python / python/cpython

Python `array` module is not free-thread safe.

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#128,942 2 comments 0 reactions 0 assignees View on GitHub

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extension-modules topic-free-threading type-bug
Dominant language
Python
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Description

Bug report

Bug description:

The python array module is not currently free-thread safe. The error generator below can generate segfaults of aborts for most of the array object methods. I found #116738 which lists this module as in need of an audit, an apparenly closed start on this in #120103 and no owner for this module in the Experts Index, so decided to give it a go (see attached PR).

Reproducer, any single check(...) call below will generate some kind of segfault or abort fairly quickly.

from array import array
from io import BytesIO
from random import randint
import threading


def pop1(b, a):  # MODIFIES!
    b.wait()
    try: a.pop()
    except IndexError: pass

def append1(b, a):  # MODIFIES!
    b.wait()
    a.append(2)

def insert1(b, a):  # MODIFIES!
    b.wait()
    a.insert(0, 2)

def extend(b, a):  # MODIFIES!
    c = array('i', [2])
    b.wait()
    a.extend(c)
def extend2(b, a, c):  # MODIFIES!
    b.wait()
    a.extend(c)

def inplace_concat(b, a):  # MODIFIES!
    c = array('i', [2])
    b.wait()
    a += c
def inplace_concat2(b, a, c):  # MODIFIES!
    b.wait()
    a += c

def inplace_repeat2(b, a):  # MODIFIES!
    b.wait()
    a *= 2

def clear(b, a, *args):  # MODIFIES!
    b.wait()
    a.clear()
def clear2(b, a, c):  # MODIFIES c!
    b.wait()
    try: c.clear()
    except BufferError: pass

def remove1(b, a):  # MODIFIES!
    b.wait()
    try: a.remove(1)
    except ValueError: pass

def fromunicode(b, a):  # MODIFIES!
    b.wait()
    a.fromunicode('test')

def frombytes(b, a):  # MODIFIES!
    b.wait()
    a.frombytes(b'0000')
def frombytes2(b, a, c):  # MODIFIES!
    b.wait()
    a.frombytes(c)

def fromlist(b, a):  # MODIFIES!
    n = randint(0, 100)
    b.wait()
    a.fromlist([2] * n)

def ass_subscr2(b, a, c):  # MODIFIES!
    b.wait()
    a[:] = c

def ass0(b, a):  # modifies inplace
    b.wait()
    try: a[0] = 0
    except IndexError: pass

def byteswap(b, a):  # modifies inplace
    b.wait()
    a.byteswap()

def tounicode(b, a):
    b.wait()
    a.tounicode()

def tobytes(b, a):
    b.wait()
    a.tobytes()

def tolist(b, a):
    b.wait()
    a.tolist()

def tofile(b, a):
    f = BytesIO()
    b.wait()
    a.tofile(f)

def reduce_ex2(b, a):
    b.wait()
    a.__reduce_ex__(2)

def reduce_ex3(b, a):
    b.wait()
    c = a.__reduce_ex__(3)
    assert not c[1] or b'\xdd' not in c[1][3]

def copy(b, a):
    b.wait()
    c = a.__copy__()
    assert not c or 0xdd not in c

def repr1(b, a):
    b.wait()
    repr(a)

def repeat2(b, a):
    b.wait()
    a * 2

def count1(b, a):
    b.wait()
    a.count(1)

def index1(b, a):
    b.wait()
    try: a.index(1)
    except ValueError: pass

def contains1(b, a):
    b.wait()
    try: 1 in a
    except ValueError: pass

def subscr0(b, a):
    b.wait()
    try: a[0]
    except IndexError: pass

def concat(b, a):
    b.wait()
    a + a
def concat2(b, a, c):
    b.wait()
    a + c

def richcmplhs(b, a):
    c = a[:]
    b.wait()
    a == c

def richcmprhs(b, a):
    c = a[:]
    b.wait()
    c == a

def new(b, a):
    tc = a.typecode
    b.wait()
    array(tc, a)

def repr_(b, a):
    b.wait()
    repr(a)

def irepeat(b, a):  # MODIFIES!
    b.wait()
    a *= 2


def newi(b, l):
    b.wait()
    array('i', l)

def fromlistl(b, a, l):  # MODIFIES!
    b.wait()
    a.fromlist(l)
def fromlistlclear(b, a, l):  # MODIFIES LIST!
    b.wait()
    l.clear()


def iter_next(b, a, it):  # MODIFIES ITERATOR!
    b.wait()
    list(it)

def iter_reduce(b, a, it):
    b.wait()
    c = it.__reduce__()
    assert not c[1] or b'\xdd' not in c[1][0]


def check(funcs, a=None, *args):
    if a is None:
        a = array('i', [1])

    barrier = threading.Barrier(len(funcs))
    thrds = []

    for func in funcs:
        thrd = threading.Thread(target=func, args=(barrier, a, *args))

        thrds.append(thrd)
        thrd.start()

    for thrd in thrds:
        thrd.join()


if __name__ == "__main__":
    while True:
        check([pop1] * 10)
        check([pop1] + [subscr0] * 10)
        check([append1] * 10)
        check([insert1] * 10)
        check([pop1] + [index1] * 10)
        check([pop1] + [contains1] * 10)
        check([insert1] + [repeat2] * 10)
        check([pop1] + [repr1] * 10)
        check([inplace_repeat2] * 10)
        check([byteswap] * 10)
        check([insert1] + [clear] * 10)
        check([pop1] + [count1] * 10)
        check([remove1] * 10)
        check([clear] + [copy] * 10, array('B', b'0' * 0x400000))
        check([pop1] + [reduce_ex2] * 10)
        check([clear] + [reduce_ex3] * 10, array('B', b'0' * 0x400000))
        check([pop1] + [tobytes] * 10)
        check([pop1] + [tolist] * 10)
        check([clear, tounicode] * 10, array('w', 'a'*10000))
        check([clear, tofile] * 10, array('w', 'a'*10000))
        check([clear] + [extend] * 10)
        check([clear] + [inplace_concat] * 10)
        check([clear] + [concat] * 10, array('w', 'a'*10000))
        check([fromunicode] * 10, array('w', 'a'))
        check([frombytes] * 10)
        check([fromlist] * 10)
        check([clear] + [richcmplhs] * 10, array('i', [1]*10000))
        check([clear] + [richcmprhs] * 10, array('i', [1]*10000))
        check([clear, ass0] * 10, array('i', [1]*10000))  # to test array_ass_item must disable Py_mp_ass_subscript
        check([clear] + [new] * 10, array('w', 'a'*10000))
        check([clear] + [repr_] * 10, array('B', b'0' * 0x40000))
        check([clear] + [repr_] * 10, array('B', b'0' * 0x40000))
        check([clear] + [irepeat] * 10, array('B', b'0' * 0x40000))
        check([clear] + [iter_reduce] * 10, a := array('B', b'0' * 0x400), iter(a))

        # make sure we handle non-self objects correctly
        check([clear] + [newi] * 10, [2] * randint(0, 100))
        check([fromlistlclear] + [fromlistl] * 10, array('i', [1]), [2] * randint(0, 100))
        check([clear2] + [concat2] * 10, array('w', 'a'*10000), array('w', 'a'*10000))
        check([clear2] + [inplace_concat2] * 10, array('w', 'a'*10000), array('w', 'a'*10000))
        check([clear2] + [extend2] * 10, array('w', 'a'*10000), array('w', 'a'*10000))
        check([clear2] + [ass_subscr2] * 10, array('w', 'a'*10000), array('w', 'a'*10000))
        check([clear2] + [frombytes2] * 10, array('w', 'a'*10000), array('B', b'a'*10000))

        # iterator stuff
        check([clear] + [iter_next] * 10, a := array('i', [1] * 10), iter(a))
CPython versions tested on:

CPython main branch

Operating systems tested on:

Linux

Linked PRs
  • gh-128943
  • gh-130707
  • gh-130771

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

Start by running the supplied threading reproducer against the CPython main branch and review the array module behavior described in the report. Then read the linked work in gh-128943, gh-130707, and gh-130771; done means the reported concurrent array operations no longer produce the described segmentation faults or aborts.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
python
Domain
backend
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
5/5
Estimated time
Over a week
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
15/100

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