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Don't use sbrk(0) to determine the initial heap size (WebAssembly#377)
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* Don't use sbrk(0) to determine the initial heap size

This commit changes the `try_init_allocator` function as part of
dlmalloc to not use `sbrk(0)` to determine the initial heap size. The
purpose of this function is to use the extra memory at the end of linear
memory for the initial allocation heap before `memory.grow` is used to
allocate more memory. To learn the extent of this region the code
previously would use `sbrk(0)` to find the current size of linear
memory. This does not work, however, when other systems have called
`memory.grow` before this function is called. For example if another
allocator is used or if another component of a wasm binary grows memory
for its own purposes then that memory will be incorrectly claimed to be
owned by dlmalloc.

Instead this commit rounds up the `__heap_base` address to the nearest
page size, since that must be allocatable. Otherwise anything above this
rounded address is assumed to be used by something else, even if it's
addressable.

* Use `__heap_end` if defined

* Move mstate initialization earlier
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alexcrichton authored and john-sharratt committed Mar 5, 2023
1 parent 98688e1 commit c371248
Showing 1 changed file with 25 additions and 8 deletions.
33 changes: 25 additions & 8 deletions dlmalloc/src/malloc.c
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -5214,26 +5214,43 @@ static void internal_inspect_all(mstate m,
/* ------------------ Exported try_init_allocator -------------------- */

/* Symbol marking the end of data, bss and explicit stack, provided by wasm-ld. */
extern unsigned char __heap_base;
extern char __heap_base;
extern char __heap_end __attribute__((__weak__));

/* Initialize the initial state of dlmalloc to be able to use free memory between __heap_base and initial. */
static void try_init_allocator(void) {
/* Check that it is a first-time initialization. */
assert(!is_initialized(gm));

char *base = (char *)&__heap_base;
/* Calls sbrk(0) that returns the initial memory position. */
char *init = (char *)CALL_MORECORE(0);
int initial_heap_size = init - base;
/* Initialize mstate. */
ensure_initialization();

char *base = &__heap_base;
// Try to use the linker pseudo-symbol `__heap_end` for the initial size of
// the heap, but if that's not defined due to LLVM being too old perhaps then
// round up `base` to the nearest `PAGESIZE`. The initial size of linear
// memory will be at least the heap base to this page boundary, and it's then
// assumed that the initial linear memory image was truncated at that point.
// While this reflects the default behavior of `wasm-ld` it is also possible
// for users to craft larger linear memories by passing options to extend
// beyond this threshold. In this situation the memory will not be used for
// dlmalloc.
//
// Note that `sbrk(0)`, or in dlmalloc-ese `CALL_MORECORE(0)`, is specifically
// not used here. That captures the current size of the heap but is only
// correct if the we're the first to try to grow the heap. If the heap has
// grown elsewhere, such as a different allocator in place, then this would
// incorrectly claim such memroy as our own.
char *end = &__heap_end;
if (end == NULL)
end = (char*) page_align((size_t) base);
size_t initial_heap_size = end - base;

/* Check that initial heap is long enough to serve a minimal allocation request. */
if (initial_heap_size <= MIN_CHUNK_SIZE + TOP_FOOT_SIZE + MALLOC_ALIGNMENT) {
return;
}

/* Initialize mstate. */
ensure_initialization();

/* Initialize the dlmalloc internal state. */
gm->least_addr = base;
gm->seg.base = base;
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