Subject: Re: Can kfree() sleep at runtime?

On Thu, 31 May 2018, Jia-Ju Bai wrote:

> I write a static analysis tool (DSAC), and it finds that kfree() can sleep.

That should not happen.

> Here is the call path for kfree().
> Please look at it *from the bottom up*.
>
> [FUNC] alloc_pages(GFP_KERNEL)
> arch/x86/mm/pageattr.c, 756: alloc_pages in split_large_page
> arch/x86/mm/pageattr.c, 1283: split_large_page in __change_page_attr
> arch/x86/mm/pageattr.c, 1391: __change_page_attr in __change_page_attr_set_clr
> arch/x86/mm/pageattr.c, 2014: __change_page_attr_set_clr in __set_pages_np
> arch/x86/mm/pageattr.c, 2034: __set_pages_np in __kernel_map_pages
> ./include/linux/mm.h, 2488: __kernel_map_pages in kernel_map_pages
> mm/page_alloc.c, 1074: kernel_map_pages in free_pages_prepare

mapping pages in the page allocator can cause allocations?? How did that
get in there?

> mm/page_alloc.c, 1264: free_pages_prepare in __free_pages_ok
> mm/page_alloc.c, 4312: __free_pages_ok in __free_pages
> mm/slub.c, 3914: __free_pages in kfree
>
> I always have an impression that kfree() never sleeps, so I feel confused
> here.

Correct.


2018-06-01 01:19:50

by Jia-Ju Bai

[permalink] [raw]
Subject: Re: Can kfree() sleep at runtime?



On 2018/5/31 22:09, Christopher Lameter wrote:
> On Thu, 31 May 2018, Jia-Ju Bai wrote:
>
>> I write a static analysis tool (DSAC), and it finds that kfree() can sleep.
> That should not happen.
>
>> Here is the call path for kfree().
>> Please look at it *from the bottom up*.
>>
>> [FUNC] alloc_pages(GFP_KERNEL)
>> arch/x86/mm/pageattr.c, 756: alloc_pages in split_large_page
>> arch/x86/mm/pageattr.c, 1283: split_large_page in __change_page_attr
>> arch/x86/mm/pageattr.c, 1391: __change_page_attr in __change_page_attr_set_clr
>> arch/x86/mm/pageattr.c, 2014: __change_page_attr_set_clr in __set_pages_np
>> arch/x86/mm/pageattr.c, 2034: __set_pages_np in __kernel_map_pages
>> ./include/linux/mm.h, 2488: __kernel_map_pages in kernel_map_pages
>> mm/page_alloc.c, 1074: kernel_map_pages in free_pages_prepare
> mapping pages in the page allocator can cause allocations?? How did that
> get in there?

Thanks for reply :)
I am also confused about it.

I get in here according to the definition of free_pages_prepare():
1022. static bool free_pages_prepare(...) {
...
1072. arch_free_page(page, order);
1073. kernel_poison_pages(page, 1 << order, 0);
1074. kernel_map_pages(page, 1 << order, 0); // *Here*
1075. kasan_free_pages(page, order);
1076.
1077. return true;
1078. }


Best wishes,
Jia-Ju Bai