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authorAli Ahmet Memis <ali@iusegentoo.com>2026-08-21 01:45:27 +0000
committerStafford Horne <shorne@gmail.com>2026-08-29 07:32:26 +0100
commit78004e9a87f240df03e2f73120d291763c32e0a7 (patch)
tree137c22dd795222931b9d2bf2501d37cd766741aa /Documentation/driver-api/firmware/firmware-usage-guidelines.rst
downloadlinux-stable-78004e9a87f240df03e2f73120d291763c32e0a7.tar.gz
linux-stable-78004e9a87f240df03e2f73120d291763c32e0a7.zip
openrisc: fix arbitrary kernel memory access via or1k_atomic syscallgrafted
sys_or1k_atomic() (syscall 244 in the "or1k" ABI) takes two user pointers, v1 and v2, and swaps the words they point to in hand-written assembly. l.lwz r29,0(r4) l.lwz r27,0(r5) l.sw 0(r4),r27 l.sw 0(r5),r29 The pointers are not checked with access_ok(). The four memory accesses also have no exception table entries. A caller passes a kernel address as either pointer, and the syscall reads from and writes to it directly. This gives an unprivileged process a kernel read/write primitive. It overwrites kernel data such as the sys_call_table, gaining code execution in kernel context. Check both pointers before entering the critical section. Add fixups for the four memory accesses so faults on valid but unmapped user addresses return -EFAULT. [shorne@gmail.com: fix comment style] Fixes: 9d02a4283e9c ("OpenRISC: Boot code") Cc: stable@vger.kernel.org Signed-off-by: Ali Ahmet Memis <ali@iusegentoo.com> Signed-off-by: Stafford Horne <shorne@gmail.com>
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+===================
+Firmware Guidelines
+===================
+
+Users switching to a newer kernel should *not* have to install newer
+firmware files to keep their hardware working. At the same time updated
+firmware files must not cause any regressions for users of older kernel
+releases.
+
+Drivers that use firmware from linux-firmware should follow the rules in
+this guide. (Where there is limited control of the firmware,
+i.e. company doesn't support Linux, firmwares sourced from misc places,
+then of course these rules will not apply strictly.)
+
+* Firmware files shall be designed in a way that it allows checking for
+ firmware ABI version changes. It is recommended that firmware files be
+ versioned with at least a major/minor version. It is suggested that
+ the firmware files in linux-firmware be named with some device
+ specific name, and just the major version. The firmware version should
+ be stored in the firmware header, or as an exception, as part of the
+ firmware file name, in order to let the driver detact any non-ABI
+ fixes/changes. The firmware files in linux-firmware should be
+ overwritten with the newest compatible major version. Newer major
+ version firmware shall remain compatible with all kernels that load
+ that major number.
+
+* If the kernel support for the hardware is normally inactive, or the
+ hardware isn't available for public consumption, this can
+ be ignored, until the first kernel release that enables that hardware.
+ This means no major version bumps without the kernel retaining
+ backwards compatibility for the older major versions. Minor version
+ bumps should not introduce new features that newer kernels depend on
+ non-optionally.
+
+* If a security fix needs lockstep firmware and kernel fixes in order to
+ be successful, then all supported major versions in the linux-firmware
+ repo that are required by currently supported stable/LTS kernels,
+ should be updated with the security fix. The kernel patches should
+ detect if the firmware is new enough to declare if the security issue
+ is fixed. All communications around security fixes should point at
+ both the firmware and kernel fixes. If a security fix requires
+ deprecating old major versions, then this should only be done as a
+ last option, and be stated clearly in all communications.
+
+* Firmware files that affect the User API (UAPI) shall not introduce
+ changes that break existing userspace programs. Updates to such firmware
+ must ensure backward compatibility with existing userspace applications.
+ This includes maintaining consistent interfaces and behaviors that
+ userspace programs rely on.