From: Hongfu Li <[email protected]>
[ Upstream commit e32e6f02168f2ad7991eb5d160d312d2001520c8 ]
cg_read_strcmp() allocated a buffer sized to strlen(expected) + 1,
then passed it to read_text() which calls read(fd, buf, size-1).
When comparing against an empty string (""), strlen("") = 0 gives a
1-byte buffer, and read() is asked to read 0 bytes. The file content
is never actually read, so strcmp("", buf) always returns 0 regardless
of the real content. This caused cg_test_proc_killed() to always
report the cgroup as empty immediately, making OOM tests pass without
verifying that processes were killed.
Signed-off-by: Hongfu Li <[email protected]>
Signed-off-by: Tejun Heo <[email protected]>
Signed-off-by: Sasha Levin <[email protected]>
---
LLM Generated explanations, may be completely bogus:
## Phase 1: Commit Message Forensics
Step 1.1 Record: Subsystem `selftests/cgroup`; action verb `Fix`; intent
is to correct empty-string comparison in `cg_read_strcmp()`.
Step 1.2 Record: Tags present are:
- `Signed-off-by: Hongfu Li <[email protected]>`
- `Signed-off-by: Tejun Heo <[email protected]>`
No `Fixes:`, `Reported-by:`, `Tested-by:`, `Reviewed-by:`, `Acked-by:`,
`Link:`, or `Cc: [email protected]` tags are present.
Step 1.3 Record: The commit describes a concrete selftest bug: for
expected `""`, `strlen(expected) + 1` allocates one byte, and
`read_text()` calls `read(fd, buf, size - 1)`, so zero bytes are read.
The symptom is false success: `cg_test_proc_killed()` can report a
cgroup as empty immediately, so OOM tests can pass without verifying
process death.
Step 1.4 Record: This is a direct bug fix, not hidden cleanup. It fixes
incorrect test validation logic.
## Phase 2: Diff Analysis
Step 2.1 Record: One file changed:
`tools/testing/selftests/cgroup/lib/cgroup_util.c`, with 3 insertions
and 2 deletions. Modified function: `cg_read_strcmp()`. Scope: single-
file surgical selftest helper fix.
Step 2.2 Record: Before, non-NULL `expected` always used
`strlen(expected) + 1`; for `""`, that meant `size == 1` and `cg_read()`
read zero bytes. After, empty expected strings use `size == 2`, allowing
one byte to be read so non-empty file contents are detected.
Step 2.3 Record: Bug category is logic/correctness in a userspace
selftest helper. No kernel runtime locking, refcounting, memory safety,
or API behavior changes.
Step 2.4 Record: The fix is obviously correct for the described case:
empty file still compares equal, non-empty file no longer compares equal
after reading at least one byte. Regression risk is very low and limited
to cgroup selftests.
## Phase 3: Git History Investigation
Step 3.1 Record: Blame shows `cg_read_strcmp()` came from `84092dbcf901`
in v4.18-rc1, and the `size = strlen(expected) + 1` logic was last
touched by `48c2bb0b9cf86` in v4.19-rc5. The bug has therefore existed
across many stable releases.
Step 3.2 Record: No `Fixes:` tag is present. I inspected related commits
anyway: `84092dbcf901` introduced the selftest utility, `48c2bb0b9cf86`
tried to fix `cg_read_strcmp()` but still checked `!expected` rather
than empty `expected`, and `d830020656c5b` changed the NULL case to
return `-1`.
Step 3.3 Record: Recent related history includes `6680c162b4850` adding
`cg_read_strcmp_wait()` and `2c754a84ff16a` moving the utility into
`lib/`. No functional prerequisite for this fix was identified.
Step 3.4 Record: No prior Hongfu Li commits under
`tools/testing/selftests/cgroup` were found. The commit was applied by
Tejun Heo, who is listed as a cgroup maintainer in `MAINTAINERS`.
Step 3.5 Record: No dependent code changes are required for the logic
itself. Older stable trees before the selftest library move need a path-
only backport adjustment.
## Phase 4: Mailing List And External Research
Step 4.1 Record: `b4 dig -c e32e6f02168f2...` found the original
submission at
`https://patch.msgid.link/[email protected]`.
`b4 dig -a` found only v1. The saved mbox shows Tejun replied: “Applied
to cgroup/for-7.1-fixes.” No NAKs or concerns were present in the
fetched thread.
Step 4.2 Record: `b4 dig -w` showed the patch was sent to Tejun Heo,
Johannes Weiner, Michal Koutný, Shuah Khan, cgroups, linux-kselftest,
and linux-kernel, so the right maintainers/lists were included.
Step 4.3 Record: No separate bug report, syzbot report, or bugzilla link
was present.
Step 4.4 Record: No multi-patch series or related required patches were
found; this is standalone.
Step 4.5 Record: Lore WebFetch was blocked by Anubis for stable search.
WebSearch did not find stable-specific discussion for this exact 2026
commit.
## Phase 5: Code Semantic Analysis
Step 5.1 Record: Modified function: `cg_read_strcmp()`.
Step 5.2 Record: Callers found include `cg_read_strcmp_wait()`,
`test_memcontrol.c`, `test_core.c`, `test_kill.c`, `test_pids.c`, and
`test_zswap.c`. Empty-string `cgroup.procs` checks are in
`test_memcontrol.c`.
Step 5.3 Record: The relevant callees are `malloc()`, `cg_read()`,
`read_text()`, `read()`, `strcmp()`, and `free()`.
Step 5.4 Record: Verified call chain: `test_memcontrol` main test loop
-> OOM tests such as `test_memcg_oom_events()` / `cg_test_proc_killed()`
-> `cg_read_strcmp()` -> `cg_read()` -> `read_text()`. This is reachable
by running cgroup kselftests, not by normal kernel runtime use.
Step 5.5 Record: Similar affected pattern exists in stable branches
where `cg_read_strcmp(..., "cgroup.procs", "")` is used and the helper
still has `size = strlen(expected) + 1`.
## Phase 6: Stable Tree Analysis
Step 6.1 Record: I verified the buggy helper and affected empty
`cgroup.procs` checks exist in `stable/linux-5.4.y`, `5.10.y`, `5.15.y`,
`6.1.y`, `6.6.y`, `6.12.y`, `6.17.y`, `6.18.y`, `6.19.y`, and `7.0.y`.
Step 6.2 Record: The patch applies cleanly to current
`stable/linux-7.0.y` with `git apply --check`. Branches using
`tools/testing/selftests/cgroup/cgroup_util.c` instead of
`lib/cgroup_util.c` need a trivial path adjustment.
Step 6.3 Record: Related older fixes are present, but no checked stable
branch contained the candidate’s `expected[0] == '\0'` fix.
## Phase 7: Subsystem Context
Step 7.1 Record: Subsystem is cgroup selftests. Runtime criticality is
peripheral, but test criticality is meaningful for memcg/cgroup
validation.
Step 7.2 Record: The subsystem is active; recent stable history includes
multiple cgroup selftest fixes, and `MAINTAINERS` lists
`tools/testing/selftests/cgroup/` under maintained cgroup ownership.
## Phase 8: Impact And Risk
Step 8.1 Record: Affected users are kernel developers, distributions, CI
systems, and stable maintainers running cgroup kselftests.
Step 8.2 Record: Trigger is running affected cgroup OOM selftests that
compare `cgroup.procs` with `""`. This is not an unprivileged runtime
kernel trigger.
Step 8.3 Record: Failure mode is false PASS / missed test validation,
not a kernel crash or data corruption. Severity: MEDIUM for stable
validation quality.
Step 8.4 Record: Benefit is medium because it prevents false success in
OOM-related stable testing. Risk is very low because the change is tiny,
userspace-only, and does not affect kernel runtime behavior.
## Phase 9: Final Synthesis
Evidence for backporting: fixes a real, verified selftest correctness
bug; bug exists in many stable trees; affects OOM/memcg validation;
patch is tiny and obvious; reviewed/applied by the cgroup maintainer; no
runtime regression risk.
Evidence against backporting: it does not fix a production kernel
crash/security/data-corruption bug directly, only test correctness.
Stable rules checklist:
1. Obviously correct and tested by review? Yes, obviously correct by
code inspection; no explicit `Tested-by`.
2. Fixes a real bug? Yes, false empty-string comparison in selftests.
3. Important issue? Medium: prevents false PASS in OOM selftests, not
runtime-critical.
4. Small and contained? Yes, 5-line single-function change.
5. No new features/APIs? Yes.
6. Can apply to stable? Yes for 7.0 cleanly; older branches need trivial
path adjustment.
Exception category: Not a device ID, quirk, DT, build, or documentation
fix. It is a selftest correctness fix.
## Verification
- Phase 1: `git show e32e6f02168f2...` verified subject, body, tags,
author, committer, and no `Fixes:`/stable tags.
- Phase 2: `git show --patch` verified the 3 insertion / 2 deletion
change in `cg_read_strcmp()`.
- Phase 3: `git blame -L 99,123 e32e6f^ --
tools/testing/selftests/cgroup/lib/cgroup_util.c` verified line
history.
- Phase 3: `git show 84092dbcf901`, `git show 48c2bb0b9cf86`, and `git
show d830020656c5b` verified related history.
- Phase 4: `b4 dig -c`, `b4 dig -a`, `b4 dig -w`, and saved mbox
verified lore URL, v1-only series, recipients, and Tejun’s applied
reply.
- Phase 5: `rg "cg_read_strcmp\\(" tools/testing/selftests/cgroup` and
file reads verified callers and empty-string uses.
- Phase 6: Python checks against stable branches verified buggy code and
affected tests in listed stable trees.
- Phase 6: `git diff e32e6f^ e32e6f | git apply --check` verified clean
application to `stable/linux-7.0.y`.
- Phase 7: `rg` in `MAINTAINERS` verified cgroup maintainers and
selftest path ownership.
- Phase 8: Impact classification is based on verified file path under
`tools/testing/selftests`, verified test call chain, and no kernel
runtime files changed.
- UNVERIFIED: I did not run the cgroup selftests, and Lore WebFetch was
blocked by Anubis for direct stable archive browsing.
**YES**
tools/testing/selftests/cgroup/lib/cgroup_util.c | 5 +++--
1 file changed, 3 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/cgroup/lib/cgroup_util.c
b/tools/testing/selftests/cgroup/lib/cgroup_util.c
index 6a7295347e90b..42f54936f4bbd 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/cgroup/lib/cgroup_util.c
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/cgroup/lib/cgroup_util.c
@@ -106,8 +106,9 @@ int cg_read_strcmp(const char *cgroup, const char *control,
/* Handle the case of comparing against empty string */
if (!expected)
return -1;
- else
- size = strlen(expected) + 1;
+
+ /* needs size > 1, otherwise cg_read() reads 0 bytes */
+ size = (expected[0] == '\0') ? 2 : strlen(expected) + 1;
buf = malloc(size);
if (!buf)
--
2.53.0
