_queue(&dpw->work);
> - } else {
> - call_rcu(&rcu_sheaf->rcu_head, rcu_free_sheaf);
> - }
> - }
> + if (rcu_sheaf)
> + call_rcu(&rcu_sheaf->rcu_head, rcu_free_sheaf);
[Severity: High]
The commit message states: "When it is called with IRQs disabled (from NMI,
or re-entered from instrumentation), it stages the callback on a per-CPU
list and re-issues it from irq_work."
Looking at the implementation of call_rcu() and __call_rcu_common() in
kernel/rcu/tree.c, it disables IRQs and synchronously manipulates the
callback list. It does not appear to contain an NMI/irq_work fallback.
If __kfree_rcu_sheaf() is called from an NMI or tracing context (such as
from bpf or perf) while the CPU is already executing call_rcu() or
rcu_do_batch(), could this direct call to call_rcu() re-enter the list
manipulation and corrupt the RCU callback lists?
--
Sashiko AI review · https://sashiko.dev/#/patchset/20261016155340.3304319-1-puranjay@kernel.org?part=1
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2026-10-16 15:53 [PATCH] mm/slab: Call call_rcu() directly from __kfree_rcu_sheaf() in any context Puranjay Mohan
2026-10-17 15:54 ` sashiko-bot
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