python / python/cpython

Race condition in `itertools.islice` under free-threading

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

Bug report

Bug description:

islice_next reads and writes three fields -- lz->cnt, lz->next, and lz->it -- and do operations on them without a critical section.

https://github.com/python/cpython/blob/d986124d83465190987357f987ee24bd7a817cac/Modules/itertoolsmodule.c#L1628-L1661

Two threads calling next on the same islice object concurrently can race:

  • Both read lz->cnt = N < lz->next, both execute the skip-loop body for the same slot, advancing the underlying iterator twice for one step. In that case, the step arithmetic gets corrupted.
  • Both read lz->cnt = N < stop, both pass the stop check, both call iternext(it) and return an item -- the total number of yielded items exceeds stop.
  • There's a race on lz->cnt++ and lz->next += step: both threads can read the same value, then both can increment locally, and both store the same result. After that, the counter is permanently incorrect (such that subsequent skip/stop decisions use a wrong baseline).
  • One of the threads reaches exhaustion (goto empty) and calls Py_CLEAR(lz->it), which sets lz->it = NULL and DECREF's the iterator, which frees it (since each thread has ready it = lz->it. and not INCREF'd it). Another thread can have read lz->it before the clear and be in the middle of iternext(it) on the now-freed object in which case there is a use-after-free.

chain_next for example wraps its body in Py_BEGIN_CRITICAL_SECTION(op), which I believe is what islice should do as well.

https://github.com/python/cpython/blob/d986124d83465190987357f987ee24bd7a817cac/Modules/itertoolsmodule.c#L1937-L1945

Reproducer

import itertools
import threading

STOP = 100
NTHREADS = 8

data = iter(range(STOP + NTHREADS * 2))
sl = itertools.islice(data, STOP)

results: list[int] = []
lock = threading.Lock()

def consume() -> None:
    while True:
        v = next(sl, None)
        if v is None:
            break
        with lock:
            results.append(v)

threads = [threading.Thread(target=consume) for _ in range(NTHREADS)]
for t in threads: t.start()
for t in threads: t.join()

The reproducer, on a free-threaded build, gets reports like this one.

WARNING: ThreadSanitizer: data race (pid=49886)
  Read of size 8 at 0x00030275f8b0 by thread T2:
    #0 islice_next itertoolsmodule.c:1663 (python.exe:arm64+0x10042bce4)
    #1 builtin_next bltinmodule.c:1770 (python.exe:arm64+0x10028a900)
    #2 cfunction_vectorcall_FASTCALL methodobject.c:449 (python.exe:arm64+0x1001379dc)
    #3 _PyObject_VectorcallTstate pycore_call.h:144 (python.exe:arm64+0x100090e80)
    #4 PyObject_Vectorcall call.c:327 (python.exe:arm64+0x100090e80)
...
CPython versions tested on:

CPython main branch

Operating systems tested on:

macOS

Linked PRs
  • gh-151410

Contributor guide

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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 in Modules/itertoolsmodule.c at islice_next and compare chain_next's critical-section handling. Run the supplied multithreaded reproducer on a free-threaded CPython build and inspect the relevant itertools tests. Done means concurrent next() calls no longer trigger the reported race or exceed islice's stop boundary.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
python
Domain
backend
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
4/5
Estimated time
3-5 days
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Clearly specified
Newbie friendliness
35/100

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