Subject: Re: [bug] __nf_ct_refresh_acct(): WARNING: at lib/list_debug.c:30 __list_add+0x7d/0xad()

From: Patrick McHardy <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 17 Jun 2009 13:51:45 +0200

Patrick McHardy wrote:
> Eric Dumazet wrote:
>> IPS_CONFIRMED_BIT is set under nf_conntrack_lock (in 
>> __nf_conntrack_confirm()),
>> we probably want to add a synchronisation under ct->lock as well,
>> or __nf_ct_refresh_acct() could set ct->timeout.expires to extra_jiffies,
>> while a different cpu could confirm the conntrack.
> 
> Before the conntrack is confirmed, it is exclusively handled by a
> single CPU. I agree that we need to make sure the IPS_CONFIRMED_BIT
> is visible before we add the conntrack to the hash table since the
> lookup is lockless, but simply moving the set_bit before the hash
> insertion should be fine I think.
> 

A slightly changed version which moves hash insertion to the end
and adds a comment about ordering. This make sure the timer is
actually running before the conntrack can be found be other CPUs.

diff --git a/net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_core.c b/net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_core.c
index 5f72b94..e2cc707 100644
--- a/net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_core.c
+++ b/net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_core.c
@@ -425,7 +425,6 @@ __nf_conntrack_confirm(struct sk_buff *skb)
 	/* Remove from unconfirmed list */
 	hlist_nulls_del_rcu(&ct->tuplehash[IP_CT_DIR_ORIGINAL].hnnode);
 
-	__nf_conntrack_hash_insert(ct, hash, repl_hash);
 	/* Timer relative to confirmation time, not original
 	   setting time, otherwise we'd get timer wrap in
 	   weird delay cases. */
@@ -433,8 +432,15 @@ __nf_conntrack_confirm(struct sk_buff *skb)
 	add_timer(&ct->timeout);
 	atomic_inc(&ct->ct_general.use);
 	set_bit(IPS_CONFIRMED_BIT, &ct->status);
+
+	/* Since the lookup is lockless, hash insertion must be after starting the
+	 * timer and setting the CONFIRMED bit. The RCU barriers guarantee that no
+	 * other CPU can find the conntrack before the above stores are visible.
+	 */
+	__nf_conntrack_hash_insert(ct, hash, repl_hash);
 	NF_CT_STAT_INC(net, insert);
 	spin_unlock_bh(&nf_conntrack_lock);
+
 	help = nfct_help(ct);
 	if (help && help->helper)
 		nf_conntrack_event_cache(IPCT_HELPER, ct);