On 1/29/26 8:42 PM, Chen Ridong wrote:

On 2026/1/30 9:35, Waiman Long wrote:
On 1/29/26 7:56 PM, Chen Ridong wrote:
On 2026/1/30 5:16, Waiman Long wrote:
On 1/29/26 3:01 AM, Chen Ridong wrote:
On 2026/1/28 12:42, Waiman Long wrote:
The current cpuset partition code is able to dynamically update
the sched domains of a running system and the corresponding
HK_TYPE_DOMAIN housekeeping cpumask to perform what is essentally the
"isolcpus=domain,..." boot command line feature at run time.

The housekeeping cpumask update requires flushing a number of different
workqueues which may not be safe with cpus_read_lock() held as the
workqueue flushing code may acquire cpus_read_lock() or acquiring locks
which have locking dependency with cpus_read_lock() down the chain. Below
is an example of such circular locking problem.

     ======================================================
     WARNING: possible circular locking dependency detected
     6.18.0-test+ #2 Tainted: G S
     ------------------------------------------------------
     test_cpuset_prs/10971 is trying to acquire lock:
     ffff888112ba4958 ((wq_completion)sync_wq){+.+.}-{0:0}, at:
touch_wq_lockdep_map+0x7a/0x180

     but task is already holding lock:
     ffffffffae47f450 (cpuset_mutex){+.+.}-{4:4}, at:
cpuset_partition_write+0x85/0x130

     which lock already depends on the new lock.

     the existing dependency chain (in reverse order) is:
     -> #4 (cpuset_mutex){+.+.}-{4:4}:
     -> #3 (cpu_hotplug_lock){++++}-{0:0}:
     -> #2 (rtnl_mutex){+.+.}-{4:4}:
     -> #1 ((work_completion)(&arg.work)){+.+.}-{0:0}:
     -> #0 ((wq_completion)sync_wq){+.+.}-{0:0}:

     Chain exists of:
       (wq_completion)sync_wq --> cpu_hotplug_lock --> cpuset_mutex

     5 locks held by test_cpuset_prs/10971:
      #0: ffff88816810e440 (sb_writers#7){.+.+}-{0:0}, at:
ksys_write+0xf9/0x1d0
      #1: ffff8891ab620890 (&of->mutex#2){+.+.}-{4:4}, at:
kernfs_fop_write_iter+0x260/0x5f0
      #2: ffff8890a78b83e8 (kn->active#187){.+.+}-{0:0}, at:
kernfs_fop_write_iter+0x2b6/0x5f0
      #3: ffffffffadf32900 (cpu_hotplug_lock){++++}-{0:0}, at:
cpuset_partition_write+0x77/0x130
      #4: ffffffffae47f450 (cpuset_mutex){+.+.}-{4:4}, at:
cpuset_partition_write+0x85/0x130

     Call Trace:
      <TASK>
        :
      touch_wq_lockdep_map+0x93/0x180
      __flush_workqueue+0x111/0x10b0
      housekeeping_update+0x12d/0x2d0
      update_parent_effective_cpumask+0x595/0x2440
      update_prstate+0x89d/0xce0
      cpuset_partition_write+0xc5/0x130
      cgroup_file_write+0x1a5/0x680
      kernfs_fop_write_iter+0x3df/0x5f0
      vfs_write+0x525/0xfd0
      ksys_write+0xf9/0x1d0
      do_syscall_64+0x95/0x520
      entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x76/0x7e

To avoid such a circular locking dependency problem, we have to
call housekeeping_update() without holding the cpus_read_lock()
and cpuset_mutex. One way to do that is to introduce a new top level
isolcpus_update_mutex which will be acquired first if the set of isolated
CPUs may have to be updated. This new isolcpus_update_mutex will provide
the need mutual exclusion without the need to hold cpus_read_lock().

As cpus_read_lock() is now no longer held when
tmigr_isolated_exclude_cpumask() is called, it needs to acquire it
directly.

The lockdep_is_cpuset_held() is also updated to check the new
isolcpus_update_mutex.

I worry about the issue:

CPU1                CPU2
rmdir
css->ss->css_killed(css);
cpuset_css_killed
                  __update_isolation_cpumasks
                  cpuset_full_unlock
css->flags |= CSS_DYING;
css_clear_dir(css);
...
// offline and free do not
// get isolcpus_update_mutex
cpuset_css_offline
cpuset_css_free
                  cpuset_full_lock
                  ...
                  // UAF?

Hi, Longman,

In this patch, I noticed that cpuset_css_offline and cpuset_css_free do not
acquire the isolcpus_update_mutex. This could potentially lead to a UAF issue.

That is the reason why I add a new top-level isolcpus_update_mutex.
cpuset_css_killed() and the update_isolation_cpumasks()'s unlock/lock sequence
will have to acquire this isolcpus_update_mutex first.

However, simply adding isolcpus_update_mutex to cpuset_css_killed and
update_isolation_cpumasks may not be sufficient.

As I mentioned, the path that calls __update_isolation_cpumasks may first
acquire isolcpus_update_mutex and cpuset_full_lock, but once cpuset_css_killed
is completed, it will release the “full” lock and then attempt to reacquire it
later. During this intermediate period, the cpuset may have already been freed,
because cpuset_css_offline and cpuset_css_free do not currently acquire the
isolcpus_update_mutex.
You are right that acquisition of the new isolcpus_update_mutex should be in all
the places where cpuset_full_lock() is acquired. Will update the patch to do
that. That should eliminate the risk.

I suggest that putting isolcpus_update_mutex into cpuset_full_lock, since this
function means that all the locks needed have been acquired.

void cpuset_full_lock(void)
{
        mutex_lock(&isolcpus_update_mutex);
        cpus_read_lock();
        mutex_lock(&cpuset_mutex);
}

void cpuset_full_unlock(void)
{
        mutex_unlock(&cpuset_mutex);
        cpus_read_unlock();
        mutex_unlock(&isolcpus_update_mutex);
}

That is what I had done.

Cheers,
Longman


In the __update_isolation_cpumasks function, we can pair:

```
        ...
        mutex_unlock(&cpuset_mutex);
        cpus_read_unlock();
        ... Actions
        cpus_read_lock();
        mutex_lock(&cpuset_mutex);
        ...
```



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