i386 singlestep is borken

From: Chuck Ebbert
Date: Thu Feb 16 2006 - 05:59:13 EST


Playing around with singlestep on i386, I found this:

1. User sets TF and starts to singlestep through code,
handling SIGTRAPS as they occur.

2. Makes vsyscall; debug trap occurs in kernel mode and TF
is cleared. TIF_SINGLESTEP gets set so kernel will remember
to re-enable TF on return to user. But when user eflags
is saved on the stack, TF has already been cleared.

3. When user gets control back, TF is not re-enabled.

4. Even after user clears TF, TIF_SINGLESTEP remains set
for that thread.

None of this happens when using int80 because the flag
is cleared and re-enabled by the interrupt handler.
TIF_SINGLESTEP never gets set and doesn't need to be.

--
Chuck
"Equations are the Devil's sentences." --Stephen Colbert

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