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  • Elena Reshetova's avatar
    posix_acl: convert posix_acl.a_refcount from atomic_t to refcount_t · 66717260
    Elena Reshetova authored
    atomic_t variables are currently used to implement reference
    counters with the following properties:
     - counter is initialized to 1 using atomic_set()
     - a resource is freed upon counter reaching zero
     - once counter reaches zero, its further
       increments aren't allowed
     - counter schema uses basic atomic operations
       (set, inc, inc_not_zero, dec_and_test, etc.)
    
    Such atomic variables should be converted to a newly provided
    refcount_t type and API that prevents accidental counter overflows
    and underflows. This is important since overflows and underflows
    can lead to use-after-free situation and be exploitable.
    
    The variable posix_acl.a_refcount is used as pure reference counter.
    Convert it to refcount_t and fix up the operations.
    
    **Important note for maintainers:
    
    Some functions from refcount_t API defined in lib/refcount.c
    have different memory ordering guarantees than their atomic
    counterparts.
    The full comparison can be seen in
    https...
    66717260