Commit 20b6643324 ("tcg/ppc: Reorg goto_tb implementation") modified
goto_tb to ensure only a single instruction was patched to prevent
incorrect behavior if a thread was in the middle of multiple
instructions when they were replaced. However this introduced a race
between loading the jmp target into TCG_REG_TB and patching and
executing the direct branch.

The relevant part of the goto_tb implementation:

    ld TCG_REG_TB, TARGET_ADDR_LOCATION(TCG_REG_TB)
  patch_location:
    mtctr TCG_REG_TB
    bctr

tb_target_set_jmp_target() will replace 'patch_location' with a direct
branch if the target is in range. The direct branch now relies on
TCG_REG_TB being set up correctly by the ld. Prior to this commit
multiple instructions were patched in for the direct branch case; these
instructions would initialize TCG_REG_TB to the same value as the branch
target.

Imagine the following sequence:

1) Thread A is executing the goto_tb sequence and loads the jmp
   target into TCG_REG_TB.

2) Thread B updates the jmp target address and calls
   tb_target_set_jmp_target(). This patches a new direct branch into the
   goto_tb sequence.

3) Thread A executes the newly patched direct branch. The value in
   TCG_REG_TB still contains the old jmp target.

TCG_REG_TB MUST contain the translation block's tc.ptr. Execution will
eventually crash after performing memory accesses generated from a
faulty value in TCG_REG_TB.

This presents as segfaults or illegal instruction exceptions.

Do not revert commit 20b6643324 as it did fix a different race
condition. Instead remove the direct branch optimization and always use
indirect branches.

The direct branch optimization can be re-added later with a race free
sequence.

Fixes: 20b6643324 ("tcg/ppc: Reorg goto_tb implementation")
Resolves: https://gitlab.com/qemu-project/qemu/-/issues/1726
Reported-by: Anushree Mathur <anushree.mathur@linux.vnet.ibm.com>
Tested-by: Anushree Mathur <anushree.mathur@linux.vnet.ibm.com>
Tested-by: Michael Tokarev <mjt@tls.msk.ru>
Reviewed-by: Richard Henderson <richard.henderson@linaro.org>
Co-developed-by: Benjamin Gray <bgray@linux.ibm.com>
Signed-off-by: Jordan Niethe <jniethe5@gmail.com>
Signed-off-by: Benjamin Gray <bgray@linux.ibm.com>

---
v2: - Use braces
    - Collect tags
---
 tcg/ppc/tcg-target.c.inc | 9 +++++----
 1 file changed, 5 insertions(+), 4 deletions(-)

diff --git a/tcg/ppc/tcg-target.c.inc b/tcg/ppc/tcg-target.c.inc
index 8d6899cf40..329319ab8a 100644
--- a/tcg/ppc/tcg-target.c.inc
+++ b/tcg/ppc/tcg-target.c.inc
@@ -2533,11 +2533,10 @@ static void tcg_out_goto_tb(TCGContext *s, int which)
         ptrdiff_t offset = tcg_tbrel_diff(s, (void *)ptr);
         tcg_out_mem_long(s, LD, LDX, TCG_REG_TB, TCG_REG_TB, offset);
     
-        /* Direct branch will be patched by tb_target_set_jmp_target. */
+        /* TODO: Use direct branches when possible. */
         set_jmp_insn_offset(s, which);
         tcg_out32(s, MTSPR | RS(TCG_REG_TB) | CTR);
 
-        /* When branch is out of range, fall through to indirect. */
         tcg_out32(s, BCCTR | BO_ALWAYS);
 
         /* For the unlinked case, need to reset TCG_REG_TB.  */
@@ -2565,10 +2564,12 @@ void tb_target_set_jmp_target(const TranslationBlock *tb, int n,
     intptr_t diff = addr - jmp_rx;
     tcg_insn_unit insn;
 
+    if (USE_REG_TB) {
+        return;
+    }
+
     if (in_range_b(diff)) {
         insn = B | (diff & 0x3fffffc);
-    } else if (USE_REG_TB) {
-        insn = MTSPR | RS(TCG_REG_TB) | CTR;
     } else {
         insn = NOP;
     }
-- 
2.39.3

On 7/17/23 10:30, Jordan Niethe wrote:
> Commit 20b6643324 ("tcg/ppc: Reorg goto_tb implementation") modified
> goto_tb to ensure only a single instruction was patched to prevent
> incorrect behavior if a thread was in the middle of multiple
> instructions when they were replaced. However this introduced a race
> between loading the jmp target into TCG_REG_TB and patching and
> executing the direct branch.
> 
> The relevant part of the goto_tb implementation:
> 
>      ld TCG_REG_TB, TARGET_ADDR_LOCATION(TCG_REG_TB)
>    patch_location:
>      mtctr TCG_REG_TB
>      bctr
> 
> tb_target_set_jmp_target() will replace 'patch_location' with a direct
> branch if the target is in range. The direct branch now relies on
> TCG_REG_TB being set up correctly by the ld. Prior to this commit
> multiple instructions were patched in for the direct branch case; these
> instructions would initialize TCG_REG_TB to the same value as the branch
> target.
> 
> Imagine the following sequence:
> 
> 1) Thread A is executing the goto_tb sequence and loads the jmp
>     target into TCG_REG_TB.
> 
> 2) Thread B updates the jmp target address and calls
>     tb_target_set_jmp_target(). This patches a new direct branch into the
>     goto_tb sequence.
> 
> 3) Thread A executes the newly patched direct branch. The value in
>     TCG_REG_TB still contains the old jmp target.
> 
> TCG_REG_TB MUST contain the translation block's tc.ptr. Execution will
> eventually crash after performing memory accesses generated from a
> faulty value in TCG_REG_TB.
> 
> This presents as segfaults or illegal instruction exceptions.
> 
> Do not revert commit 20b6643324 as it did fix a different race
> condition. Instead remove the direct branch optimization and always use
> indirect branches.
> 
> The direct branch optimization can be re-added later with a race free
> sequence.
> 
> Fixes: 20b6643324 ("tcg/ppc: Reorg goto_tb implementation")
> Resolves:https://gitlab.com/qemu-project/qemu/-/issues/1726
> Reported-by: Anushree Mathur<anushree.mathur@linux.vnet.ibm.com>
> Tested-by: Anushree Mathur<anushree.mathur@linux.vnet.ibm.com>
> Tested-by: Michael Tokarev<mjt@tls.msk.ru>
> Reviewed-by: Richard Henderson<richard.henderson@linaro.org>
> Co-developed-by: Benjamin Gray<bgray@linux.ibm.com>
> Signed-off-by: Jordan Niethe<jniethe5@gmail.com>
> Signed-off-by: Benjamin Gray<bgray@linux.ibm.com>
> 
> ---
> v2: - Use braces
>      - Collect tags
> ---
>   tcg/ppc/tcg-target.c.inc | 9 +++++----
>   1 file changed, 5 insertions(+), 4 deletions(-)

Applied to tcg-next.  We can re-add direct branches next cycle.


r~