Re: [kernel-hardening] [PATCH 0/7] introduce __ro_mostly_after_init section marker

From: Ho-Eun Ryu
Date: Tue Feb 21 2017 - 01:11:41 EST



> On 20 Feb 2017, at 7:02 PM, Mark Rutland <mark.rutland@xxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> On Sun, Feb 19, 2017 at 07:03:38PM +0900, Hoeun Ryu wrote:
>> After `__ro_after_init` marker is included in kernel, many kernel data
>> objects can be read-only-after-init. But there are many other places that
>> would be good to read-only-after-init but `__ro_after_init` can not be simply
>> applicable to them because they should be writable at some points, which are
>> during module_init/exit or dynamic de/registration for a specific subsystem.
>
> Could you elaborate on this?
>
> For modules, I assume that the __ro_after_init data structures are part
> of the module, and not part of the "real" kernel image. Is that the case?
>

__ro_mostly_after_init is for kernel builtin core subsystems, not for modules themselves.
The section can be writable only during kernel init and module_init/exit.
Some hooks (or array of hooks) of a core subsystem can be marked as __ro_mostly_after_init
similar to that way of __ro_after_init. After that some modules that may write to those hooks of
the subsystem to register/deregister something to the subsystem can safely access those section.
Please see RFC 3/7 that makes this section writable.

In addition, some subsystems may use this marker for their (array of) hooks and make them writable
only at some point of time via set_ro_mostly_after_init_rw/ro pair.
please read RFC 4/7 for selinux.

> Which specific subsystems whish to modify data structures that are
> __ro_after_init?

Iâm not intending to make writable __ro_after_init section but introducing new section marker
that works mostly like __ro_after_init but can be written to at some points.
please see RFC 5/7 for cpuhotplug.

>
> This sounds like the proposed mostly-ro/rarely-rw stuff would be a
> better fit for that case.
>
> Thanks,
> Mark.
>
>> `__ro_mostly_after_init` is basically the same to `__ro_after_init`. The
>> section is mapped as read-only after kernel init. The different thing is
>> this section is temporarily mapped as read-write during module_init/exit and
>> de/registration of a subsystem using set_ro_mostly_after_init_rw/ro pair.
>>
>> - Tested only on arm64.
>>
>> Description:
>> 0001 patch is `__ro_mostly_after_init` itself.
>> 0002 patch is to add set_ro_mostly_after_init_rw/ro pair using
>> set_memory_rw/ro.
>> 0003 patch is to make the section read-write in module_init/exit.
>> 0004 patch is an example for dynamic init/deinit of a subsystem.
>> 0005 patch is an example for __ro_mostly_after_init section modified during
>> module_init/exit.
>> 0006/0007 patches are fixes for arm64 kernel mapping.
>>
>> Hoeun Ryu (7):
>> arch: add __ro_mostly_after_init section marker
>> init: add set_ro_mostly_after_init_rw/ro function
>> module: modify memory attrs for __ro_mostly_after_init during
>> module_init/exit
>> selinux: mark __ro_mostly_after_init for selinux_hooks/selinux_nf_ops
>> cpu: mark ro_mostly_after_init for cpuhp_ap/bp_states
>> arm64: add __map_kernel_segment to accept additional vm flags
>> arm64: map seperately rodata sections for __ro_mostly_after_init
>> section
>>
>> arch/arm64/mm/mmu.c | 44 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++-------
>> include/asm-generic/sections.h | 1 +
>> include/asm-generic/vmlinux.lds.h | 10 +++++++++
>> include/linux/cache.h | 11 ++++++++++
>> include/linux/init.h | 6 ++++++
>> init/main.c | 24 +++++++++++++++++++++
>> kernel/cpu.c | 4 ++--
>> kernel/module.c | 10 +++++++--
>> security/selinux/hooks.c | 8 +++++--
>> 9 files changed, 105 insertions(+), 13 deletions(-)
>>
>> --
>> 2.7.4
>>