[PATCH v4] RO/NX protection for loadable kernel modules

From: Siarhei Liakh
Date: Tue Jul 07 2009 - 20:47:54 EST


This patch is a logical extension of the protection provided by
CONFIG_DEBUG_RODATA to LKMs. The protection is provided by splitting
module_core and module_init into three logical parts each and setting
appropriate page access permissions for each individual section:

1. Code: RO+X
2. RO data: RO+NX
3. RW data: RW+NX

In order to achieve proper protection, layout_sections() have been
modified to align each of the three parts mentioned above onto page
boundary. Next, the corresponding page access permissions are set
right before successful exit from load_module(). Further, free_module()
and sys_init_module have been modified to set module_core and
module_init as RW+NX right before calling module_free().

By default, the original section layout is preserved and RO/NX is
enforced only for whole pages of same content.
However, when compiled with CONFIG_DEBUG_RODATA=y, the patch
will page-align each group of sections to ensure that each page contains
only one type of content mentioned above.

v1: Initial proof-of concept patch.

v2: The patch have been re-written to reduce the number of #ifdefs and
to make it architecture-agnostic. Code formatting have been corrected also.

v3: Opportunistic RO/NX protectiuon is now unconditional. Section
page-alignment is enabled when CONFIG_DEBUG_RODATA=y.

v4: Removed most macros and improved coding style.

The patch have been developed for Linux 2.6.30 by Siarhei Liakh
<sliakh.lkml@xxxxxxxxx> and Xuxian Jiang <jiang@xxxxxxxxxxx>.

---

Signed-off-by: Siarhei Liakh <sliakh.lkml@xxxxxxxxx>
Signed-off-by: Xuxian Jiang <jiang@xxxxxxxxxxx>

diff --git a/include/linux/module.h b/include/linux/module.h
index 627ac08..5ba770e 100644
--- a/include/linux/module.h
+++ b/include/linux/module.h
@@ -293,6 +293,9 @@ struct module
/* The size of the executable code in each section. */
unsigned int init_text_size, core_text_size;

+ /* Size of RO sections of the module (text+rodata) */
+ unsigned int init_ro_size, core_ro_size;
+
/* Arch-specific module values */
struct mod_arch_specific arch;

diff --git a/kernel/module.c b/kernel/module.c
index e797812..3a995db 100644
--- a/kernel/module.c
+++ b/kernel/module.c
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@
#include <linux/ftrace.h>
#include <linux/async.h>
#include <linux/percpu.h>
+#include <linux/pfn.h>

#if 0
#define DEBUGP printk
@@ -63,6 +64,22 @@
#define ARCH_SHF_SMALL 0
#endif

+/* Modules' sections will be aligned on page boundaries
+ * to ensure complete separation of code and data, but
+ * only when CONFIG_DEBUG_RODATA=y */
+#ifdef CONFIG_DEBUG_RODATA
+#define debug_align(X) ALIGN(X, PAGE_SIZE)
+#else
+#define debug_align(X) (X)
+#endif
+
+/* Given BASE and SIZE this macro calculates the number of pages the
+ * memory regions occupies */
+#define NUMBER_OF_PAGES(BASE, SIZE) ((SIZE > 0) ? \
+ (PFN_DOWN((unsigned long)BASE + SIZE - 1) - \
+ PFN_DOWN((unsigned long)BASE) + 1) \
+ : (0UL))
+
/* If this is set, the section belongs in the init part of the module */
#define INIT_OFFSET_MASK (1UL << (BITS_PER_LONG-1))

@@ -1471,6 +1488,94 @@ static int __unlink_module(void *_mod)
return 0;
}

+/* LKM RO/NX protection: protect module's text/ro-data
+ * from modification and any data from execution.
+ * Siarhei Liakh, Xuxian Jiang */
+static void set_section_ro_nx(void *base,
+ unsigned long text_size,
+ unsigned long ro_size,
+ unsigned long total_size)
+{
+ /* begin and end addresses of the current subsection */
+ unsigned long begin_addr;
+ unsigned long end_addr;
+ unsigned long pg_count; /*number of pages that will be affectred*/
+
+ /* Initially, all module sections have RWX permissions*/
+
+ DEBUGP("PROTECTING MODULE SECTION: 0x%lx\n"
+ " text size: %lu\n"
+ " ro size: %lu\n"
+ " total size: %lu\n",
+ base, text_size, ro_size, total_size);
+
+ /* Set RO for module text and RO-data*/
+ if (ro_size > 0) {
+ begin_addr = (unsigned long) base;
+ end_addr = begin_addr + ro_size;
+
+ /*skip last page if end address is not page-aligned*/
+ if (!IS_ALIGNED(end_addr, PAGE_SIZE))
+ end_addr = ALIGN(end_addr - PAGE_SIZE, PAGE_SIZE);
+
+ /*Set text RO if there are still pages between begin and end*/
+ if (end_addr > begin_addr) {
+ pg_count = PFN_DOWN(end_addr - 1) -
+ PFN_DOWN(begin_addr) + 1;
+ DEBUGP(" RO: 0x%lx %lu\n", begin_addr, pg_count);
+ set_memory_ro(begin_addr, pg_count);
+ } else {
+ DEBUGP(" RO: less than a page, not enforcing.\n");
+ }
+ } else {
+ DEBUGP(" RO: section not present.\n");
+ }
+
+ /* Set NX permissions for module data */
+ if (total_size > text_size) {
+ begin_addr = (unsigned long) base + text_size;
+ end_addr = (unsigned long) base + total_size;
+
+ /*skip first page if beginning address is not page-aligned*/
+ begin_addr = PFN_UP(begin_addr) << PAGE_SHIFT;
+
+ /*Set data NX if there are still pages between begin and end*/
+ if (end_addr > begin_addr) {
+ pg_count = PFN_DOWN(end_addr - 1) -
+ PFN_DOWN(begin_addr) + 1;
+ DEBUGP(" NX: 0x%lx %lu\n", begin_addr, pg_count);
+ set_memory_nx(begin_addr, pg_count);
+ } else {
+ DEBUGP(" NX: less than a page, not enforcing.\n");
+ }
+ } else {
+ DEBUGP(" NX: section not present.\n");
+ }
+}
+
+/* Setting memory back to RW+NX before releasing it */
+void unset_section_ro_nx(struct module *mod, void *module_region)
+{
+ unsigned long total_pages;
+
+ if (mod->module_core == module_region) {
+ /* Set core as NX+RW */
+ total_pages = NUMBER_OF_PAGES(mod->module_core, mod->core_size);
+ DEBUGP("Restoring RW+NX for module's CORE: 0x%lx %lu\n",
+ (unsigned long)mod->module_core, total_pages);
+ set_memory_nx((unsigned long)mod->module_core, total_pages);
+ set_memory_rw((unsigned long)mod->module_core, total_pages);
+
+ } else if (mod->module_init == module_region) {
+ /* Set init as NX+RW */
+ total_pages = NUMBER_OF_PAGES(mod->module_init, mod->init_size);
+ DEBUGP("Restoring RW+NX for module's INIT: 0x%lx %lu\n",
+ (unsigned long)mod->module_init, total_pages);
+ set_memory_nx((unsigned long)mod->module_init, total_pages);
+ set_memory_rw((unsigned long)mod->module_init, total_pages);
+ }
+}
+
/* Free a module, remove from lists, etc (must hold module_mutex). */
static void free_module(struct module *mod)
{
@@ -1493,6 +1598,7 @@ static void free_module(struct module *mod)
ftrace_release(mod->module_core, mod->core_size);

/* This may be NULL, but that's OK */
+ unset_section_ro_nx(mod, mod->module_init);
module_free(mod, mod->module_init);
kfree(mod->args);
if (mod->percpu)
@@ -1505,6 +1611,7 @@ static void free_module(struct module *mod)
lockdep_free_key_range(mod->module_core, mod->core_size);

/* Finally, free the core (containing the module structure) */
+ unset_section_ro_nx(mod, mod->module_core);
module_free(mod, mod->module_core);
}

@@ -1678,8 +1785,20 @@ static void layout_sections(struct module *mod,
s->sh_entsize = get_offset(mod, &mod->core_size, s, i);
DEBUGP("\t%s\n", secstrings + s->sh_name);
}
- if (m == 0)
+ switch (m) {
+ case 0: /* executable */
+ mod->core_size = debug_align(mod->core_size);
mod->core_text_size = mod->core_size;
+ break;
+ case 1: /* RO: text and ro-data */
+ mod->core_size = debug_align(mod->core_size);
+ mod->core_ro_size = mod->core_size;
+ break;
+ case 3: /* whole module core (executable + RO data +
+ * RW data + small alloc) */
+ mod->core_size = debug_align(mod->core_size);
+ break;
+ }
}

DEBUGP("Init section allocation order:\n");
@@ -1696,8 +1815,20 @@ static void layout_sections(struct module *mod,
| INIT_OFFSET_MASK);
DEBUGP("\t%s\n", secstrings + s->sh_name);
}
- if (m == 0)
+ switch (m) {
+ case 0: /* executable */
+ mod->init_size = debug_align(mod->init_size);
mod->init_text_size = mod->init_size;
+ break;
+ case 1: /* RO: text and ro-data */
+ mod->init_size = debug_align(mod->init_size);
+ mod->init_ro_size = mod->init_size;
+ break;
+ case 3: /* whole module init (executable + RO data +
+ * RW data + small alloc) */
+ mod->init_size = debug_align(mod->init_size);
+ break;
+ }
}
}

@@ -2291,6 +2422,18 @@ static noinline struct module *load_module(void
__user *umod,
/* Get rid of temporary copy */
vfree(hdr);

+ /* Set RO and NX regions for core */
+ set_section_ro_nx(mod->module_core,
+ mod->core_text_size,
+ mod->core_ro_size,
+ mod->core_size);
+
+ /* Set RO and NX regions for init */
+ set_section_ro_nx(mod->module_init,
+ mod->init_text_size,
+ mod->init_ro_size,
+ mod->init_size);
+
/* Done! */
return mod;

@@ -2394,6 +2537,7 @@ SYSCALL_DEFINE3(init_module, void __user *, umod,
mutex_lock(&module_mutex);
/* Drop initial reference. */
module_put(mod);
+ unset_section_ro_nx(mod, mod->module_init);
module_free(mod, mod->module_init);
mod->module_init = NULL;
mod->init_size = 0;
--
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