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d13f7aef70
Warn about safety of `fetch_update`
Specifically as it relates to the ABA problem.
`fetch_update` is a useful function, and one that isn't provided by, say, C++. However, this does not mean the function is magic. It is implemented in terms of `compare_exchange_weak`, and in particular, suffers from the ABA problem. See the following code, which is a naive implementation of `pop` in a lock-free queue:
```rust
fn pop(&self) -> Option<i32> {
self.front.fetch_update(Ordering::Relaxed, Ordering::Acquire, |front| {
if front == ptr::null_mut() {
None
}
else {
Some(unsafe { (*front).next })
}
}.ok()
}
```
This code is unsound if called from multiple threads because of the ABA problem. Specifically, suppose nodes are allocated with `Box`. Suppose the following sequence happens:
```
Initial: Queue is X -> Y.
Thread A: Starts popping, is pre-empted.
Thread B: Pops successfully, twice, leaving the queue empty.
Thread C: Pushes, and `Box` returns X (very common for allocators)
Thread A: Wakes up, sees the head is still X, and stores Y as the new head.
```
But `Y` is deallocated. This is undefined behaviour.
Adding a note about this problem to `fetch_update` should hopefully prevent users from being misled, and also, a link to this common problem is, in my opinion, an improvement to our docs on atomics.
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