Re: [PATCH RFC 2/4] mm/slab: handle allow_spin in slab_free_hook() instead of open coding

["Vlastimil Babka (SUSE)" <vbabka@kernel.org>]

On 6/24/26 15:11, Harry Yoo (Oracle) wrote:
> kfree_nolock() deliberately skips slab free hooks that should not be
> called in unknown context. However, there is one more place that
> needs the same thing: memcg_alloc_abort_single().
> 
> Instead of open coding slab_free_hook(), let it handle the allow_spin
> parameter. This is required to correctly handle allocation failures due
> to memcg.
> 
> There are two functional changes from this.
> 
> First, memcg_alloc_abort_single() -> slab_free_hook() path no longer
> calls free hooks that acquire spinlocks if !allow_spin.
> 
> Second, kfree_nolock() now follows init_on_free which has been ignored.
> 
> Besides that, no functional change intended.
> 
> Fixes: af92793e52c3 ("slab: Introduce kmalloc_nolock() and kfree_nolock().")
> Cc: stable@vger.kernel.org
> Signed-off-by: Harry Yoo (Oracle) <harry@kernel.org>
> ---
>  mm/slub.c | 100 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++-------------------------------
>  1 file changed, 50 insertions(+), 50 deletions(-)
> 
> diff --git a/mm/slub.c b/mm/slub.c
> index 32672a92581b..85760c8ff2e2 100644
> --- a/mm/slub.c
> +++ b/mm/slub.c
> @@ -2611,41 +2611,52 @@ struct rcu_delayed_free {
>   * - memcg_slab_post_alloc_hook()
>   * - alloc_tagging_slab_alloc_hook()
>   *
> + * slab_free_hook() assumes that memcg_slab_free_hook() and
> + * alloc_tagging_slab_free_hook() are already invoked.
> + *
>   * Free hooks that must handle missing corresponding alloc hooks:
>   * - kmemleak_free_recursive()
>   * - kfence_free()
>   *
> - * Free hooks that have no alloc hook counterpart, and thus safe to call:
> + * Free hooks that have no alloc hook counterpart, and thus safe to call
> + * when spinning is allowed:
>   * - debug_check_no_locks_freed()
>   * - debug_check_no_obj_freed()
>   * - __kcsan_check_access()
>   */
>  static __always_inline
>  bool slab_free_hook(struct kmem_cache *s, void *x, bool init,
> -		    bool after_rcu_delay)
> +		    bool after_rcu_delay, bool allow_spin)
>  {
>  	/* Are the object contents still accessible? */
>  	bool still_accessible = (s->flags & SLAB_TYPESAFE_BY_RCU) && !after_rcu_delay;
>  
> -	kmemleak_free_recursive(x, s->flags);
>  	kmsan_slab_free(s, x);
>  
> -	debug_check_no_locks_freed(x, s->object_size);
> -
> -	if (!(s->flags & SLAB_DEBUG_OBJECTS))
> -		debug_check_no_obj_freed(x, s->object_size);
> -
> -	/* Use KCSAN to help debug racy use-after-free. */
> -	if (!still_accessible)
> -		__kcsan_check_access(x, s->object_size,
> -				     KCSAN_ACCESS_WRITE | KCSAN_ACCESS_ASSERT);
> -
> -	if (kfence_free(x))
> -		return false;
> +	if (likely(allow_spin)) {
> +		/* These hooks acquire spinlocks */
> +		kmemleak_free_recursive(x, s->flags);
> +		debug_check_no_locks_freed(x, s->object_size);

This line shouldn't be here?

> +		if (!(s->flags & SLAB_DEBUG_OBJECTS))
> +			debug_check_no_obj_freed(x, s->object_size);
> +		/* Use KCSAN to help debug racy use-after-free. */
> +		if (!still_accessible)
> +			__kcsan_check_access(x, s->object_size,
> +					     KCSAN_ACCESS_WRITE | KCSAN_ACCESS_ASSERT);
> +		if (kfence_free(x))
> +			return false;

The whole block now misses free space lines that it had.

> +	}
>  
>  	/*
>  	 * Give KASAN a chance to notice an invalid free operation before we
>  	 * modify the object.
> +	 *
> +	 * If KASAN finds a bug it will do kasan_report_invalid_free() which
> +	 * will call raw_spin_lock_irqsave() which is technically unsafe from
> +	 * NMI, but take chance and report kernel bug. The sequence of
> +	 * kasan_report_invalid_free() -> raw_spin_lock_irqsave() -> NMI
> +	 * -> kfree_nolock() -> kasan_report_invalid_free() on the same CPU
> +	 *  is double buggy and deserves to deadlock.
>  	 */
>  	if (kasan_slab_pre_free(s, x))
>  		return false;
> @@ -2654,6 +2665,7 @@ bool slab_free_hook(struct kmem_cache *s, void *x, bool init,
>  	if (still_accessible) {
>  		struct rcu_delayed_free *delayed_free;
>  
> +		VM_WARN_ON_ONCE(!allow_spin);
>  		delayed_free = kmalloc_obj(*delayed_free, GFP_NOWAIT);
>  		if (delayed_free) {
>  			/*
> @@ -2701,8 +2713,11 @@ bool slab_free_hook(struct kmem_cache *s, void *x, bool init,
>  		set_orig_size(s, x, orig_size);
>  
>  	}
> -	/* KASAN might put x into memory quarantine, delaying its reuse. */
> -	return !kasan_slab_free(s, x, init, still_accessible, false);
> +	/*
> +	 * KASAN might put x into memory quarantine, delaying its reuse.
> +	 * Skip quarantine when spinning is not allowed as it uses a spinlock.
> +	 */
> +	return !kasan_slab_free(s, x, init, still_accessible, !allow_spin);
>  }
>  
>  static __fastpath_inline
> @@ -2714,9 +2729,10 @@ bool slab_free_freelist_hook(struct kmem_cache *s, void **head, void **tail,
>  	void *next = *head;
>  	void *old_tail = *tail;
>  	bool init;
> +	bool allow_spin = true;
>  
>  	if (is_kfence_address(next)) {
> -		slab_free_hook(s, next, false, false);
> +		slab_free_hook(s, next, false, false, allow_spin);
>  		return false;
>  	}
>  
> @@ -2731,7 +2747,7 @@ bool slab_free_freelist_hook(struct kmem_cache *s, void **head, void **tail,
>  		next = get_freepointer(s, object);
>  
>  		/* If object's reuse doesn't have to be delayed */
> -		if (likely(slab_free_hook(s, object, init, false))) {
> +		if (likely(slab_free_hook(s, object, init, false, allow_spin))) {
>  			/* Move object to the new freelist */
>  			set_freepointer(s, object, *head);
>  			*head = object;
> @@ -2954,7 +2970,7 @@ static bool __rcu_free_sheaf_prepare(struct kmem_cache *s,
>  		memcg_slab_free_hook(s, slab, p + i, 1, allow_spin);
>  		alloc_tagging_slab_free_hook(s, slab, p + i, 1);
>  
> -		if (unlikely(!slab_free_hook(s, p[i], init, true))) {
> +		if (unlikely(!slab_free_hook(s, p[i], init, true, allow_spin))) {
>  			p[i] = p[--sheaf->size];
>  			continue;
>  		}
> @@ -6225,7 +6241,7 @@ static void free_to_pcs_bulk(struct kmem_cache *s, size_t size, void **p)
>  		memcg_slab_free_hook(s, slab, p + i, 1, allow_spin);
>  		alloc_tagging_slab_free_hook(s, slab, p + i, 1);
>  
> -		if (unlikely(!slab_free_hook(s, p[i], init, false))) {
> +		if (unlikely(!slab_free_hook(s, p[i], init, false, allow_spin))) {
>  			p[i] = p[--size];
>  			continue;
>  		}
> @@ -6401,11 +6417,12 @@ void slab_free(struct kmem_cache *s, struct slab *slab, void *object,
>  	       unsigned long addr)
>  {
>  	bool allow_spin = true;
> +	bool init = slab_want_init_on_free(s);
>  
>  	memcg_slab_free_hook(s, slab, &object, 1, allow_spin);
>  	alloc_tagging_slab_free_hook(s, slab, &object, 1);
>  
> -	if (unlikely(!slab_free_hook(s, object, slab_want_init_on_free(s), false)))
> +	if (unlikely(!slab_free_hook(s, object, init, false, allow_spin)))
>  		return;
>  
>  	if (likely(can_free_to_pcs(slab)) &&
> @@ -6422,10 +6439,12 @@ static noinline
>  void memcg_alloc_abort_single(struct kmem_cache *s, void *object)
>  {
>  	struct slab *slab = virt_to_slab(object);
> +	bool init = slab_want_init_on_free(s);
> +	bool allow_spin = true;
>  
>  	alloc_tagging_slab_free_hook(s, slab, &object, 1);
>  
> -	if (likely(slab_free_hook(s, object, slab_want_init_on_free(s), false)))
> +	if (likely(slab_free_hook(s, object, init, false, allow_spin)))
>  		__slab_free(s, slab, object, object, 1, _RET_IP_);
>  }
>  #endif
> @@ -6456,6 +6475,8 @@ static void slab_free_after_rcu_debug(struct rcu_head *rcu_head)
>  	void *object = delayed_free->object;
>  	struct slab *slab = virt_to_slab(object);
>  	struct kmem_cache *s;
> +	bool allow_spin = true;
> +	bool init;
>  
>  	kfree(delayed_free);
>  
> @@ -6469,8 +6490,9 @@ static void slab_free_after_rcu_debug(struct rcu_head *rcu_head)
>  	if (WARN_ON(!(s->flags & SLAB_TYPESAFE_BY_RCU)))
>  		return;
>  
> +	init = slab_want_init_on_free(s);
>  	/* resume freeing */
> -	if (slab_free_hook(s, object, slab_want_init_on_free(s), true)) {
> +	if (slab_free_hook(s, object, init, true, allow_spin)) {
>  		__slab_free(s, slab, object, object, 1, _THIS_IP_);
>  		stat(s, FREE_SLOWPATH);
>  	}
> @@ -6742,6 +6764,7 @@ void kfree_nolock(const void *object)
>  	struct kmem_cache *s;
>  	void *x = (void *)object;
>  	bool allow_spin = false;
> +	bool init;
>  
>  	if (unlikely(ZERO_OR_NULL_PTR(object)))
>  		return;
> @@ -6756,33 +6779,10 @@ void kfree_nolock(const void *object)
>  
>  	memcg_slab_free_hook(s, slab, &x, 1, allow_spin);
>  	alloc_tagging_slab_free_hook(s, slab, &x, 1);
> -	/*
> -	 * Unlike slab_free() do NOT call the following:
> -	 * kmemleak_free_recursive(x, s->flags);
> -	 * debug_check_no_locks_freed(x, s->object_size);
> -	 * debug_check_no_obj_freed(x, s->object_size);
> -	 * __kcsan_check_access(x, s->object_size, ..);
> -	 * kfence_free(x);
> -	 * since they take spinlocks or not safe from any context.
> -	 */
> -	kmsan_slab_free(s, x);
> -	/*
> -	 * If KASAN finds a kernel bug it will do kasan_report_invalid_free()
> -	 * which will call raw_spin_lock_irqsave() which is technically
> -	 * unsafe from NMI, but take chance and report kernel bug.
> -	 * The sequence of
> -	 * kasan_report_invalid_free() -> raw_spin_lock_irqsave() -> NMI
> -	 *  -> kfree_nolock() -> kasan_report_invalid_free() on the same CPU
> -	 * is double buggy and deserves to deadlock.
> -	 */
> -	if (kasan_slab_pre_free(s, x))
> +
> +	init = slab_want_init_on_free(s);
> +	if (!slab_free_hook(s, x, init, false, allow_spin))
>  		return;
> -	/*
> -	 * memcg, kasan_slab_pre_free are done for 'x'.
> -	 * The only thing left is kasan_poison without quarantine,
> -	 * since kasan quarantine takes locks and not supported from NMI.
> -	 */
> -	kasan_slab_free(s, x, false, false, /* skip quarantine */true);
>  
>  	if (likely(can_free_to_pcs(slab)) &&
>  			likely(free_to_pcs(s, x, allow_spin)))
>