[PATCH v2 0/3] rcu: Detect accidental reuse of rcu head

[PATCH v2 0/3] rcu: Detect accidental reuse of rcu head

[Peter Xu]

v2:
- Change patch 2 subject and wording to avoid mentioning "double free" [PeterM]

This is an idea suggested by Peter Maydell:

https://lore.kernel.org/all/CAFEAcA--K0=EJNNvj98i=ewGY=tN3u4S0+fNb9kJpYynzjHEhw@mail.gmail.com/

After this small series applied, we should be able to assert on misuse of
accidental (wrong) re-use on a rcu head.

Please review, thanks.

Peter Xu (3):
  qht: Zero-initialize qht_map
  tests/test-rcu-*: Zero-initialize allocated elements
  rcu: Catch rcu_head misuse

 tests/unit/test-rcu-list.c | 4 ++--
 util/qht.c                 | 2 +-
 util/rcu.c                 | 5 +++++
 3 files changed, 8 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)

-- 
2.50.1

[PATCH v2 1/3] qht: Zero-initialize qht_map

[Peter Xu]

QEMU almost always do this across the tree except QHT.  This prepares for
rcu to track double free.

Signed-off-by: Peter Xu <peterx@redhat.com>
---
 util/qht.c | 2 +-
 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/util/qht.c b/util/qht.c
index 208c2f4b32..872d9f9cec 100644
--- a/util/qht.c
+++ b/util/qht.c
@@ -441,7 +441,7 @@ static struct qht_map *qht_map_create(size_t n_buckets)
     struct qht_map *map;
     size_t i;
 
-    map = g_malloc(sizeof(*map));
+    map = g_malloc0(sizeof(*map));
     map->n_buckets = n_buckets;
 
     map->n_added_buckets = 0;
-- 
2.50.1

Re: [PATCH v2 1/3] qht: Zero-initialize qht_map

[Philippe Mathieu-Daudé]

On 14/10/25 21:19, Peter Xu wrote:
> QEMU almost always do this across the tree except QHT.  This prepares for
> rcu to track double free.
> 
> Signed-off-by: Peter Xu <peterx@redhat.com>
> ---
>   util/qht.c | 2 +-
>   1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-)

Reviewed-by: Philippe Mathieu-Daudé <philmd@linaro.org>

[PATCH v2 2/3] tests/test-rcu-*: Zero-initialize allocated elements

[Peter Xu]

QEMU almost always do this, so do it too with the RCU unit tests.  It's
preparation work to start asserting on possible rcu double free.

Signed-off-by: Peter Xu <peterx@redhat.com>
---
 tests/unit/test-rcu-list.c | 4 ++--
 1 file changed, 2 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)

diff --git a/tests/unit/test-rcu-list.c b/tests/unit/test-rcu-list.c
index 8f0adb8b00..853c9e33d9 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test-rcu-list.c
+++ b/tests/unit/test-rcu-list.c
@@ -233,7 +233,7 @@ static void *rcu_q_updater(void *arg)
         TEST_LIST_FOREACH_RCU(el, &Q_list_head, entry) {
             j++;
             if (target_el == j) {
-                struct list_element *new_el = g_new(struct list_element, 1);
+                struct list_element *new_el = g_new0(struct list_element, 1);
                 n_nodes_local++;
                 TEST_LIST_INSERT_AFTER_RCU(el, new_el, entry);
                 break;
@@ -259,7 +259,7 @@ static void rcu_qtest_init(void)
     nthreadsrunning = 0;
     srand(time(0));
     for (i = 0; i < RCU_Q_LEN; i++) {
-        new_el = g_new(struct list_element, 1);
+        new_el = g_new0(struct list_element, 1);
         TEST_LIST_INSERT_HEAD_RCU(&Q_list_head, new_el, entry);
     }
     qemu_mutex_lock(&counts_mutex);
-- 
2.50.1

[PATCH v2 3/3] rcu: Catch rcu_head misuse

[Peter Xu]

Trap call_rcu1() to make sure it won't be invoked twice for one rcu head by
accident.

Suggested-by: Peter Maydell <peter.maydell@linaro.org>
Signed-off-by: Peter Xu <peterx@redhat.com>
---
 util/rcu.c | 5 +++++
 1 file changed, 5 insertions(+)

diff --git a/util/rcu.c b/util/rcu.c
index b703c86f15..fc4b18812b 100644
--- a/util/rcu.c
+++ b/util/rcu.c
@@ -307,6 +307,11 @@ static void *call_rcu_thread(void *opaque)
 
 void call_rcu1(struct rcu_head *node, void (*func)(struct rcu_head *node))
 {
+    /*
+     * Avoid accidental reuse of rcu_head, e.g. enqueuing one node twice
+     * (especially, when the function pointers are different).
+     */
+    assert(node->func == NULL);
     node->func = func;
     enqueue(node);
     qatomic_inc(&rcu_call_count);
-- 
2.50.1

Re: [PATCH v2 0/3] rcu: Detect accidental reuse of rcu head

[Richard Henderson]

On 10/14/25 12:19, Peter Xu wrote:
> Peter Xu (3):
>    qht: Zero-initialize qht_map
>    tests/test-rcu-*: Zero-initialize allocated elements
>    rcu: Catch rcu_head misuse

Reviewed-by: Richard Henderson <richard.henderson@linaro.org>

r~