Re: [PATCH v2 3/6] hrtimer: Pause KCOV during deferred rearm

On Thu, Aug 13, 2026 at 03:08:26PM +0100, Peter Zijlstra wrote:
> Bah, so the only reason this one pops is because it is outside of the
> softirq code, same for those two wakeups I suppose.
> 
> Would something crazy like this work? That closes the holes in the
> preempt_count munging around there.
> 
> *completely* untested and all that
> 

Thanks, I tested this.

The idea helps, but the ksirqd check is not enough.

__do_softirq() also runs from task context and ktimerd with ksirqd=false.
Subtracting HARDIRQ_OFFSET there corrupts preempt_count.

In the direct IRQ-exit path, __local_bh_disable_ip() also warns because
HARDIRQ_OFFSET is still set.

My version below checks in_hardirq() in handle_softirqs(). For direct
IRQ-exit dispatch it replaces HARDIRQ_OFFSET with SOFTIRQ_OFFSET, then
restores it.

Other callers keep the normal local-BH accounting. tick_irq_exit() still
runs after HARDIRQ_OFFSET is dropped.

In a 400-round KCOV test, flaky PCs fell from 140 to 129. The average
trace size fell from 147.7 to 141.6 PCs. But measured syzcaller coverage
did not improve significantly.

I also ran a targeted KCSAN test that intentionally produced 58
reports on each kernel. Baseline classified all IRQ-exit accesses as
"by task". With this patch, all were "by interrupt". Both passed the
KCSAN selftest. Lockdep and IRQ-tracing boots also passed.

This patch does not replace the KCOV pause series. It only covers work
dispatched directly from IRQ exit. Deferred rearm outside this path
and task-context scheduler leaks remain.

Karl

---
diff --git a/kernel/softirq.c b/kernel/softirq.c
index 7980a4a232f..d6be8ca2793 100644
--- a/kernel/softirq.c
+++ b/kernel/softirq.c
@@ -350,8 +350,8 @@ static inline void ksoftirqd_run_end(void)
 	local_irq_enable();
 }
 
-static inline void softirq_handle_begin(void) { }
-static inline void softirq_handle_end(void) { }
+static inline bool softirq_handle_begin(void) { return false; }
+static inline void softirq_handle_end(bool from_hardirq) { }
 
 static inline bool should_wake_ksoftirqd(void)
 {
@@ -481,15 +481,35 @@ void __local_bh_enable_ip(unsigned long ip, unsigned int cnt)
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(__local_bh_enable_ip);
 
-static inline void softirq_handle_begin(void)
+static inline bool softirq_handle_begin(void)
 {
-	__local_bh_disable_ip(_RET_IP_, SOFTIRQ_OFFSET);
+	bool from_hardirq = in_hardirq();
+
+	if (!from_hardirq) {
+		__local_bh_disable_ip(_RET_IP_, SOFTIRQ_OFFSET);
+		return false;
+	}
+
+	/* Replace the retained hardirq context with normal softirq context. */
+	__preempt_count_add((int)SOFTIRQ_OFFSET - (int)HARDIRQ_OFFSET);
+	if (softirq_count() == SOFTIRQ_OFFSET)
+		lockdep_softirqs_off(_RET_IP_);
+
+	return true;
 }
 
-static inline void softirq_handle_end(void)
+static inline void softirq_handle_end(bool from_hardirq)
 {
-	__local_bh_enable(SOFTIRQ_OFFSET);
-	WARN_ON_ONCE(in_interrupt());
+	if (!from_hardirq) {
+		__local_bh_enable(SOFTIRQ_OFFSET);
+		WARN_ON_ONCE(in_interrupt());
+		return;
+	}
+
+	if (softirq_count() == SOFTIRQ_OFFSET)
+		lockdep_softirqs_on(_RET_IP_);
+	__preempt_count_sub((int)SOFTIRQ_OFFSET - (int)HARDIRQ_OFFSET);
+	WARN_ON_ONCE(!in_hardirq());
 }
 
 static inline void ksoftirqd_run_begin(void)
@@ -605,6 +625,7 @@ static void handle_softirqs(bool ksirqd)
 	unsigned long old_flags = current->flags;
 	int max_restart = MAX_SOFTIRQ_RESTART;
 	struct softirq_action *h;
+	bool from_hardirq;
 	bool in_hardirq;
 	__u32 pending;
 	int softirq_bit;
@@ -618,7 +639,7 @@ static void handle_softirqs(bool ksirqd)
 
 	pending = local_softirq_pending();
 
-	softirq_handle_begin();
+	from_hardirq = softirq_handle_begin();
 	in_hardirq = lockdep_softirq_start();
 	account_softirq_enter(current);
 
@@ -670,7 +691,7 @@ static void handle_softirqs(bool ksirqd)
 
 	account_softirq_exit(current);
 	lockdep_softirq_end(in_hardirq);
-	softirq_handle_end();
+	softirq_handle_end(from_hardirq);
 	current_restore_flags(old_flags, PF_MEMALLOC);
 }
 
@@ -740,6 +761,9 @@ static inline void wake_timersd(void) { }
 
 #endif
 
+#define IRQ_EXIT_TIMERS	(NMI_MASK | HARDIRQ_MASK)
+#define IRQ_EXIT_SOFTIRQ	(IRQ_EXIT_TIMERS | HARDIRQ_DISABLE_MASK | SOFTIRQ_MASK)
+
 static inline void __irq_exit_rcu(void)
 {
 #ifndef __ARCH_IRQ_EXIT_IRQS_DISABLED
@@ -748,7 +772,6 @@ static inline void __irq_exit_rcu(void)
 	lockdep_assert_irqs_disabled();
 #endif
 	account_hardirq_exit(current);
-	preempt_count_sub(HARDIRQ_OFFSET);
 	/*
 	 * Interrupts may happen between hardirq_disable_enter() and
 	 * local_irq_save() in local_interrupt_disable(), if irq_exit() invokes
@@ -757,7 +780,7 @@ static inline void __irq_exit_rcu(void)
 	 * hardirq disabling count is already 1, hence we need to prevent
 	 * invoking softirq when a local_interrupt_disable() is ongoing.
 	 */
-	if (!in_interrupt() && !hardirq_disable_count() &&
+	if ((preempt_count() & IRQ_EXIT_SOFTIRQ) == HARDIRQ_OFFSET &&
 	    local_softirq_pending()) {
 		/*
 		 * If we left hrtimers unarmed, make sure to arm them now,
@@ -768,9 +791,11 @@ static inline void __irq_exit_rcu(void)
 	}
 
 	if (IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_IRQ_FORCED_THREADING) && force_irqthreads() &&
-	    local_timers_pending_force_th() && !(in_nmi() | in_hardirq()))
+	    local_timers_pending_force_th() &&
+	    (preempt_count() & IRQ_EXIT_TIMERS) == HARDIRQ_OFFSET)
 		wake_timersd();
 
+	preempt_count_sub(HARDIRQ_OFFSET);
 	tick_irq_exit();
 }