syzbot is reporting circular locking dependency which involves zonelist_update_seq seqlock [1], for this lock is checked by memory allocation requests which do not need to be retried. One deadlock scenario is kmalloc(GFP_ATOMIC) from an interrupt handler. CPU0 ---- __build_all_zonelists() { write_seqlock(&zonelist_update_seq); // makes zonelist_update_seq.seqcount odd // e.g. timer interrupt handler runs at this moment some_timer_func() { kmalloc(GFP_ATOMIC) { __alloc_pages_slowpath() { read_seqbegin(&zonelist_update_seq) { // spins forever because zonelist_update_seq.seqcount is odd } } } } // e.g. timer interrupt handler finishes write_sequnlock(&zonelist_update_seq); // makes zonelist_update_seq.seqcount even } This deadlock scenario can be easily eliminated by not calling read_seqbegin(&zonelist_update_seq) from !__GFP_DIRECT_RECLAIM allocation requests, for retry is applicable to only __GFP_DIRECT_RECLAIM allocation requests. But Michal Hocko does not know whether we should go with this approach. Another deadlock scenario which syzbot is reporting is a race between kmalloc(GFP_ATOMIC) from tty_insert_flip_string_and_push_buffer() with port->lock held and printk() from __build_all_zonelists() with zonelist_update_seq held. CPU0 CPU1 ---- ---- pty_write() { tty_insert_flip_string_and_push_buffer() { __build_all_zonelists() { write_seqlock(&zonelist_update_seq); build_zonelists() { printk() { vprintk() { vprintk_default() { vprintk_emit() { console_unlock() { console_flush_all() { console_emit_next_record() { con->write() = serial8250_console_write() { spin_lock_irqsave(&port->lock, flags); tty_insert_flip_string() { tty_insert_flip_string_fixed_flag() { __tty_buffer_request_room() { tty_buffer_alloc() { kmalloc(GFP_ATOMIC | __GFP_NOWARN) { __alloc_pages_slowpath() { zonelist_iter_begin() { read_seqbegin(&zonelist_update_seq); // spins forever because zonelist_update_seq.seqcount is odd spin_lock_irqsave(&port->lock, flags); // spins forever because port->lock is held } } } } } } } } spin_unlock_irqrestore(&port->lock, flags); // message is printed to console spin_unlock_irqrestore(&port->lock, flags); } } } } } } } } } write_sequnlock(&zonelist_update_seq); } } } This deadlock scenario can be eliminated by preventing interrupt context from calling kmalloc(GFP_ATOMIC) and preventing printk() from calling console_flush_all() while zonelist_update_seq.seqcount is odd. Since Petr Mladek thinks that __build_all_zonelists() can become a candidate for deferring printk() [2], let's address this problem by disabling local interrupts in order to avoid kmalloc(GFP_ATOMIC) and disabling synchronous printk() in order to avoid console_flush_all() . As a side effect of minimizing duration of zonelist_update_seq.seqcount being odd by disabling synchronous printk(), latency at read_seqbegin(&zonelist_update_seq) for both !__GFP_DIRECT_RECLAIM and __GFP_DIRECT_RECLAIM allocation requests will be reduced. Although, from lockdep perspective, not calling read_seqbegin(&zonelist_update_seq) (i.e. do not record unnecessary locking dependency) from interrupt context is still preferable, even if we don't allow calling kmalloc(GFP_ATOMIC) inside write_seqlock(&zonelist_update_seq)/write_sequnlock(&zonelist_update_seq) section... Reported-by: syzbot <syzbot+223c7461c58c58a4cb10@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> Link: https://syzkaller.appspot.com/bug?extid=223c7461c58c58a4cb10 [1] Fixes: 3d36424b3b58 ("mm/page_alloc: fix race condition between build_all_zonelists and page allocation") Link: https://lkml.kernel.org/r/ZCrs+1cDqPWTDFNM@alley [2] Signed-off-by: Tetsuo Handa <penguin-kernel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> Cc: Michal Hocko <mhocko@xxxxxxxx> Cc: Petr Mladek <pmladek@xxxxxxxx> --- Changes in v2: Update patch description and comment. mm/page_alloc.c | 16 ++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 16 insertions(+) diff --git a/mm/page_alloc.c b/mm/page_alloc.c index 7136c36c5d01..e8b4f294d763 100644 --- a/mm/page_alloc.c +++ b/mm/page_alloc.c @@ -6632,7 +6632,21 @@ static void __build_all_zonelists(void *data) int nid; int __maybe_unused cpu; pg_data_t *self = data; + unsigned long flags; + /* + * Explicitly disable this CPU's interrupts before taking seqlock + * to prevent any IRQ handler from calling into the page allocator + * (e.g. GFP_ATOMIC) that could hit zonelist_iter_begin and livelock. + */ + local_irq_save(flags); + /* + * Explicitly disable this CPU's synchronous printk() before taking + * seqlock to prevent any printk() from trying to hold port->lock, for + * tty_insert_flip_string_and_push_buffer() on other CPU might be + * calling kmalloc(GFP_ATOMIC | __GFP_NOWARN) with port->lock held. + */ + printk_deferred_enter(); write_seqlock(&zonelist_update_seq); #ifdef CONFIG_NUMA @@ -6671,6 +6685,8 @@ static void __build_all_zonelists(void *data) } write_sequnlock(&zonelist_update_seq); + printk_deferred_exit(); + local_irq_restore(flags); } static noinline void __init -- 2.34.1