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From: Yun Zhou <yun.zhou@windriver.com>
To: <tytso@mit.edu>, <adilger.kernel@dilger.ca>,
	<libaokun@linux.alibaba.com>, <jack@suse.cz>,
	<ojaswin@linux.ibm.com>, <ritesh.list@gmail.com>,
	<yi.zhang@huawei.com>, <ebiggers@google.com>,
	<yun.zhou@windriver.com>
Cc: <linux-ext4@vger.kernel.org>, <linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org>
Subject: [PATCH] ext4: skip extra isize expansion on inode eviction to avoid deadlock
Date: Thu, 11 Jun 2026 20:45:55 +0800	[thread overview]
Message-ID: <20260611124555.1541195-1-yun.zhou@windriver.com> (raw)

Expanding extra isize on an inode that is being evicted is pointless
since the inode is about to be deleted.  Skip it by setting
EXT4_STATE_NO_EXPAND before calling ext4_mark_inode_dirty() in the
eviction path.

This also breaks a circular lock dependency reported by lockdep during
orphan cleanup at mount time:

  CPU0 (writeback worker)            CPU1 (open)
  ----                               ----
  ext4_writepages()
    s_writepages_rwsem (read)        ext4_create()
    ext4_do_writepages()               __ext4_new_inode()
      ext4_journal_start()               [holds jbd2 handle]
        wait_transaction_locked()        ext4_xattr_set_handle()
        [WAIT for jbd2_handle]             xattr_sem (write)

  CPU2 (mount / orphan cleanup)
  ----
  ext4_evict_inode()
    __ext4_mark_inode_dirty()
      ext4_try_to_expand_extra_isize()
        xattr_sem (write)
        ext4_expand_extra_isize_ea()
          ext4_xattr_block_set()
            iput(ea_inode)
              write_inode_now()
                ext4_writepages()
                  s_writepages_rwsem (read)
                  [WAIT for s_writepages_rwsem -- if blocked by write lock holder]

This forms a circular dependency on lock classes:

  s_writepages_rwsem --> jbd2_handle --> xattr_sem --> s_writepages_rwsem

The iput() inside ext4_xattr_block_set() triggers write_inode_now()
because SB_ACTIVE is not yet set during mount, so iput_final() cannot
cache the inode in the LRU and must flush it synchronously.

Setting EXT4_STATE_NO_EXPAND prevents ext4_try_to_expand_extra_isize()
from executing, which eliminates the xattr_sem --> s_writepages_rwsem
edge and breaks the cycle.

Reported-by: syzbot+5d19358d7eb30ffb0cc5@syzkaller.appspotmail.com
Closes: https://syzkaller.appspot.com/bug?extid=5d19358d7eb30ffb0cc5
Fixes: c8585c6fcaf2 ("ext4: fix races between changing inode journal mode and ext4_writepages")
Signed-off-by: Yun Zhou <yun.zhou@windriver.com>
---
 fs/ext4/inode.c | 6 ++++++
 1 file changed, 6 insertions(+)

diff --git a/fs/ext4/inode.c b/fs/ext4/inode.c
index cd7588a3fa45..cbfd1d1282e6 100644
--- a/fs/ext4/inode.c
+++ b/fs/ext4/inode.c
@@ -264,6 +264,12 @@ void ext4_evict_inode(struct inode *inode)
 	if (ext4_inode_is_fast_symlink(inode))
 		memset(EXT4_I(inode)->i_data, 0, sizeof(EXT4_I(inode)->i_data));
 	inode->i_size = 0;
+	/*
+	 * Skip extra isize expansion on inodes being deleted -- it is
+	 * pointless and can trigger a circular lock dependency:
+	 *   xattr_sem -> ext4_xattr_block_set -> iput -> s_writepages_rwsem
+	 */
+	ext4_set_inode_state(inode, EXT4_STATE_NO_EXPAND);
 	err = ext4_mark_inode_dirty(handle, inode);
 	if (err) {
 		ext4_warning(inode->i_sb,
-- 
2.43.0


             reply	other threads:[~2026-06-11 12:46 UTC|newest]

Thread overview: 4+ messages / expand[flat|nested]  mbox.gz  Atom feed  top
2026-06-11 12:45 Yun Zhou [this message]
2026-06-11 14:00 ` Jan Kara
2026-06-12  9:58 ` [PATCH v2] ext4: defer iput() in ext4_xattr_block_set() to avoid deadlock with writepages Yun Zhou
2026-06-12 13:19   ` [PATCH v3] " Yun Zhou

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