From: Zqiang <qiang1.zhang@xxxxxxxxx> [ Upstream commit 3c1566bca3f8349f12b75d0a2d5e4a20ad6262ec ] For kernels built with CONFIG_PREEMPT_RCU=y, the following scenario can result in a NULL-pointer dereference: CPU1 CPU2 rcu_preempt_deferred_qs_irqrestore rcu_print_task_exp_stall if (special.b.blocked) READ_ONCE(rnp->exp_tasks) != NULL raw_spin_lock_rcu_node np = rcu_next_node_entry(t, rnp) if (&t->rcu_node_entry == rnp->exp_tasks) WRITE_ONCE(rnp->exp_tasks, np) .... raw_spin_unlock_irqrestore_rcu_node raw_spin_lock_irqsave_rcu_node t = list_entry(rnp->exp_tasks->prev, struct task_struct, rcu_node_entry) (if rnp->exp_tasks is NULL, this will dereference a NULL pointer) The problem is that CPU2 accesses the rcu_node structure's->exp_tasks field without holding the rcu_node structure's ->lock and CPU2 did not observe CPU1's change to rcu_node structure's ->exp_tasks in time. Therefore, if CPU1 sets rcu_node structure's->exp_tasks pointer to NULL, then CPU2 might dereference that NULL pointer. This commit therefore holds the rcu_node structure's ->lock while accessing that structure's->exp_tasks field. [ paulmck: Apply Frederic Weisbecker feedback. ] Acked-by: Joel Fernandes (Google) <joel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> Signed-off-by: Zqiang <qiang1.zhang@xxxxxxxxx> Signed-off-by: Paul E. McKenney <paulmck@xxxxxxxxxx> Signed-off-by: Joel Fernandes (Google) <joel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> Signed-off-by: Sasha Levin <sashal@xxxxxxxxxx> --- kernel/rcu/tree_exp.h | 6 ++++-- 1 file changed, 4 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-) diff --git a/kernel/rcu/tree_exp.h b/kernel/rcu/tree_exp.h index f9fb2793b0193..f46c0c1a5eb35 100644 --- a/kernel/rcu/tree_exp.h +++ b/kernel/rcu/tree_exp.h @@ -708,9 +708,11 @@ static int rcu_print_task_exp_stall(struct rcu_node *rnp) int ndetected = 0; struct task_struct *t; - if (!READ_ONCE(rnp->exp_tasks)) - return 0; raw_spin_lock_irqsave_rcu_node(rnp, flags); + if (!rnp->exp_tasks) { + raw_spin_unlock_irqrestore_rcu_node(rnp, flags); + return 0; + } t = list_entry(rnp->exp_tasks->prev, struct task_struct, rcu_node_entry); list_for_each_entry_continue(t, &rnp->blkd_tasks, rcu_node_entry) { -- 2.39.2