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From: Al Viro <viro@ZenIV.linux.org.uk>
To: Mimi Zohar <zohar@linux.vnet.ibm.com>
Cc: linux-security-module <linux-security-module@vger.kernel.org>,
	linux-kernel <linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org>
Subject: Re: [PATCH] ima: prevent dead lock when a file is opened for direct io
Date: Tue, 26 Feb 2013 16:20:24 +0000	[thread overview]
Message-ID: <20130226162024.GI4503@ZenIV.linux.org.uk> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <1361395671.29360.26.camel@falcor1>

On Wed, Feb 20, 2013 at 04:27:51PM -0500, Mimi Zohar wrote:
> Hi Al,
> 
> Are there any negative repercussions to temporarily removing the
> o_direct flag in order to calculate the file hash?
> 
> thanks,
> 
> Mimi
> -----
> 
> Files are measured or appraised based on the IMA policy.  When a file
> in policy is opened for read with the O_DIRECT flag set, a deadlock
> occurs due to do_blockdev_direct_IO() taking i_mutex before calling
> filemap_write_and_wait_range(). The i_mutex was previously taken in
> process_measurement().  This patch temporarily removes the O_DIRECT
> flag in order to calculate the hash and restores it once completed.

	Why does process_measurement() hold ->i_mutex across that?
It really sounds like "we kinda hope no ->read() will take ->i_mutex,
oops, at least one case does, umm... let's kludge around a bit and
hope no other case shows up".  

Locking rules should be documented and they should make sense.  You are
introducing a new one and it's really convoluted - "no ->read() instance
for a regular file shall take ->i_mutex unless it's an O_DIRECT open".

  parent reply	other threads:[~2013-02-26 16:20 UTC|newest]

Thread overview: 11+ messages / expand[flat|nested]  mbox.gz  Atom feed  top
2013-02-20 21:27 [PATCH] ima: prevent dead lock when a file is opened for direct io Mimi Zohar
2013-02-26 13:41 ` Kasatkin, Dmitry
2013-02-26 16:20 ` Al Viro [this message]
2013-02-26 19:32   ` Mimi Zohar
2013-02-26 20:34     ` Al Viro
2013-02-26 23:22       ` Mimi Zohar
2013-02-27  9:21         ` Kasatkin, Dmitry
2013-02-27 12:26           ` Kasatkin, Dmitry
2013-02-27 13:57             ` Mimi Zohar
2013-02-27 19:00           ` Al Viro
2013-02-27 19:45             ` Mimi Zohar

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