At update of non-LP_NORMAL TID, fail instead of corrupting page header.

nmisch · nmisch · commit dc02b98bd1c8 · 2025-01-25T11:28:19.000-08:00
The right mix of DDL and VACUUM could corrupt a catalog page header such that PageIsVerified() durably fails, requiring a restore from backup. This affects only catalogs that both have a syscache and have DDL code that uses syscache tuples to construct updates. One of the test permutations shows a variant not yet fixed. This makes !TransactionIdIsValid(TM_FailureData.xmax) possible with TM_Deleted. I think core and PGXN are indifferent to that. Per bug #17821 from Alexander Lakhin. Back-patch to v13 (all supported versions). The test case is v17+, since it uses INJECTION_POINT. Discussion: https://postgr.es/m/17821-dd8c334263399284@postgresql.org
diff --git a/src/backend/access/heap/heapam.c b/src/backend/access/heap/heapam.c
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@
 #include "utils/relcache.h"
 #include "utils/snapmgr.h"
 #include "utils/spccache.h"
+#include "utils/syscache.h"
 
 
 static HeapTuple heap_prepare_insert(Relation relation, HeapTuple tup,
@@ -3242,7 +3243,49 @@ heap_update(Relation relation, ItemPointer otid, HeapTuple newtup,
 	LockBuffer(buffer, BUFFER_LOCK_EXCLUSIVE);
 
 	lp = PageGetItemId(page, ItemPointerGetOffsetNumber(otid));
-	Assert(ItemIdIsNormal(lp));
+
+	/*
+	 * Usually, a buffer pin and/or snapshot blocks pruning of otid, ensuring
+	 * we see LP_NORMAL here.  When the otid origin is a syscache, we may have
+	 * neither a pin nor a snapshot.  Hence, we may see other LP_ states, each
+	 * of which indicates concurrent pruning.
+	 *
+	 * Failing with TM_Updated would be most accurate.  However, unlike other
+	 * TM_Updated scenarios, we don't know the successor ctid in LP_UNUSED and
+	 * LP_DEAD cases.  While the distinction between TM_Updated and TM_Deleted
+	 * does matter to SQL statements UPDATE and MERGE, those SQL statements
+	 * hold a snapshot that ensures LP_NORMAL.  Hence, the choice between
+	 * TM_Updated and TM_Deleted affects only the wording of error messages.
+	 * Settle on TM_Deleted, for two reasons.  First, it avoids complicating
+	 * the specification of when tmfd->ctid is valid.  Second, it creates
+	 * error log evidence that we took this branch.
+	 *
+	 * Since it's possible to see LP_UNUSED at otid, it's also possible to see
+	 * LP_NORMAL for a tuple that replaced LP_UNUSED.  If it's a tuple for an
+	 * unrelated row, we'll fail with "duplicate key value violates unique".
+	 * XXX if otid is the live, newer version of the newtup row, we'll discard
+	 * changes originating in versions of this catalog row after the version
+	 * the caller got from syscache.  See syscache-update-pruned.spec.
+	 */
+	if (!ItemIdIsNormal(lp))
+	{
+		Assert(RelationSupportsSysCache(RelationGetRelid(relation)));
+
+		UnlockReleaseBuffer(buffer);
+		Assert(!have_tuple_lock);
+		if (vmbuffer != InvalidBuffer)
+			ReleaseBuffer(vmbuffer);
+		tmfd->ctid = *otid;
+		tmfd->xmax = InvalidTransactionId;
+		tmfd->cmax = InvalidCommandId;
+
+		bms_free(hot_attrs);
+		bms_free(key_attrs);
+		bms_free(id_attrs);
+		/* modified_attrs not yet initialized */
+		bms_free(interesting_attrs);
+		return TM_Deleted;
+	}
 
 	/*
 	 * Fill in enough data in oldtup for HeapDetermineColumnsInfo to work
diff --git a/src/include/access/tableam.h b/src/include/access/tableam.h
@@ -113,7 +113,8 @@ typedef enum TM_Result
  *
  * xmax is the outdating transaction's XID.  If the caller wants to visit the
  * replacement tuple, it must check that this matches before believing the
- * replacement is really a match.
+ * replacement is really a match.  This is InvalidTransactionId if the target
+ * was !LP_NORMAL (expected only for a TID retrieved from syscache).
  *
  * cmax is the outdating command's CID, but only when the failure code is
  * TM_SelfModified (i.e., something in the current transaction outdated the

Original file line number	Diff line number	Diff line change
`@@ -113,7 +113,8 @@ typedef enum TM_Result`
`113`	`113`	`*`
`114`	`114`	`* xmax is the outdating transaction's XID. If the caller wants to visit the`
`115`	`115`	`* replacement tuple, it must check that this matches before believing the`
`116`		`- * replacement is really a match.`
	`116`	`+ * replacement is really a match. This is InvalidTransactionId if the target`
	`117`	`+ * was !LP_NORMAL (expected only for a TID retrieved from syscache).`
`117`	`118`	`*`
`118`	`119`	`* cmax is the outdating command's CID, but only when the failure code is`
`119`	`120`	`* TM_SelfModified (i.e., something in the current transaction outdated the`