[PATCH 4/5] x86/its: explicitly manage permissions for ITS pages

From: Mike Rapoport
Date: Tue Jun 03 2025 - 07:16:11 EST


From: "Peter Zijlstra (Intel)" <peterz@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>

execmem_alloc() sets permissions differently depending on the kernel
configuration, CPU support for PSE and whether a page is allocated
before or after mark_rodata_ro().

Add tracking for pages allocated for ITS when patching the core kernel
and make sure the permissions for ITS pages are explicitly managed for
both kernel and module allocations.

Fixes: 872df34d7c51 ("x86/its: Use dynamic thunks for indirect branches")
Signed-off-by: Peter Zijlstra (Intel) <peterz@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Co-developed-by: Mike Rapoport (Microsoft) <rppt@xxxxxxxxxx>
Signed-off-by: Mike Rapoport (Microsoft) <rppt@xxxxxxxxxx>
---
arch/x86/kernel/alternative.c | 84 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++---------
1 file changed, 63 insertions(+), 21 deletions(-)

diff --git a/arch/x86/kernel/alternative.c b/arch/x86/kernel/alternative.c
index 372ef5dff631..8289e9e1f954 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kernel/alternative.c
+++ b/arch/x86/kernel/alternative.c
@@ -138,6 +138,25 @@ static struct module *its_mod;
#endif
static void *its_page;
static unsigned int its_offset;
+struct its_array its_pages;
+
+static void *__its_alloc(struct its_array *pages)
+{
+ void *page __free(execmem) = execmem_alloc(EXECMEM_MODULE_TEXT, PAGE_SIZE);
+
+ if (!page)
+ return NULL;
+
+ void *tmp = krealloc(pages->pages, (pages->num+1) * sizeof(void *),
+ GFP_KERNEL);
+ if (!tmp)
+ return NULL;
+
+ pages->pages = tmp;
+ pages->pages[pages->num++] = page;
+
+ return no_free_ptr(page);
+}

/* Initialize a thunk with the "jmp *reg; int3" instructions. */
static void *its_init_thunk(void *thunk, int reg)
@@ -173,6 +192,21 @@ static void *its_init_thunk(void *thunk, int reg)
return thunk + offset;
}

+static void its_pages_protect(struct its_array *pages)
+{
+ for (int i = 0; i < pages->num; i++) {
+ void *page = pages->pages[i];
+ execmem_restore_rox(page, PAGE_SIZE);
+ }
+}
+
+static void its_fini_core(void)
+{
+ if (IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_STRICT_KERNEL_RWX))
+ its_pages_protect(&its_pages);
+ kfree(its_pages.pages);
+}
+
#ifdef CONFIG_MODULES
void its_init_mod(struct module *mod)
{
@@ -195,10 +229,8 @@ void its_fini_mod(struct module *mod)
its_page = NULL;
mutex_unlock(&text_mutex);

- for (int i = 0; i < mod->arch.its_pages.num; i++) {
- void *page = mod->arch.its_pages.pages[i];
- execmem_restore_rox(page, PAGE_SIZE);
- }
+ if (IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_STRICT_MODULE_RWX))
+ its_pages_protect(&mod->arch.its_pages);
}

void its_free_mod(struct module *mod)
@@ -212,32 +244,38 @@ void its_free_mod(struct module *mod)
}
kfree(mod->arch.its_pages.pages);
}
-#endif /* CONFIG_MODULES */

-static void *its_alloc(void)
+static void *its_alloc_mod(void)
{
- void *page __free(execmem) = execmem_alloc(EXECMEM_MODULE_TEXT, PAGE_SIZE);
+ void *page = __its_alloc(&its_mod->arch.its_pages);

- if (!page)
- return NULL;
+ if (page)
+ execmem_make_temp_rw(page, PAGE_SIZE);

-#ifdef CONFIG_MODULES
- if (its_mod) {
- struct its_array *pages = &its_mod->arch.its_pages;
- void *tmp = krealloc(pages->pages,
- (pages->num+1) * sizeof(void *),
- GFP_KERNEL);
- if (!tmp)
- return NULL;
+ return page;
+}
+#endif /* CONFIG_MODULES */

- pages->pages = tmp;
- pages->pages[pages->num++] = page;
+static void *its_alloc_core(void)
+{
+ void *page = __its_alloc(&its_pages);

+ if (page) {
execmem_make_temp_rw(page, PAGE_SIZE);
+ set_memory_x((unsigned long)page, 1);
}
+
+ return page;
+}
+
+static void *its_alloc(void)
+{
+#ifdef CONFIG_MODULES
+ if (its_mod)
+ return its_alloc_mod();
#endif /* CONFIG_MODULES */

- return no_free_ptr(page);
+ return its_alloc_core();
}

static void *its_allocate_thunk(int reg)
@@ -291,7 +329,9 @@ u8 *its_static_thunk(int reg)
return thunk;
}

-#endif
+#else
+static inline void its_fini_core(void) {}
+#endif /* CONFIG_MITIGATION_ITS */

/*
* Nomenclature for variable names to simplify and clarify this code and ease
@@ -2368,6 +2408,8 @@ void __init alternative_instructions(void)
apply_retpolines(__retpoline_sites, __retpoline_sites_end);
apply_returns(__return_sites, __return_sites_end);

+ its_fini_core();
+
/*
* Adjust all CALL instructions to point to func()-10, including
* those in .altinstr_replacement.
--
2.47.2