Multiple mutexes used with same condition variable

Threads using different mutexes when concurrently waiting on the same condition variable is undefined behavior

Since R2020a

Description

This checker is deactivated in a default Polyspace^® as You Code analysis. See Checkers Deactivated in Polyspace as You Code Analysis (Polyspace Access).

This defect occurs when multiple threads use more than one mutex to concurrently wait on the same condition variable. A thread waits on a condition variable by calling the functions pthread_cond_timedwait or pthread_cond_wait. These functions take a condition variable and a locked mutex as arguments, and the condition variable is bound to that mutex when the thread waits on the condition variable.

The checkers flags the use of pthread_cond_timedwait or pthread_cond_wait in one of the threads. See the Event column in the Results Details pane to view the threads waiting on the same condition variable and using a different mutex.

Risk

When a thread waits on a condition variable using a mutex, the condition variable is bound to that mutex. Any other thread using a different mutex to wait on the same condition variable is undefined behavior according to the POSIX standard.

Fix

Use the same mutex argument for pthread_cond_timedwait or pthread_cond_wait when threads are concurrently waiting on the same condition variable, or use separate condition variables for each mutex.

Examples

expand all

Concurrent Waiting on Condition Variable with Multiple Mutexes

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <unistd.h>
#include <pthread.h>
#define Thrd_return_t                    void *
#define __USE_XOPEN2K8



#define COUNT_LIMIT 5

static void fatal_error(void)
{
    exit(1);
}


pthread_mutex_t mutex1;
pthread_mutex_t mutex2;
pthread_mutex_t mutex3;
pthread_cond_t cv;

int count1 = 0, count2 = 0, count3 = 0;
#define DELAY 8

Thrd_return_t waiter1(void* arg)
{
    int ret;
    while (count1 < COUNT_LIMIT) {
        if ((ret = pthread_mutex_lock(&mutex1)) != 0) {
            /* Handle error */
            fatal_error();
        }
        if ((ret =
                 pthread_cond_wait(&cv, &mutex1)) != 0) {
            /* Handle error */
            fatal_error();
        }
        sleep(random() % DELAY);
        printf("count1 = %d\n", ++count1);
        if ((ret = pthread_mutex_unlock(&mutex1)) != 0) {
            /* Handle error */
            fatal_error();
        }
    }
    return (Thrd_return_t)0;
}

Thrd_return_t waiter2(void* arg)
{
    int ret;
    while (count2 < COUNT_LIMIT) {
        if ((ret = pthread_mutex_lock(&mutex2)) != 0) {
            /* Handle error */
            fatal_error();
        }
        if ((ret =
                 pthread_cond_wait(&cv, &mutex2)) != 0) {
            /* Handle error */
            fatal_error();
        }
        sleep(random() % DELAY);
        printf("count2 = %d\n", ++count2);
        if ((ret = pthread_mutex_unlock(&mutex2)) != 0) {
            /* Handle error */
            fatal_error();
        }
    }
    return (Thrd_return_t)0;
}

Thrd_return_t signaler(void* arg)
{
    int ret;
    while ((count1 < COUNT_LIMIT) || (count2 < COUNT_LIMIT)) {
        sleep(1);
        printf("signaling\n");
        if ((ret = pthread_cond_broadcast(&cv)) != 0) {
            /* Handle error */
            fatal_error();
        }
    }
    return (Thrd_return_t)0;
}

Thrd_return_t waiter3(void* arg)
{
    int ret;
    while (count3 % COUNT_LIMIT != 0) {
        if ((ret = pthread_mutex_lock(&mutex3)) != 0) {
            /* Handle error */
            fatal_error();
        }
        if ((ret =
                 pthread_cond_wait(&cv, &mutex3)) != 0) {
            /* Handle error */
            fatal_error();
        }
        sleep(random() % DELAY);
        printf("count3 = %d\n", ++count3);
        if ((ret = pthread_mutex_unlock(&mutex3)) != 0) {
            /* Handle error */
            fatal_error();
        }
    }
    return (Thrd_return_t)0;
}

int main(void)
{
    int ret;
    pthread_t thread1, thread2, thread3;

    pthread_mutexattr_t attr;

    if ((ret = pthread_mutexattr_init(&attr)) != 0) {
        /* Handle error */
        fatal_error();
    }
    if ((ret = pthread_mutexattr_settype(&attr, PTHREAD_MUTEX_ERRORCHECK)) != 0) {
        /* Handle error */
        fatal_error();
    }

    if ((ret = pthread_mutex_init(&mutex1, &attr)) != 0) {
        /* Handle error */
        fatal_error();
    }
    if ((ret = pthread_mutex_init(&mutex2, &attr)) != 0) {
        /* Handle error */
        fatal_error();
    }
    if ((ret = pthread_mutex_init(&mutex3, &attr)) != 0) {
        /* Handle error */
        fatal_error();
    }
    if ((ret = pthread_cond_init(&cv, NULL)) != 0) {
        /* handle error */
        fatal_error();
    }
    if ((ret = pthread_create(&thread1, NULL, &waiter1, NULL))) {
        /* Handle error */
        fatal_error();
    }
    if ((ret = pthread_create(&thread2, NULL, &waiter2, NULL))) {
        /* handle error */
        fatal_error();
    }
    if ((ret = pthread_create(&thread3, NULL, &signaler, NULL))) {
        /* Handle error */
        fatal_error();
    }
    if ((ret = pthread_join(thread1, NULL)) != 0) {
        /* Handle error */
        fatal_error();
    }
    if ((ret = pthread_join(thread2, NULL)) != 0) {
        /* Handle error */
        fatal_error();
    }
    if ((ret = pthread_join(thread3, NULL)) != 0) {
        /* Handle error */
        fatal_error();
    }

    while (1) { ; }

    return 0;
}

In this example, a different mutex is used to protect each count variable. Since all three waiter functions wait on the same condition variable cv with different mutexes, the call to pthread_cond_wait will succeed for one of the threads and the call will be undefined for the other two.

The checker raises a defect for function waiter3 even though the function is not invoked directly or indirectly by a thread, entry-point, or interrupt. The analysis considers function waiter3 called by the main program through its function address or an unidentified thread whose creation is the missing source code.

Correction — Use the Same Mutex for All Threads Waiting on Same Condition Variable

One possible correction is to pass the same mutex argument to all the call to pthread_cond_wait that are used to wait on the same condition variable.

 #include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <unistd.h>
#include <pthread.h>
#define Thrd_return_t                    void *
#define __USE_XOPEN2K8



#define COUNT_LIMIT 5

static void fatal_error(void)
{
    exit(1);
}


pthread_mutex_t mutex;

pthread_cond_t cv;

int count1 = 0, count2 = 0, count3 = 0;
#define DELAY 8

Thrd_return_t waiter1(void* arg)
{
    int ret;
    while (count1 < COUNT_LIMIT) {
        if ((ret = pthread_mutex_lock(&mutex)) != 0) {
            /* Handle error */
            fatal_error();
        }
        if ((ret =
                 pthread_cond_wait(&cv, &mutex)) != 0) {
            /* Handle error */
            fatal_error();
        }
        sleep(random() % DELAY);
        printf("count1 = %d\n", ++count1);
        if ((ret = pthread_mutex_unlock(&mutex)) != 0) {
            /* Handle error */
            fatal_error();
        }
    }
    return (Thrd_return_t)0;
}

Thrd_return_t waiter2(void* arg)
{
    int ret;
    while (count2 < COUNT_LIMIT) {
        if ((ret = pthread_mutex_lock(&mutex)) != 0) {
            /* Handle error */
            fatal_error();
        }
        if ((ret =
                 pthread_cond_wait(&cv, &mutex)) != 0) {
            /* Handle error */
            fatal_error();
        }
        sleep(random() % DELAY);
        printf("count2 = %d\n", ++count2);
        if ((ret = pthread_mutex_unlock(&mutex)) != 0) {
            /* Handle error */
            fatal_error();
        }
    }
    return (Thrd_return_t)0;
}

Thrd_return_t signaler(void* arg)
{
    int ret;
    while ((count1 < COUNT_LIMIT) || (count2 < COUNT_LIMIT)) {
        sleep(1);
        printf("signaling\n");
        if ((ret = pthread_cond_broadcast(&cv)) != 0) {
            /* Handle error */
            fatal_error();
        }
    }
    return (Thrd_return_t)0;
}

Thrd_return_t waiter3(void* arg)
{
    int ret;
    while (count3 % COUNT_LIMIT != 0) {
        if ((ret = pthread_mutex_lock(&mutex)) != 0) {
            /* Handle error */
            fatal_error();
        }
        if ((ret =
                 pthread_cond_wait(&cv, &mutex)) != 0) {
            /* Handle error */
            fatal_error();
        }
        sleep(random() % DELAY);
        printf("count3 = %d\n", ++count3);
        if ((ret = pthread_mutex_unlock(&mutex)) != 0) {
            /* Handle error */
            fatal_error();
        }
    }
    return (Thrd_return_t)0;
}
/* 
void user_task(void)
{
    (void)waiter3(NULL);
} */

int main(void)
{
    int ret;
    pthread_t thread1, thread2, thread3;

    pthread_mutexattr_t attr;

    if ((ret = pthread_mutexattr_init(&attr)) != 0) {
        /* Handle error */
        fatal_error();
    }
    if ((ret = pthread_mutexattr_settype(&attr, PTHREAD_MUTEX_ERRORCHECK)) != 0) {
        /* Handle error */
        fatal_error();
    }

    if ((ret = pthread_mutex_init(&mutex, &attr)) != 0) {
        /* Handle error */
        fatal_error();
    }
    if ((ret = pthread_mutex_init(&mutex, &attr)) != 0) {
        /* Handle error */
        fatal_error();
    }
    if ((ret = pthread_mutex_init(&mutex, &attr)) != 0) {
        /* Handle error */
        fatal_error();
    }
    if ((ret = pthread_cond_init(&cv, NULL)) != 0) {
        /* handle error */
        fatal_error();
    }
    if ((ret = pthread_create(&thread1, NULL, &waiter1, NULL))) {
        /* Handle error */
        fatal_error();
    }
    if ((ret = pthread_create(&thread2, NULL, &waiter2, NULL))) {
        /* handle error */
        fatal_error();
    }
    if ((ret = pthread_create(&thread3, NULL, &signaler, NULL))) {
        /* Handle error */
        fatal_error();
    }
    if ((ret = pthread_join(thread1, NULL)) != 0) {
        /* Handle error */
        fatal_error();
    }
    if ((ret = pthread_join(thread2, NULL)) != 0) {
        /* Handle error */
        fatal_error();
    }
    if ((ret = pthread_join(thread3, NULL)) != 0) {
        /* Handle error */
        fatal_error();
    }

    while (1) { ; }

    return 0;
}

Result Information

Group: Concurrency

Language: C | C++

Default: Off

Command-Line Syntax: MULTI_MUTEX_WITH_ONE_COND_VAR

Impact: Medium

Version History

Introduced in R2020a