samples/damon/mtier: error out for zero quota goal target values
Subsystems (3)
SJ Park
maintainerRFC PATCH 1/1 samples/damon/mtier: error out for zero quota goal target values
damos_quota_score() can trigger division by zero if the target_value is zero. DAMON_SAMPLE_MTIER lets users set the target_value via node0_mem_{used,free}_bp parameters. It doesn't guard zero value case, though. As a result, users can trigger division by zero. Fix the issue by returning an error when the user tries to start DAMON with zero node0_mem_{used,free}_bp parameter values.
DAMON_SAMPLE_MTIER is just a sample module, but the consequence is quite bad. Also the zero node0_mem_free_bp parameter might look like a reasonable setup to some users. Hence, the issue might really happen in the real world.
One reliable way to reproduce the issue is like below:
# cd /sys/module/damon_sample_mtier/parameters
# echo 4096 > node0_start_addr
# echo 8192 > node0_end_addr
# echo 8192 > node1_start_addr
# echo 81920 > node1_end_addr
# echo 0 > node0_mem_free_bp
# echo Y > enabled
# dmesg -w
[...]
[18792.235916] Oops: divide error: 0000 [#1] SMP NOPTI
[...]
[18792.242787] RIP: 0010:damos_quota_score+0x6f/0x480
[...]This issue was discovered [1] by Sashiko.
[1] https://lore.kernel.org/[email protected]
--- samples/damon/mtier.c | 3 +++ 1 file changed, 3 insertions(+)
samples/damon/mtier.c +3 -0
@@ -156,6 +156,9 @@ static struct damon_ctx *damon_sample_mtier_build_ctx(bool promote)if (!scheme) goto free_out;damon_set_schemes (ctx, &scheme,1 ); +/* zero target value causes division by zero in damos_quota_store() */ +if (!node0_mem_used_bp || !node0_mem_free_bp) + goto free_out; quota_goal = damos_new_quota_goal( promote ? DAMOS_QUOTA_NODE_MEM_USED_BP : DAMOS_QUOTA_NODE_MEM_FREE_BP,
base-commit: 51b0df5cb9a4175af0e3c9e471cd70e91ff8eb4b
Signature · 1 line
2.47.3
[email protected]
AI reviewThank you for your contribution! Sashiko AI review found 2 potential issue(s) to consider:
Thank you for your contribution! Sashiko AI review found 2 potential issue(s) to consider:
Pre-existing issues:
- [High] The patch addresses a division by zero in the mtier sample module but leaves the core vulnerability unpatched. In mm/damon/lru_sort.c, setting the active_mem_bp module parameter to 10002 results in a target_value of 0, triggering the same division by zero Oops in the core framework.
- [High] damos_new_quota_goal() allocates damos_quota_goal using kmalloc_obj(), leaving last_psi_total uninitialized. This causes wildcard auto-tuning behavior for PSI-based quota goals on their first cycle.
--
--- Patch [1]: [RFC PATCH] samples/damon/mtier: error out for zero quota goal target values --- commit 1b5b3916c23bf9b477a9c0308b9b7d82d8503f36
Author: SJ Park <[email protected]>
samples/damon/mtier: error out for zero quota goal target values
This commit modifies the DAMON mtier sample to return an error when started with a zero value for node0_mem_used_bp or node0_mem_free_bp. This prevents a division by zero Oops in damos_quota_score() when target_value is zero.
samples/damon/mtier.c static struct damon_ctx *damon_sample_mtier_build_ctx(bool promote) · line 161
Quoted 11 lines
samples/damon/mtier.c +3
-0@@ -156,6 +156,9 @@ static struct damon_ctx *damon_sample_mtier_build_ctx(bool promote)if (!scheme) goto free_out;damon_set_schemes (ctx, &scheme,1 ); +/* zero target value causes division by zero in damos_quota_store() */ +if (!node0_mem_used_bp || !node0_mem_free_bp) + goto free_out;
[Severity: High]
This isn't a bug introduced by this patch, but does this fix leave the core vulnerability unpatched?
Since the underlying issue is in damos_quota_score() when target_value is 0:
mm/damon/core.c:damos_quota_score() {
...
mult_frac(goal->current_value, 10000, goal->target_value)
...
}It appears other modules can still trigger this Oops. For example, if a user writes 10002 to the active_mem_bp parameter in the damon_lru_sort module, the cold scheme quota goal calculation will result in a zero target value:
mm/damon/lru_sort.c:damon_lru_sort_add_quota_goals() {
...
goal = damos_new_quota_goal(DAMOS_QUOTA_INACTIVE_MEM_BP,
10000 - active_mem_bp + 2);
...
}Should the zero check be handled centrally in damos_new_quota_goal() or damos_quota_score() to prevent similar crashes from other modules?
Quoted 4 lines
samples/damon/mtier.c +0
-0quota_goal = damos_new_quota_goal( promote ? DAMOS_QUOTA_NODE_MEM_USED_BP : DAMOS_QUOTA_NODE_MEM_FREE_BP,promote ?
node0_mem_used_bp:node0_mem_free_bp);
[Severity: High]
This is a pre-existing issue, but does damos_new_quota_goal() leave fields uninitialized?
Looking at damos_new_quota_goal(), it allocates the struct using kmalloc_obj() without zeroing the memory:
mm/damon/core.c:damos_new_quota_goal() {
...
goal = kmalloc_obj(*goal);
if (!goal)
return NULL;
goal->metric = metric;
goal->target_value = target_value;
INIT_LIST_HEAD(&goal->list);
return goal;
}This leaves union fields like last_psi_total uninitialized. When a PSI-based quota goal is evaluated for the first time, this uninitialized value is used in the feedback loop calculation:
mm/damon/core.c:damos_set_quota_goal_current_value() {
...
goal->current_value = now_psi_total - goal->last_psi_total;
...
}Could this uninitialized memory usage corrupt the auto-tuning feedback loop?
Quoted 2 lines
samples/damon/mtier.c +0
-0if (!quota_goal) goto free_out;
Signature · 1 line
Sashiko AI review · https://sashiko.dev/#/patchset/[email protected]?part=1
SJ Park
maintainerQuoted 54 lines · On Sat, 01 Aug 2026 21:25:50 +0000 [email protected] wrote:
Thank you for your contribution! Sashiko AI review found 2 potential issue(s) to consider:
Pre-existing issues:
- [High] The patch addresses a division by zero in the mtier sample module but leaves the core vulnerability unpatched. Inmm/damon/lru_sort.c, setting theactive_mem_bpmodule parameter to 10002 results in atarget_valueof 0, triggering the same division by zero Oops in the core framework.
- [High]damos_new_quota_goal()allocatesdamos_quota_goalusingkmalloc_obj(), leavinglast_psi_totaluninitialized. This causes wildcard auto-tuning behavior for PSI-based quota goals on their first cycle.
----- Patch [1]: [RFC PATCH]
samples/damon/mtier: error out for zero quota goal target values --- commit1b5b3916c23bf9b477a9c0308b9b7d82d8503f36
Author: SJ Park <[email protected]>
samples/damon/mtier: error out for zero quota goal target valuesThis commit modifies the DAMON mtier sample to return an error when started with a zero value for
node0_mem_used_bpornode0_mem_free_bp. This prevents a division by zero Oops indamos_quota_score()whentarget_valueis zero.samples/damon/mtier.c static struct damon_ctx *damon_sample_mtier_build_ctx(bool promote) · line 161
Quoted 11 lines
samples/damon/mtier.c +3
-0@@ -156,6 +156,9 @@ static struct damon_ctx *damon_sample_mtier_build_ctx(bool promote)if (!scheme) goto free_out;damon_set_schemes (ctx, &scheme,1 ); +/* zero target value causes division by zero in damos_quota_store() */ +if (!node0_mem_used_bp || !node0_mem_free_bp) + goto free_out;[Severity: High]
This isn't a bug introduced by this patch, but does this fix leave the core vulnerability unpatched?Since the underlying issue is in
damos_quota_score()whentarget_valueis 0:mm/damon/core.c:damos_quota_score() { ... mult_frac(goal->current_value, 10000, goal->target_value) ... }It appears other modules can still trigger this Oops. For example, if a user writes 10002 to the
active_mem_bpparameter in thedamon_lru_sortmodule, the cold scheme quota goal calculation will result in a zero target value:mm/damon/lru_sort.c:damon_lru_sort_add_quota_goals() { ... goal = damos_new_quota_goal(DAMOS_QUOTA_INACTIVE_MEM_BP, 10000 - active_mem_bp + 2); ... }
Quoted 2 lines
Should the zero check be handled centrally in
damos_new_quota_goal()ordamos_quota_score()to prevent similar crashes from other modules?
Good catch. Eventually I will fix this in core. But let's make easy-to-backport hotfixes for stable kernels at the moment. I will add a fix for lru_sort.
Quoted 28 lines
Quoted 5 lines
samples/damon/mtier.c +0
-0quota_goal = damos_new_quota_goal( promote ? DAMOS_QUOTA_NODE_MEM_USED_BP : DAMOS_QUOTA_NODE_MEM_FREE_BP,promote ?
node0_mem_used_bp:node0_mem_free_bp);[Severity: High]
This is a pre-existing issue, but doesdamos_new_quota_goal()leave fields uninitialized?Looking at
damos_new_quota_goal(), it allocates the struct usingkmalloc_obj()without zeroing the memory:mm/damon/core.c:damos_new_quota_goal() { ... goal = kmalloc_obj(*goal); if (!goal) return NULL; goal->metric = metric; goal->target_value = target_value; INIT_LIST_HEAD(&goal->list); return goal; }This leaves union fields like
last_psi_totaluninitialized. When a PSI-based quota goal is evaluated for the first time, this uninitialized value is used in the feedback loop calculation:
Quoted 7 lines
mm/damon/core.c:damos_set_quota_goal_current_value() { ... goal->current_value = now_psi_total - goal->last_psi_total; ... }Could this uninitialized memory usage corrupt the auto-tuning feedback loop?
A fix [1] of the bug is under review.
[1] https://lore.kernel.org/[email protected]
Quoted 6 lines
Quoted 3 lines
samples/damon/mtier.c +0
-0if (!quota_goal) goto free_out;Signature · 1 line
Sashiko AI review · https://sashiko.dev/#/patchset/[email protected]?part=1
Thanks,
SJ