Commit 8a2bfdcb authored by Mingming Cao's avatar Mingming Cao Committed by Linus Torvalds
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[PATCH] ext[34]: EA block reference count racing fix

There are race issues around ext[34] xattr block release code.

ext[34]_xattr_release_block() checks the reference count of xattr block
(h_refcount) and frees that xattr block if it is the last one reference it.
 Unlike ext2, the check of this counter is unprotected by any lock.
ext[34]_xattr_release_block() will free the mb_cache entry before freeing
that xattr block.  There is a small window between the check for the re
h_refcount ==1 and the call to mb_cache_entry_free().  During this small
window another inode might find this xattr block from the mbcache and reuse
it, racing a refcount updates.  The xattr block will later be freed by the
first inode without notice other inode is still use it.  Later if that
block is reallocated as a datablock for other file, then more serious
problem might happen.

We need put a lock around places checking the refount as well to avoid
racing issue.  Another place need this kind of protection is in
ext3_xattr_block_s...
parent 1463fdbc
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