Data race on the GC debug flag (gc.set_debug/get_debug) in free-threading builds
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Description
Bug report
In a free-threading build (--disable-gil), the garbage collector debug flag
gcstate->debug is read and written without synchronisation:
- Write:
gc_set_debug_impl()(Modules/gcmodule.c) does a plain
gcstate->debug = flags. Unlikegc_set_threshold_impl(), which runs its
free-threading branch under_PyEval_StopTheWorld(),gc.set_debug()takes
no lock and does not stop the world. - Read:
gc_get_debug_impl()returnsgcstate->debugdirectly, and the
collector inPython/gc_free_threading.creadsgcstate->debug/
interp->gc.debugin several places while walking the graph.
So one thread calling gc.set_debug() concurrently with another calling
gc.get_debug() or triggering a collection is an unsynchronised read/write of
the same int. The flag is only an int, so the effect stays benign at the
Python level, but it is undefined behaviour under C11 and ThreadSanitizer
reports it as a data race.
This is the same class of issue already fixed for sys dlopenflags
(gh-151644) and gc.get_stats() (gh-151646). gc.enable() / gc.disable()
in the same file already access gcstate->enabled atomically; the debug flag
was missed.
ThreadSanitizer output
Built with ./configure --with-thread-sanitizer --disable-gil and stressed
with concurrent gc.set_debug() / gc.get_debug() plus a thread churning
cyclic garbage so the collector runs:
WARNING: ThreadSanitizer: data race
Write of size 4 at 0x...6c by thread T2:
#0 gc_set_debug gcmodule.c.h:186
Previous write of size 4 at 0x...6c by thread T1:
#0 gc_set_debug gcmodule.c.h:186
Location is global '_PyRuntime'
How to reproduce
./configure --with-thread-sanitizer --disable-gil && make- Run a script that starts a few threads calling
gc.set_debug(...)/
gc.get_debug()in a loop, plus a thread that builds reference cycles and
callsgc.collect(). - TSan reports the write/write race on
gcstate->debug.
Suggested fix
Access the flag with FT_ATOMIC_STORE_INT_RELAXED / FT_ATOMIC_LOAD_INT_RELAXED
in gc_set_debug_impl() / gc_get_debug_impl() and in the collector reads,
matching how gcstate->enabled and dlopenflags are already handled. Relaxed
ordering is correct for an independent int flag. These wrappers compile to a
plain load/store in the default (GIL) build, so there is no change there.
Linked PRs
- gh-153015
Contributor guide
First steps
- Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
- Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
- Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
- Open a pull request that references the issue number.
Research direction
Review linked PR gh-153015 first, then inspect gc_set_debug_impl() and gc_get_debug_impl() in Modules/gcmodule.c and the gcstate-debug reads in Python/gc_free_threading.c. Rebuild with --with-thread-sanitizer --disable-gil and run the concurrent gc.set_debug(), gc.get_debug(), and collection reproducer; done means the reported race is absent.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Tech stack
- c, python
- Domain
- backend
- Issue type
- Bug
- Difficulty
- 3/5
- Estimated time
- 1-2 days
- Activity status
- Stale
- Clarity
- Clearly specified
- Newbie friendliness
- 25/100