Re: [PATCH] epoll: try to be a _bit_ better about file lifetimes

[Al Viro]

On Fri, May 03, 2024 at 02:33:37PM -0700, Linus Torvalds wrote:

> Look at the hack in __ep_remove(): if it is concurrent with
> eventpoll_release_file(), it will hit this code
> 
>         spin_lock(&file->f_lock);
>         if (epi->dying && !force) {
>                 spin_unlock(&file->f_lock);
>                 return false;
>         }
> 
> and not free the epi.

What does that have to do with ep_item_poll()?

eventpoll_release_file() itself calls __ep_remove().  Have that
happen while ep_item_poll() is running in another thread and
you've got a problem.

AFAICS, exclusion is on ep->mtx.  Callers of ep_item_poll() are
* __ep_eventpoll_poll() - grabs ->mtx
* ep_insert() - called under ->mtx
* ep_modify() - calls are under ->mtx
* ep_send_events() - grabs ->mtx

and eventpoll_release_file() grabs ->mtx around __ep_remove().

How do you get through eventpoll_release_file() while someone
has entered ep_item_poll()?