Linux kernel oops on x86_64 triggered by proc filesystem related processes

  • Document ID:3496726
  • Creation Date:21-Aug-2006
  • Modified Date:30-Apr-2012
    • Micro Focus Products:
      Open Enterprise Server
    • SUSE Products:
      SUSE Linux Enterprise Server

Environment

Novell SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 9
Novell Open Enterprise Server (Linux based)

x86_64 platform (AMD 64-bit or Intel EM64T)
Kernel 2.6.5-7.201 or earlier

Situation

System produces repeated "Oops" messages, typically relating to processes that access the /proc filesystem regularly, like ps, top or checkproc. Related symptoms include high system load.

Resolution

This issue was fixed in kernel 2.6.5-7.202.7 (the last maintenance update for the SLES9 Service Pack 2 kernel; patch-10775). Update to kernel 2.6.5-7.202.7 or newer.

Additional Information

Sample "oops" message

general protection fault: 0000 [1] SMP CPU 2
Pid: 32211, comm: ps Tainted: P UM (2.6.5-7.201-smp SLES9_SP2_BRANCH-200508250620450000)
RIP: 0010:[]{get_user_pages+267}
RSP: 0018:0000010b87a85d58 EFLAGS: 00010202
RAX: 00009cd0f0009ff8 RBX: 00000000ffffe000 RCX: 0000010000000000
RDX: 00009bd0f0009ff8 RSI: 000ffffffffff000 RDI: ffffffff803d4f80
RBP: 0000010d000e0400 R08: 0000000000000000 R09: 0000000000000001
R10: 0000000000000001 R11: 0000000000000246 R12: 0000000000000000
R13: 0000000000000000 R14: 0000010345f6eb70 R15: 0000000000000001
FS: 0000002a95894b00(0000) GS:ffffffff80562f80(0000) knlGS:000000005578e8e0
CS: 0010 DS: 0000 ES: 0000 CR0: 000000008005003b
CR2: 0000000000659ff0 CR3: 000000080e1ba000 CR4: 00000000000006e0
Process ps (pid: 32211, threadinfo 0000010b87a84000, task 00000103ffef0b00)
Stack: 0000010d9cefd0a0 ffffffff8019c54b 0000010b87a85e98 0000000000000000
000fffffeff80106 0000000000000106 0000001087a85de8 00000000ffffe000
0000000000000001 0000010b87a85e18
Call Trace:{real_lookup+123}
{access_process_vm+179}
{proc_pid_cmdline+146}
{proc_info_read+111}
{vfs_read+244}
{sys_read+157}
{sys_open+231}
{system_call+124}
Code: 48 8b 00 48 c1 eb 09 81 e3 f8 0f 00 00 48 21 f0 48 01 d8 48
RIP{get_user_pages+267} RSP<0000010b87a85d58>