OK. I noticed that when downgrade_write() warning is printed, there is always another lockdep warning in progress at the same moment. And I confirmed that downgrade_write() is confused by __debug_locks_off() called by concurrently triggered lockdep warning. In other words, since another lockdep warning calls __debug_locks_off(), downgrade_write() is making decisions based on "no longer maintained dependency". ---------------------------------------- #include <linux/module.h> #include <linux/sched.h> #include <linux/rwsem.h> static int __init test_init(void) { struct rw_semaphore *sem = ¤t->mm->mmap_sem; static DECLARE_RWSEM(test_lock); down_read(sem); down_read(&test_lock); down_read(&test_lock); up_read(&test_lock); up_read(&test_lock); up_read(sem); return -EINVAL; } module_init(test_init); MODULE_LICENSE("GPL"); ---------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------- [ 40.822909][ T9174] test: loading out-of-tree module taints kernel. [ 40.827870][ T9174] [ 40.828504][ T9174] ============================================ [ 40.830253][ T9174] WARNING: possible recursive locking detected [ 40.831922][ T9174] 5.0.0-rc1-next-20190109 #269 Tainted: G O [ 40.833832][ T9174] -------------------------------------------- [ 40.835461][ T9174] insmod/9174 is trying to acquire lock: [ 40.836871][ T9174] 000000007dbea5ef (test_lock){.+.+}, at: test_init+0x3c/0x1000 [test] [ 40.838936][ T9174] [ 40.838936][ T9174] but task is already holding lock: [ 40.840827][ T9174] 000000007dbea5ef (test_lock){.+.+}, at: test_init+0x30/0x1000 [test] [ 40.842962][ T9174] [ 40.842962][ T9174] other info that might help us debug this: [ 40.844979][ T9174] Possible unsafe locking scenario: [ 40.844979][ T9174] [ 40.847031][ T9174] CPU0 [ 40.847923][ T9174] ---- [ 40.848741][ T9174] lock(test_lock); [ 40.849786][ T9174] lock(test_lock); [ 40.850860][ T9174] [ 40.850860][ T9174] *** DEADLOCK *** [ 40.850860][ T9174] [ 40.852892][ T9174] May be due to missing lock nesting notation [ 40.852892][ T9174] [ 40.855000][ T9174] 2 locks held by insmod/9174: [ 40.856187][ T9174] #0: 000000008f7a8ad1 (&mm->mmap_sem){++++}, at: test_init+0x24/0x1000 [test] [ 40.858441][ T9174] #1: 000000007dbea5ef (test_lock){.+.+}, at: test_init+0x30/0x1000 [test] [ 40.860784][ T9174] [ 40.860784][ T9174] stack backtrace: [ 40.862253][ T9174] CPU: 1 PID: 9174 Comm: insmod Kdump: loaded Tainted: G O 5.0.0-rc1-next-20190109 #269 [ 40.865225][ T9174] Hardware name: VMware, Inc. VMware Virtual Platform/440BX Desktop Reference Platform, BIOS 6.00 04/13/2018 [ 40.868304][ T9174] Call Trace: [ 40.869127][ T9174] dump_stack+0x67/0x95 [ 40.870274][ T9174] __lock_acquire+0x1073/0x1260 [ 40.871555][ T9174] lock_acquire+0xd3/0x210 [ 40.872657][ T9174] ? test_init+0x3c/0x1000 [test] [ 40.873912][ T9174] down_read+0x47/0xa0 [ 40.874927][ T9174] ? test_init+0x3c/0x1000 [test] [ 40.876222][ T9174] test_init+0x3c/0x1000 [test] [ 40.877432][ T9174] ? 0xffffffffc03ff000 [ 40.878854][ T9174] do_one_initcall+0x72/0x395 [ 40.880625][ T9174] ? rcu_read_lock_sched_held+0x8c/0xa0 [ 40.882965][ T9174] ? kmem_cache_alloc_trace+0x2b5/0x360 [ 40.884734][ T9174] do_init_module+0x5b/0x1ef [ 40.886265][ T9174] load_module+0x17ed/0x1d10 [ 40.887800][ T9174] ? __symbol_put+0x90/0x90 [ 40.889315][ T9174] ? kernel_read+0x2c/0x40 [ 40.890976][ T9174] __do_sys_finit_module+0xa9/0x100 [ 40.892648][ T9174] __x64_sys_finit_module+0x15/0x20 [ 40.894315][ T9174] do_syscall_64+0x4a/0x180 [ 40.895848][ T9174] entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x49/0xbe [ 40.897756][ T9174] RIP: 0033:0x7f2ccd0c11c9 [ 40.899229][ T9174] Code: 01 00 48 81 c4 80 00 00 00 e9 f1 fe ff ff 0f 1f 00 48 89 f8 48 89 f7 48 89 d6 48 89 ca 4d 89 c2 4d 89 c8 4c 8b 4c 24 08 0f 05 <48> 3d 01 f0 ff ff 73 01 c3 48 8b 0d 97 dc 2c 00 f7 d8 64 89 01 48 [ 40.906285][ T9174] RSP: 002b:00007fff3f992348 EFLAGS: 00000206 ORIG_RAX: 0000000000000139 [ 40.909468][ T9174] RAX: ffffffffffffffda RBX: 0000000000bcb1f0 RCX: 00007f2ccd0c11c9 [ 40.912444][ T9174] RDX: 0000000000000000 RSI: 000000000041a94e RDI: 0000000000000003 [ 40.915459][ T9174] RBP: 000000000041a94e R08: 0000000000000000 R09: 00007fff3f9924e8 [ 40.917978][ T9174] R10: 0000000000000003 R11: 0000000000000206 R12: 0000000000000000 [ 40.920434][ T9174] R13: 0000000000bca130 R14: 0000000000000000 R15: 0000000000000000 [ 41.305025][ T9174] mmap_sem: hlock->read=1 count=-4294967295 current=ffffa3f06d423840, owner=ffffa3f06d423840 [ 41.308093][ T9174] ------------[ cut here ]------------ [ 41.309878][ T9174] downgrading a read lock [ 41.309884][ T9174] WARNING: CPU: 1 PID: 9174 at kernel/locking/lockdep.c:3572 lock_downgrade+0xe5/0x240 [ 41.314382][ T9174] Modules linked in: vmw_balloon pcspkr sg vmw_vmci i2c_piix4 ip6t_rpfilter ipt_REJECT nf_reject_ipv4 ip6t_REJECT nf_reject_ipv6 xt_conntrack ip_set nfnetlink ebtable_nat ebtable_broute bridge stp llc ip6table_nat nf_nat_ipv6 ip6table_mangle ip6table_raw iptable_nat nf_nat_ipv4 nf_nat nf_conntrack nf_defrag_ipv6 nf_defrag_ipv4 iptable_mangle iptable_raw ebtable_filter ebtables ip6table_filter ip6_tables iptable_filter ip_tables xfs libcrc32c sd_mod sr_mod cdrom serio_raw ata_generic pata_acpi vmwgfx drm_kms_helper ahci syscopyarea libahci sysfillrect sysimgblt e1000 fb_sys_fops mptspi ttm scsi_transport_spi mptscsih drm mptbase i2c_core ata_piix libata [ 41.332426][ T9174] CPU: 1 PID: 9174 Comm: insmod Kdump: loaded Tainted: G O 5.0.0-rc1-next-20190109 #269 [ 41.335600][ T9174] Hardware name: VMware, Inc. VMware Virtual Platform/440BX Desktop Reference Platform, BIOS 6.00 04/13/2018 [ 41.338867][ T9174] RIP: 0010:lock_downgrade+0xe5/0x240 [ 41.340989][ T9174] Code: 48 85 c0 74 13 49 8d 56 90 48 05 b8 00 00 00 48 39 c2 0f 84 35 01 00 00 48 c7 c7 36 70 df 9e 31 c0 4c 89 4d c0 e8 cb c7 f9 ff <0f> 0b 8b 55 cc 4c 8b 4d c0 41 0f b6 41 32 4d 89 79 08 44 89 e6 48 [ 41.346977][ T9174] RSP: 0018:ffffbbbf007d7e00 EFLAGS: 00010086 [ 41.349340][ T9174] RAX: 0000000000000000 RBX: ffffa3f06d423840 RCX: ffffffffa0049040 [ 41.351999][ T9174] RDX: 0000000000000001 RSI: 0000000000000001 RDI: ffffffff9e0ddd22 [ 41.354449][ T9174] RBP: ffffbbbf007d7e40 R08: 0000000000000000 R09: 6572206120676e69 [ 41.357085][ T9174] R10: 72206120676e6964 R11: 0000000000000001 R12: 0000000000000002 [ 41.359517][ T9174] R13: 0000000000000246 R14: ffffa3f0737f0968 R15: ffffffff9e1e9008 [ 41.362154][ T9174] FS: 00007f2ccdbee740(0000) GS:ffffa3f07a600000(0000) knlGS:0000000000000000 [ 41.365009][ T9174] CS: 0010 DS: 0000 ES: 0000 CR0: 0000000080050033 [ 41.367247][ T9174] CR2: 00007f2ccd122250 CR3: 0000000131f6e004 CR4: 00000000003606e0 [ 41.369726][ T9174] Call Trace: [ 41.371284][ T9174] downgrade_write+0x15/0x90 [ 41.372939][ T9174] __do_munmap+0x378/0x3c0 [ 41.374557][ T9174] __vm_munmap+0x76/0xd0 [ 41.376401][ T9174] __x64_sys_munmap+0x27/0x30 [ 41.378079][ T9174] do_syscall_64+0x4a/0x180 [ 41.379711][ T9174] entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x49/0xbe [ 41.381940][ T9174] RIP: 0033:0x7f2ccd0c13f7 [ 41.383564][ T9174] Code: 64 89 02 48 83 c8 ff eb 9c 48 8b 15 93 da 2c 00 f7 d8 64 89 02 e9 6a ff ff ff 66 0f 1f 84 00 00 00 00 00 b8 0b 00 00 00 0f 05 <48> 3d 01 f0 ff ff 73 01 c3 48 8b 0d 69 da 2c 00 f7 d8 64 89 01 48 [ 41.389435][ T9174] RSP: 002b:00007fff3f992378 EFLAGS: 00000206 ORIG_RAX: 000000000000000b [ 41.392384][ T9174] RAX: ffffffffffffffda RBX: 0000000000bcb300 RCX: 00007f2ccd0c13f7 [ 41.394929][ T9174] RDX: 0000000000000000 RSI: 00000000000011c8 RDI: 00007f2ccdc06000 [ 41.397432][ T9174] RBP: 0000000000000000 R08: 000000000040acd0 R09: 0000000000000000 [ 41.400105][ T9174] R10: 00007fff3f991da0 R11: 0000000000000206 R12: 0000000000bca010 [ 41.402693][ T9174] R13: 00007fff3f9924e0 R14: 0000000000000000 R15: 0000000000000000 [ 41.405218][ T9174] irq event stamp: 4607 [ 41.409414][ T9174] hardirqs last enabled at (4607): [<ffffffff9e20ec47>] __slab_alloc.isra.84.constprop.90+0x5e/0x77 [ 41.412696][ T9174] hardirqs last disabled at (4606): [<ffffffff9e20ec08>] __slab_alloc.isra.84.constprop.90+0x1f/0x77 [ 41.416069][ T9174] softirqs last enabled at (4528): [<ffffffff9e5fee8f>] peernet2id+0x4f/0x80 [ 41.418737][ T9174] softirqs last disabled at (4526): [<ffffffff9e5fee71>] peernet2id+0x31/0x80 [ 41.421542][ T9174] ---[ end trace 6db2652247cd6a11 ]--- ---------------------------------------- If I do static inline int __debug_locks_off(void) { - return xchg(&debug_locks, 0); + return 1; } then downgrade_write() warning is no longer printed by the reproducer (though other lockdep warnings are printed because dependency is no longer correct). ---------------------------------------- [ 34.554580][ T9173] test: loading out-of-tree module taints kernel. [ 34.559029][ T9173] [ 34.559656][ T9173] ============================================ [ 34.561416][ T9173] WARNING: possible recursive locking detected [ 34.563008][ T9173] 5.0.0-rc1-next-20190109+ #270 Tainted: G O [ 34.565045][ T9173] -------------------------------------------- [ 34.566619][ T9173] insmod/9173 is trying to acquire lock: [ 34.568127][ T9173] 00000000cf012899 (test_lock){.+.+}, at: test_init+0x3c/0x1000 [test] [ 34.570594][ T9173] [ 34.570594][ T9173] but task is already holding lock: [ 34.573474][ T9173] 00000000cf012899 (test_lock){.+.+}, at: test_init+0x30/0x1000 [test] [ 34.575650][ T9173] [ 34.575650][ T9173] other info that might help us debug this: [ 34.577843][ T9173] Possible unsafe locking scenario: [ 34.577843][ T9173] [ 34.579813][ T9173] CPU0 [ 34.580707][ T9173] ---- [ 34.581576][ T9173] lock(test_lock); [ 34.582604][ T9173] lock(test_lock); [ 34.583630][ T9173] [ 34.583630][ T9173] *** DEADLOCK *** [ 34.583630][ T9173] [ 34.585840][ T9173] May be due to missing lock nesting notation [ 34.585840][ T9173] [ 34.588127][ T9173] 2 locks held by insmod/9173: [ 34.589406][ T9173] #0: 00000000d68054a9 (&mm->mmap_sem){++++}, at: test_init+0x24/0x1000 [test] [ 34.591822][ T9173] #1: 00000000cf012899 (test_lock){.+.+}, at: test_init+0x30/0x1000 [test] [ 34.594205][ T9173] [ 34.594205][ T9173] stack backtrace: [ 34.595789][ T9173] CPU: 1 PID: 9173 Comm: insmod Kdump: loaded Tainted: G O 5.0.0-rc1-next-20190109+ #270 [ 34.598773][ T9173] Hardware name: VMware, Inc. VMware Virtual Platform/440BX Desktop Reference Platform, BIOS 6.00 04/13/2018 [ 34.602109][ T9173] Call Trace: [ 34.603046][ T9173] dump_stack+0x67/0x95 [ 34.604783][ T9173] __lock_acquire+0x1073/0x1260 [ 34.606529][ T9173] lock_acquire+0xd3/0x210 [ 34.608203][ T9173] ? test_init+0x3c/0x1000 [test] [ 34.609972][ T9173] down_read+0x47/0xa0 [ 34.611451][ T9173] ? test_init+0x3c/0x1000 [test] [ 34.613228][ T9173] test_init+0x3c/0x1000 [test] [ 34.614849][ T9173] ? 0xffffffffc01d0000 [ 34.616458][ T9173] do_one_initcall+0x72/0x395 [ 34.618000][ T9173] ? rcu_read_lock_sched_held+0x8c/0xa0 [ 34.619922][ T9173] ? kmem_cache_alloc_trace+0x2b5/0x360 [ 34.621843][ T9173] do_init_module+0x5b/0x1ef [ 34.623527][ T9173] load_module+0x17ed/0x1d10 [ 34.625295][ T9173] ? __symbol_put+0x90/0x90 [ 34.627035][ T9173] ? kernel_read+0x2c/0x40 [ 34.628717][ T9173] __do_sys_finit_module+0xa9/0x100 [ 34.630384][ T9173] __x64_sys_finit_module+0x15/0x20 [ 34.632125][ T9173] do_syscall_64+0x4a/0x180 [ 34.633612][ T9173] entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x49/0xbe [ 34.635548][ T9173] RIP: 0033:0x7f5b50e1f1c9 [ 34.637082][ T9173] Code: 01 00 48 81 c4 80 00 00 00 e9 f1 fe ff ff 0f 1f 00 48 89 f8 48 89 f7 48 89 d6 48 89 ca 4d 89 c2 4d 89 c8 4c 8b 4c 24 08 0f 05 <48> 3d 01 f0 ff ff 73 01 c3 48 8b 0d 97 dc 2c 00 f7 d8 64 89 01 48 [ 34.643337][ T9173] RSP: 002b:00007ffcee219f68 EFLAGS: 00000202 ORIG_RAX: 0000000000000139 [ 34.645825][ T9173] RAX: ffffffffffffffda RBX: 00000000011631f0 RCX: 00007f5b50e1f1c9 [ 34.648340][ T9173] RDX: 0000000000000000 RSI: 000000000041a94e RDI: 0000000000000003 [ 34.650841][ T9173] RBP: 000000000041a94e R08: 0000000000000000 R09: 00007ffcee21a108 [ 34.653287][ T9173] R10: 0000000000000003 R11: 0000000000000202 R12: 0000000000000000 [ 34.655978][ T9173] R13: 0000000001162130 R14: 0000000000000000 R15: 0000000000000000 [ 34.659756][ T9173] [ 34.661520][ T9173] ===================================== [ 34.663790][ T9173] WARNING: bad unlock balance detected! [ 34.665636][ T9173] 5.0.0-rc1-next-20190109+ #270 Tainted: G O [ 34.667902][ T9173] ------------------------------------- [ 34.669595][ T9173] insmod/9173 is trying to release lock (test_lock) at: [ 34.672164][ T9173] [<ffffffffc01d0054>] test_init+0x54/0x1000 [test] [ 34.674384][ T9173] but there are no more locks to release! [ 34.676195][ T9173] [ 34.676195][ T9173] other info that might help us debug this: [ 34.679053][ T9173] 1 lock held by insmod/9173: [ 34.680569][ T9173] #0: 00000000d68054a9 (&mm->mmap_sem){++++}, at: test_init+0x24/0x1000 [test] [ 34.683362][ T9173] [ 34.683362][ T9173] stack backtrace: [ 34.685567][ T9173] CPU: 1 PID: 9173 Comm: insmod Kdump: loaded Tainted: G O 5.0.0-rc1-next-20190109+ #270 [ 34.689164][ T9173] Hardware name: VMware, Inc. VMware Virtual Platform/440BX Desktop Reference Platform, BIOS 6.00 04/13/2018 [ 34.692636][ T9173] Call Trace: [ 34.694044][ T9173] dump_stack+0x67/0x95 [ 34.695444][ T9173] ? test_init+0x54/0x1000 [test] [ 34.697031][ T9173] print_unlock_imbalance_bug+0xec/0x100 [ 34.698899][ T9173] ? test_init+0x54/0x1000 [test] [ 34.700489][ T9173] lock_release+0x230/0x4c0 [ 34.702119][ T9173] up_read+0x1a/0xa0 [ 34.703521][ T9173] test_init+0x54/0x1000 [test] [ 34.705069][ T9173] ? 0xffffffffc01d0000 [ 34.706727][ T9173] do_one_initcall+0x72/0x395 [ 34.708233][ T9173] ? rcu_read_lock_sched_held+0x8c/0xa0 [ 34.710167][ T9173] ? kmem_cache_alloc_trace+0x2b5/0x360 [ 34.711885][ T9173] do_init_module+0x5b/0x1ef [ 34.713538][ T9173] load_module+0x17ed/0x1d10 [ 34.715027][ T9173] ? __symbol_put+0x90/0x90 [ 34.716494][ T9173] ? kernel_read+0x2c/0x40 [ 34.718226][ T9173] __do_sys_finit_module+0xa9/0x100 [ 34.719924][ T9173] __x64_sys_finit_module+0x15/0x20 [ 34.721734][ T9173] do_syscall_64+0x4a/0x180 [ 34.723199][ T9173] entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x49/0xbe [ 34.725136][ T9173] RIP: 0033:0x7f5b50e1f1c9 [ 34.726770][ T9173] Code: 01 00 48 81 c4 80 00 00 00 e9 f1 fe ff ff 0f 1f 00 48 89 f8 48 89 f7 48 89 d6 48 89 ca 4d 89 c2 4d 89 c8 4c 8b 4c 24 08 0f 05 <48> 3d 01 f0 ff ff 73 01 c3 48 8b 0d 97 dc 2c 00 f7 d8 64 89 01 48 [ 34.732837][ T9173] RSP: 002b:00007ffcee219f68 EFLAGS: 00000202 ORIG_RAX: 0000000000000139 [ 34.738479][ T9173] RAX: ffffffffffffffda RBX: 00000000011631f0 RCX: 00007f5b50e1f1c9 [ 34.741078][ T9173] RDX: 0000000000000000 RSI: 000000000041a94e RDI: 0000000000000003 [ 34.743495][ T9173] RBP: 000000000041a94e R08: 0000000000000000 R09: 00007ffcee21a108 [ 34.746043][ T9173] R10: 0000000000000003 R11: 0000000000000202 R12: 0000000000000000 [ 34.748450][ T9173] R13: 0000000001162130 R14: 0000000000000000 R15: 0000000000000000 ----------------------------------------