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In order to improve the efficiency on how chunks are stored every chunk is not just in one linked list, but there are several types. These are the bins and there are 5 type of bins: [62](https://sourceware.org/git/gitweb.cgi?p=glibc.git;a=blob;f=malloc/malloc.c;h=6e766d11bc85b6480fa5c9f2a76559f8acf9deb5;hb=HEAD#l1407) small bins, 63 large bins, 1 unsorted bin, 10 fast bins and 64 tcache bins per thread.
The initial address to each unsorted, small and large bins is inside the same array. The index 0 is unused, 1 is the unsorted bin, bins 2-64 are small bins and bins 65-127 are large bins.
Even though threads try to have their own heap (see [Arenas](bins-and-memory-allocations.md#arenas) and [Subheaps](bins-and-memory-allocations.md#subheaps)), there is the possibility that a process with a lot of threads (like a web server) **will end sharing the heap with another threads**. In this case, the main solution is the use of **lockers**, which might **slow down significantly the threads**.
Therefore, a tcache is similar to a fast bin per thread in the way that it's a **single linked list** that doesn't merge chunks. Each thread has **64 singly-linked tcache bins**. Each bin can have a maximum of [7 same-size chunks](https://sourceware.org/git/?p=glibc.git;a=blob;f=malloc/malloc.c;h=2527e2504761744df2bdb1abdc02d936ff907ad2;hb=d5c3fafc4307c9b7a4c7d5cb381fcdbfad340bcc#l323) ranging from [24 to 1032B on 64-bit systems and 12 to 516B on 32-bit systems](https://sourceware.org/git/?p=glibc.git;a=blob;f=malloc/malloc.c;h=2527e2504761744df2bdb1abdc02d936ff907ad2;hb=d5c3fafc4307c9b7a4c7d5cb381fcdbfad340bcc#l315).
**When a thread frees** a chunk, **if it isn't too big** to be allocated in the tcache and the respective tcache bin **isn't full** (already 7 chunks), **it'll be allocated in there**. If it cannot go to the tcache, it'll need to wait for the heap lock to be able to perform the free operation globally.
When a **chunk is allocated**, if there is a free chunk of the needed size in the **Tcache it'll use it**, if not, it'll need to wait for the heap lock to be able to find one in the global bins or create a new one.\
There's also an optimization, in this case, while having the heap lock, the thread **will fill his Tcache with heap chunks (7) of the requested size**, so in case it needs more, it'll find them in Tcache.
In the following code it's possible to see the **max bins** and **chunks per index**, the **`tcache_entry`** struct created to avoid double frees and **`tcache_perthread_struct`**, a struct that each thread uses to store the addresses to each index of the bin.
<details>
<summary><code>tcache_entry</code> and <code>tcache_perthread_struct</code></summary>
```c
// From https://github.com/bminor/glibc/blob/f942a732d37a96217ef828116ebe64a644db18d7/malloc/malloc.c
/* We want 64 entries. This is an arbitrary limit, which tunables can reduce. */
The tcache have several bins depending on the size an the initial pointers to the **first chunk of each index and the amount of chunks per index are located inside a chunk**. This means that locating the chunk with this information (usually the first), it's possible to find all the tcache initial points and the amount of Tcache chunks.
Fast bins are designed to **speed up memory allocation for small chunks** by keeping recently freed chunks in a quick-access structure. These bins use a Last-In, First-Out (LIFO) approach, which means that the **most recently freed chunk is the first** to be reused when there's a new allocation request. This behaviour is advantageous for speed, as it's faster to insert and remove from the top of a stack (LIFO) compared to a queue (FIFO).
Additionally, **fast bins use singly linked lists**, not double linked, which further improves speed. Since chunks in fast bins aren't merged with neighbours, there's no need for a complex structure that allows removal from the middle. A singly linked list is simpler and quicker for these operations.
Basically, what happens here is that the header (the pointer to the first chunk to check) is always pointing to the latest freed chunk of that size. So:
* When a new chunk is allocated of that size, the header is pointing to a free chunk to use. As this free chunk is pointing to the next one to use, this address is stored in the header so the next allocation knows where to get an available chunk
* When a chunk is freed, the free chunk will save the address to the current available chunk and the address to this newly freed chunk will be put in the header
The maximum size of a linked list is `0x80` and they are organized so a chunk of size `0x20` will be in index `0`, a chunk of size `0x30` would be in index `1`...
Chunks in fast bins aren't set as available so they are keep as fast bin chunks for some time instead of being able to merge with other free chunks surrounding them.
{% endhint %}
```c
// From https://github.com/bminor/glibc/blob/a07e000e82cb71238259e674529c37c12dc7d423/malloc/malloc.c#L1711
/*
Fastbins
An array of lists holding recently freed small chunks. Fastbins
are not doubly linked. It is faster to single-link them, and
since chunks are never removed from the middles of these lists,
double linking is not necessary. Also, unlike regular bins, they
are not even processed in FIFO order (they use faster LIFO) since
ordering doesn't much matter in the transient contexts in which
fastbins are normally used.
Chunks in fastbins keep their inuse bit set, so they cannot
be consolidated with other free chunks. malloc_consolidate
releases all chunks in fastbins and consolidates them with
Compile it and debug it with a breakpoint in the `ret` opcode from `main` function. then with `gef` you can see that the tcache bin is full and one chunk is in the fast bin:
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Fastbins for arena at 0xfffff7f90b00 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
The unsorted bin is a **cache** used by the heap manager to make memory allocation quicker. Here's how it works: When a program frees a chunk, and if this chunk cannot be allocated in a tcache or fast bin and is not colliding with the top chunk, the heap manager doesn't immediately put it in a specific small or large bin. Instead, it first tries to **merge it with any neighbouring free chunks** to create a larger block of free memory. Then, it places this new chunk in a general bin called the "unsorted bin."
When a program **asks for memory**, the heap manager **checks the unsorted bin** to see if there's a chunk of enough size. If it finds one, it uses it right away. If it doesn't find a suitable chunk in the unsorted bin, it moves all the chunks in this list to their corresponding bins, either small or large, based on their size.
So, the unsorted bin is a way to speed up memory allocation by quickly reusing recently freed memory and reducing the need for time-consuming searches and merges.
Note that even if chunks are of different categories, if an available chunk is colliding with another available chunk (even if they belong originally to different bins), they will be merged.
Note how we allocate and free 9 chunks of the same size so they **fill the tcache** and the eight one is stored in the unsorted bin because it's **too big for the fastbin** and the nineth one isn't freed so the nineth and the eighth **don't get merged with the top chunk**.
Compile it and debug it with a breakpoint in the `ret` opcode from `main` function. Then with `gef` you can see that the tcache bin is full and one chunk is in the unsorted bin:
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Fastbins for arena at 0xfffff7f90b00 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Fastbins[idx=0, size=0x20] 0x00
Fastbins[idx=1, size=0x30] 0x00
Fastbins[idx=2, size=0x40] 0x00
Fastbins[idx=3, size=0x50] 0x00
Fastbins[idx=4, size=0x60] 0x00
Fastbins[idx=5, size=0x70] 0x00
Fastbins[idx=6, size=0x80] 0x00
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Unsorted Bin for arena at 0xfffff7f90b00 ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Each bin of the 62 will have **chunks of the same size**: 16, 24, ... (with a max size of 504 bytes in 32bits and 1024 in 64bits). This helps in the speed on finding the bin where a space should be allocated and inserting and removing of entries on these lists.
if (chunks[i] == NULL) { // Check if malloc failed
fprintf(stderr, "Memory allocation failed at iteration %d\n", i);
return 1;
}
printf("Address of chunk %d: %p\n", i, (void *)chunks[i]);
}
// Loop to free the allocated memory
for (i = 0; i <8;i++){
free(chunks[i]);
}
chunks[9] = malloc(0x110);
return 0;
}
```
Note how we allocate and free 9 chunks of the same size so they **fill the tcache** and the eight one is stored in the unsorted bin because it's **too big for the fastbin** and the ninth one isn't freed so the ninth and the eights **don't get merged with the top chunk**. Then we allocate a bigger chunk of 0x110 which makes **the chunk in the unsorted bin goes to the small bin**.
Compile it and debug it with a breakpoint in the `ret` opcode from `main` function. then with `gef` you can see that the tcache bin is full and one chunk is in the small bin:
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Fastbins for arena at 0xfffff7f90b00 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Fastbins[idx=0, size=0x20] 0x00
Fastbins[idx=1, size=0x30] 0x00
Fastbins[idx=2, size=0x40] 0x00
Fastbins[idx=3, size=0x50] 0x00
Fastbins[idx=4, size=0x60] 0x00
Fastbins[idx=5, size=0x70] 0x00
Fastbins[idx=6, size=0x80] 0x00
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Unsorted Bin for arena at 0xfffff7f90b00 ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
[+] Found 0 chunks in unsorted bin.
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Small Bins for arena at 0xfffff7f90b00 ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Unlike small bins, which manage chunks of fixed sizes, each **large bin handle a range of chunk sizes**. This is more flexible, allowing the system to accommodate **various sizes** without needing a separate bin for each size.
In a memory allocator, large bins start where small bins end. The ranges for large bins grow progressively larger, meaning the first bin might cover chunks from 512 to 576 bytes, while the next covers 576 to 640 bytes. This pattern continues, with the largest bin containing all chunks above 1MB.
Large bins are slower to operate compared to small bins because they must **sort and search through a list of varying chunk sizes to find the best fit** for an allocation. When a chunk is inserted into a large bin, it has to be sorted, and when memory is allocated, the system must find the right chunk. This extra work makes them **slower**, but since large allocations are less common than small ones, it's an acceptable trade-off.
There are:
* 32 bins of 64B range (collide with small bins)
* 16 bins of 512B range (collide with small bins)
* 8bins of 4096B range (part collide with small bins)
2 large allocations are performed, then on is freed (putting it in the unsorted bin) and a bigger allocation in made (moving the free one from the usorted bin ro the large bin).
Compile it and debug it with a breakpoint in the `ret` opcode from `main` function. then with `gef` you can see that the tcache bin is full and one chunk is in the large bin:
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Tcachebins for thread 1 ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
All tcachebins are empty
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Fastbins for arena at 0xfffff7f90b00 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Fastbins[idx=0, size=0x20] 0x00
Fastbins[idx=1, size=0x30] 0x00
Fastbins[idx=2, size=0x40] 0x00
Fastbins[idx=3, size=0x50] 0x00
Fastbins[idx=4, size=0x60] 0x00
Fastbins[idx=5, size=0x70] 0x00
Fastbins[idx=6, size=0x80] 0x00
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Unsorted Bin for arena at 0xfffff7f90b00 ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
[+] Found 0 chunks in unsorted bin.
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Small Bins for arena at 0xfffff7f90b00 ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
[+] Found 0 chunks in 0 small non-empty bins.
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Large Bins for arena at 0xfffff7f90b00 ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
// From https://github.com/bminor/glibc/blob/a07e000e82cb71238259e674529c37c12dc7d423/malloc/malloc.c#L1711
/*
Top
The top-most available chunk (i.e., the one bordering the end of
available memory) is treated specially. It is never included in
any bin, is used only if no other chunk is available, and is
released back to the system if it is very large (see
M_TRIM_THRESHOLD). Because top initially
points to its own bin with initial zero size, thus forcing
extension on the first malloc request, we avoid having any special
code in malloc to check whether it even exists yet. But we still
need to do so when getting memory from system, so we make
initial_top treat the bin as a legal but unusable chunk during the
interval between initialization and the first call to
sysmalloc. (This is somewhat delicate, since it relies on
the 2 preceding words to be zero during this interval as well.)
*/
/* Conveniently, the unsorted bin can be used as dummy top on first call */
#define initial_top(M) (unsorted_chunks (M))
```
Basically, this is a chunk containing all the currently available heap. When a malloc is performed, if there isn't any available free chunk to use, this top chunk will be reducing its size giving the necessary space.\
The pointer to the Top Chunk is stored in the `malloc_state` struct.
Moreover, at the beginning, it's possible to use the unsorted chunk as the top chunk.
After compiling and debugging it with a break point in the `ret` opcode of `main` I saw that the malloc returned the address `0xaaaaaaac12a0` and these are the chunks:
Where it can be seen that the top chunk is at address `0xaaaaaaac1ae0`. This is no surprise because the last allocated chunk was in `0xaaaaaaac12a0` with a size of `0x410` and `0xaaaaaaac12a0 + 0x410 = 0xaaaaaaac1ae0` .\
When malloc is used and a chunk is divided (from the unsorted bin or from the top chunk for example), the chunk created from the rest of the divided chunk is called Last Remainder and it's pointer is stored in the `malloc_state` struct.
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