Message-ID: <sashiko-outbox-204330@kernel.org>
From: sashiko-bot@kernel.org
Subject: Re: [PATCH v12 07/24] KVM: x86: Avoid redundant masterclock updates
 from multiple vCPUs
Reply-To: sashiko-reviews@lists.linux.dev
To: "David Woodhouse" <dwmw2@infradead.org>, kvm@vger.kernel.org
In-Reply-To: <20261109012112.3415328-8-dwmw2@infradead.org>
References: <20261109012112.3415328-1-dwmw2@infradead.org>
 <20261109012112.3415328-8-dwmw2@infradead.org>
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Date: Mon, 09 Nov 2026 01:53:17 +0000
Precedence: list

Thank you for your contribution! Sashiko AI review found 2 potential
issues to consider:
- [Medium] KVM: x86: premature kvm_guest_time_update() in
  __kvm_start_pvclock_update()
- [Medium] KVM: x86: race in __kvm_start_pvclock_update() lets vCPUs
  skip clock update
--

commit 562c60eff9324c1010b59724e91ff05f45041197
Author: David Woodhouse <dwmw@amazon.co.uk>

KVM: x86: Avoid redundant masterclock updates from multiple vCPUs

This commit deduplicates VM-wide masterclock updates by clearing pending
KVM_REQ_MASTERCLOCK_UPDATE bits across all vCPUs inside
__kvm_start_pvclock_update() under tsc_write_lock and bailing out if
another vCPU already serviced the request.

> diff --git a/arch/x86/kvm/x86.c b/arch/x86/kvm/x86.c
> index 0348f24cfd1d3..290a3c3bb44fc 100644
> --- a/arch/x86/kvm/x86.c
> +++ b/arch/x86/kvm/x86.c
> @@ -1733,10 +1733,51 @@ static void kvm_make_mclock_inprogress_request(st=
ruct kvm *kvm)
>  	kvm_make_all_cpus_request(kvm, KVM_REQ_MCLOCK_INPROGRESS);
>  }
> =20
> -static void __kvm_start_pvclock_update(struct kvm *kvm)
> +static void kvm_clear_mclock_inprogress_request(struct kvm *kvm)
>  {
> +	struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu;
> +	unsigned long i;
> +
> +	kvm_for_each_vcpu(i, vcpu, kvm)
> +		kvm_clear_request(KVM_REQ_MCLOCK_INPROGRESS, vcpu);
> +}
> +
> +static bool __kvm_start_pvclock_update(struct kvm *kvm, struct kvm_vcpu =
*requesting_vcpu)
> +{
> +	struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu;
> +	unsigned long i;
> +
>  	raw_spin_lock_irq(&kvm->arch.tsc_write_lock);
> +
> +	/*
> +	 * If another vCPU already did the update while we were waiting
> +	 * for the lock, our request will have been cleared. Bail out,
> +	 * clearing the KVM_REQ_MCLOCK_INPROGRESS kicks made on entry to
> +	 * kvm_update_masterclock() so vCPUs can enter the guest again.
> +	 *
> +	 * Clearing them VM-wide can also clear kicks just made by yet
> +	 * another updater still waiting for tsc_write_lock, letting
> +	 * vCPUs run while that update is in flight. That is not new:
> +	 * kvm_end_pvclock_update() has always cleared the request on
> +	 * every vCPU regardless of which updater made it. The window is
> +	 * harmless to readers (the pvclock seqcount covers the master
> +	 * state); a vCPU which slips in runs on the old snapshot until
> +	 * its KVM_REQ_CLOCK_UPDATE is serviced, exactly as if it had
> +	 * entered just before the update began.
> +	 */
> +	if (requesting_vcpu &&
> +	    !kvm_test_request(KVM_REQ_MASTERCLOCK_UPDATE, requesting_vcpu)) {
> +		kvm_clear_mclock_inprogress_request(kvm);
> +		raw_spin_unlock_irq(&kvm->arch.tsc_write_lock);
> +		return false;
> +	}

[Severity: Medium]
Can clearing KVM_REQ_MCLOCK_INPROGRESS while another updater is waiting on
tsc_write_lock allow a third vCPU whose KVM_REQ_MASTERCLOCK_UPDATE was
consumed to enter the guest before the update finishes, and stay in guest
mode without servicing KVM_REQ_CLOCK_UPDATE?

Because kvm_make_mclock_inprogress_request() runs before acquiring
tsc_write_lock, an updater bailing out (or finishing in
kvm_end_pvclock_update()) can clear the KVM_REQ_MCLOCK_INPROGRESS bits just
set by a second updater waiting on the lock.  When that second updater
acquires tsc_write_lock, it clears KVM_REQ_MASTERCLOCK_UPDATE on all vCPUs
before setting KVM_REQ_CLOCK_UPDATE in kvm_end_pvclock_update():

CPU0 (vcpu0)              CPU1 (vcpu1)              CPU2 (vcpu2)
------------              ------------              ------------
kvm_update_masterclock()
  /* cleared by prior
     updater */
                          kvm_update_masterclock()
                            kvm_make_mclock_inprogress_request()
  __kvm_start_pvclock_update()
    kvm_clear_mclock_inprogress_request()
    unlock(tsc_write_lock)
                            __kvm_start_pvclock_update()
                              lock(tsc_write_lock)
                              kvm_clear_request(MASTERCLOCK, vcpu2)
                                                    vcpu_enter_guest()
                                                      test(MASTERCLOCK) -> 0
                                                      check(CLOCK_UPDATE) -=
> 0
                                                      exit_request() -> 0
                                                      /* enters guest */
                              write_seqcount_begin(&pvclock_sc)
                            pvclock_update_vm_gtod_copy()
                            kvm_end_pvclock_update()
                              kvm_make_request(CLOCK_UPDATE, vcpu2)
                              /* no kick */

vcpu_enter_guest() only reads pvclock_sc inside kvm_guest_time_update()
when KVM_REQ_CLOCK_UPDATE is set.  If vcpu2 only had
KVM_REQ_MASTERCLOCK_UPDATE pending (for example, after enabling
HV_X64_MSR_REFERENCE_TSC in kvm_hv_set_msr_pw()), it skips both
kvm_update_masterclock() and kvm_guest_time_update(), sees
KVM_REQ_MCLOCK_INPROGRESS cleared, and enters the guest before
kvm_hv_setup_tsc_page() or pvclock_update_vm_gtod_copy() has run.
Unlike a vCPU that entered before the update began and was kicked by
kvm_make_mclock_inprogress_request(), kvm_end_pvclock_update() calls
kvm_make_request(KVM_REQ_CLOCK_UPDATE, vcpu) without kicking, so vcpu2
remains in guest mode with stale clock state until an unrelated VM-exit.

> +
> +	/* The update is VM-wide; prevent other vCPUs from redoing it. */
> +	kvm_for_each_vcpu(i, vcpu, kvm)
> +		kvm_clear_request(KVM_REQ_MASTERCLOCK_UPDATE, vcpu);
> +
>  	write_seqcount_begin(&kvm->arch.pvclock_sc);
> +	return true;
>  }

[Severity: Medium]
Does clearing KVM_REQ_MASTERCLOCK_UPDATE on all vCPUs before
write_seqcount_begin(&kvm->arch.pvclock_sc) allow another vCPU to run
kvm_guest_time_update() against the stale masterclock snapshot?

When both KVM_REQ_MASTERCLOCK_UPDATE and KVM_REQ_CLOCK_UPDATE are pending
on vcpu1 (such as after kvm_write_system_time() or __kvm_synchronize_tsc()),
clearing KVM_REQ_MASTERCLOCK_UPDATE before opening pvclock_sc lets vcpu1
skip kvm_update_masterclock() without waiting on tsc_write_lock and read
pvclock_sc before the write section begins:

CPU0 (vcpu0)                            CPU1 (vcpu1)
------------                            ------------
__kvm_start_pvclock_update()
  kvm_clear_request(MASTERCLOCK, vcpu1)
                                        vcpu_enter_guest()
                                          test(MASTERCLOCK) -> false
                                          check(CLOCK_UPDATE) -> true
                                          kvm_guest_time_update()
                                            read_seqcount_begin(&pvclock_sc)
                                            /* reads stale masterclock */
                                            kvm_hv_setup_tsc_page()
  write_seqcount_begin(&pvclock_sc)
pvclock_update_vm_gtod_copy()
kvm_end_pvclock_update()

In addition to writing stale pvclock data to guest memory, the premature
kvm_hv_setup_tsc_page() call consumes HV_TSC_PAGE_HOST_CHANGED or
HV_TSC_PAGE_GUEST_CHANGED using the pre-update state and transitions
hv_tsc_page_status to HV_TSC_PAGE_SET or HV_TSC_PAGE_BROKEN:

arch/x86/kvm/hyperv.c:kvm_hv_setup_tsc_page() {
	...
	if (hv->hv_tsc_page_status =3D=3D HV_TSC_PAGE_BROKEN ||
	    hv->hv_tsc_page_status =3D=3D HV_TSC_PAGE_SET ||
	    hv->hv_tsc_page_status =3D=3D HV_TSC_PAGE_UNSET)
		return;
	...
}

When kvm_end_pvclock_update() subsequently requests KVM_REQ_CLOCK_UPDATE,
kvm_hv_setup_tsc_page() returns early and leaves the Hyper-V reference TSC
page stuck with stale parameters or permanently disabled.  Opening
pvclock_sc with write_seqcount_begin() before the kvm_for_each_vcpu() loop
that clears KVM_REQ_MASTERCLOCK_UPDATE would ensure any vCPU that sees its
request cleared already observes the open seqcount.

--=20
Sashiko AI review =C2=B7 https://sashiko.dev/#/patchset/20261109012112.3415=
328-1-dwmw2@infradead.org?part=3D7