A low-priority task holds a lock needed by a high-priority task, and a medium-priority task keeps preempting the low one. What is this problem called?
Correct answer C. Priority inversion
Explanation
In priority inversion a high-priority task is effectively delayed by a lower-priority one, because the lock holder cannot run while medium-priority work keeps preempting it. The standard fix is priority inheritance: the lock holder temporarily inherits the waiting task's high priority until it releases the lock. The Mars Pathfinder lander famously suffered resets from this bug.
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