Re: [PATCH v4 54/57] x86/mm: convert arch_within_stack_frames() to use the new unwinder

[Linus Torvalds]

On Mon, Aug 22, 2016 at 9:27 PM, Kees Cook <keescook@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> I need to re-check the copy_*_user changes, but on several
> architectures, the bounds checking is only triggered for non
> built-in-const sizes, so these kinds of pointless checks shouldn't
> happen.

They definitely happen at least on x86.

"stat()" is one common user of fixed-sized structures being copied.
There are tons of others, but 'stat()' is the one I've seen in my
profiles before as being noticeable. It's been critical enough that I
have occasionally tried to play with making it avoid the "copy to
temporary struct, then copy_to_user() the whole struct" and just do it
field-by-field. But it gets nasty with the padding fields etc, so it's
never been done.

Not doing the access size checks for constant-sized copies (at least
when they are "sufficiently small" constants) would probably be the
right thing to do, and then depend on gcc just getting the static case
right warning-wise. Which isn't apparently getting done right now
either, but oh well..

            Linus