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| author | Linus Torvalds <torvalds@linux-foundation.org> | 2026-09-13 12:27:00 -0700 |
|---|---|---|
| committer | Linus Torvalds <torvalds@linux-foundation.org> | 2026-09-13 12:27:00 -0700 |
| commit | 22098763a10d9c1340827fcf6edab66f153b27f0 (patch) | |
| tree | 3962f95a34df034652ff93686cdd156c7197f2d9 /Documentation/livepatch/livepatch.rst | |
| download | linux-stable-22098763a10d9c1340827fcf6edab66f153b27f0.tar.gz linux-stable-22098763a10d9c1340827fcf6edab66f153b27f0.zip | |
Merge tag 'trace-v7.3-rc2' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/trace/linux-tracegrafted
Pull tracing fixes from Steven Rostedt:
- Don't destroy user event fields when removal fails
User event fields are destroyed before the event is removed from
visibility. But that can fail leaving the still visible event with no
fields. Move the destroying of the fields to after the event is
successfully removed from visibility.
- Initialize function graph state is fork before calling
copy_exec_state()
For non-CLONE_VM forks, copy_exec_state() allocates a new
task_exec_state. If that allocation fails, ftrace_graph_exit_task()
will free the tasks ret_stack pointer. Since that pointer is still
using the parent's ret_stack, it mistakenly frees the parent's
pointer too.
Call ftrace_graph_init() on the task first which will NULL out the
new tasks's ret_stack and if the copy fails, it will not free
anything.
- Remove FGRAPH_MAX_INDEX
The macro FGRAPH_MAX_INDEX was added but never used. Remove it.
- Save ent_size in function graph printing of nested functions
The function graph tracer needs to look at the next event to see if
the next event is the return of the current function entry. If it is,
it prints a single line:
ktime_get();
Otherwise it prints it like a nested function:
tick_nohz_irq_exit() {
ktime_get();
kcpustat_irq_exit();
}
In order to look at the next event, it must save the current event so
that it has the information to print from it. It saves the event in
the iterator descriptor called "ent". What it doesn't save is the
ent_size of the event which is now used to know if the function graph
arguments are to be printed. The peek doesn't save the size so the
size used happens to be that of the size of the last event that was
seen.
Save the entry event size in the iterator descriptor so that the
correct size is used.
- Fix several errors with freeing data in the histogram code
The histogram code had a lot of leaked or or incorrect accounting
when failures happen. Correct them.
- Fix histogram regression of .percent and .graph modifiers
Up until 6.3 histogram values could have "percent" or "graph"
modifiers that changed how they were printed. But a change that added
restricting histograms values from being strings, stack traces and
other modifiers inadvertently prevented them from using the percent
and graph modifiers, which were legal use cases for values.
Put back the percent and graph modifiers.
- Fix various typos in the comments
- Set the trace_clock before initializing a histogram with clock
argument
The histogram API allows the user to specific which trace clock to
use via a "clock=" string. The histogram is set up first before the
clock is checked. If the passed in clock is not valid, it exits
without fully fixing up the histogram leaving it on the list and a
use-after-free can trigger.
Update the clock argument first and if it fails then exit gracefully
before the histogram trigger is placed on any lists.
- Restore :mod: trailer after parsing in ftrace_set_clr_event
The function ftrace_set_clr_event() modifies the parse string and
needs to put it back to what was passed in. It searches for ":mod:"
via a strsep() but fails to put back the first ':' in the string.
Add back the ':' in the passed in string.
- Take trace_array reference when opening a tracer options file
The options files are dynamically created and some tracers add their
own options. When a tracer adds their own list of options, the
trace_array holding them has an array to hold the list of options for
each tracer. This array increases in size via a krealloc(), and the
new entry gets a newly allocated array to hold the options of the new
tracer being added.
The element in each entry of the tracer's option array holds a
pointer back to the trace_array, a pointer to the tracer it is
associated to, a pointer to the flags of the option.
The issue is that these arrays are freed when the trace_array is
freed when its instance it represents is removed from the instances
directory. There's a race that an open of one of these options files
can happen when the instance is being removed.
Add a new helper function to be called by the open function of the
options file to iterate all existing trace_arrays under a lock and
find the one that has the given option element in one of it's tracer
arrays. If found, then update the associated trace_array's reference
counter to keep it from being freed. If not found, have the open call
return -ENODEV.
- Disable interrupts when acquiring the lock in rb_wake_up_waiters()
The function rb_wake_up_waiters() assumes it will be called in
interrupt context and does not disable irqs when taking
cpu_buffer->reader_lock, which can be called in hard interrupt
context. The issue is in PREEMPT_RT, this function is called in
thread context leaving this lock open to a deadlock.
Take the lock with interrupts disabled.
- Use rcu_assign_pointer() for tmp_ops filter hash
The tmp_ops used in update_ftrace_direct_mod() assigns its
filter_hash field directly, but that field is annotated as __rcu and
sparse complains. Assign it with rcu_assign_pointer()
- Fix use-after-free in enable_trigger_private_data_free()
The trace_event_call is accessed through the event_trigger_data's
trace_event_file pointer to put the trace_event_call on freeing. The
issue is that the trace_event_file data may have been freed already
causing a use-after-free. Add a field to the event_trigger_data that
points directly to the trace_event_call so that it can decrement its
reference directly without needing to go through the
trace_event_file.
- Fix accounting of buffer data remote headers
trace_buffer_desc_size() and trace_remote_alloc_buffer() undercount
the number of pages is needed for the asked for size as it doesn't
take into account the meta data on each page. Add a helper function
to do the calculation properly and use that in these functions.
- Catch nr_page_va overflow in ring_buffer_desc sizing
The number of pages per remote ring buffer is capped by
ring_buffer_desc::nr_page_va (32 bits). A buffer_size large enough to
overflow that field would silently allocate a descriptor smaller than
what was asked for.
- Do not resize the subbuf order if any per_cpu buffer is disabled
The mmapping of ring buffers disables resizing the subbuffers, but it
is done per-cpu whereas the subbuf size change is done for all the
per_cpu buffers under the buffer->mutex. It could change the size of
some while the mapping is happening on others. Have the resize of the
subbuf order check all the per_cpu buffers under the lock to see if
any of them is disabled before starting and causing an inconsistency
between buffers that are being mapped.
* tag 'trace-v7.3-rc2' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/trace/linux-trace: (25 commits)
ring-buffer: Check resize_disabled before publishing the new subbuf order
tracing/remotes: Catch nr_page_va overflow in ring_buffer_desc sizing
tracing/remotes: Account for ring buffer page header in size calculation
tracing: Don't dereference trace_event_file in deferred trigger free
ftrace: Use rcu_assign_pointer() for tmp_ops filter hash
ring-buffer: Acquire the lock with irqsave in rb_wake_up_waiters()
tracing: Take trace_array reference when opening a tracer options file
tracing: Fix ring_buffer_read_page_size() kernel-doc
tracing: Restore :mod: trailer after parsing in ftrace_set_clr_event()
tracing: Fix memory corruption from a "STACKTRACE" histogram key
tracing: Fix memory corruption from the histogram stacktrace modifier
tracing: Undo the registration when enabling the histogram trigger fails
tracing: Take the reference before publishing the named histogram trigger
tracing: Set the trace clock before registering the histogram trigger
tracing: Fix typo "preceeded" in comment
tracing: Fix typo "availabe" in comment
tracing: Let histogram values keep the percent and graph modifiers
tracing: Keep the entry count when the histogram stats allocation fails
tracing: Free histogram the field rejected for a bad modifier
tracing: Free histogram the var ref when its initialization fails
...
Diffstat (limited to 'Documentation/livepatch/livepatch.rst')
| -rw-r--r-- | Documentation/livepatch/livepatch.rst | 448 |
1 files changed, 448 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/Documentation/livepatch/livepatch.rst b/Documentation/livepatch/livepatch.rst new file mode 100644 index 000000000..acb901649 --- /dev/null +++ b/Documentation/livepatch/livepatch.rst @@ -0,0 +1,448 @@ +========= +Livepatch +========= + +This document outlines basic information about kernel livepatching. + +.. Table of Contents: + +.. contents:: :local: + + +1. Motivation +============= + +There are many situations where users are reluctant to reboot a system. It may +be because their system is performing complex scientific computations or under +heavy load during peak usage. In addition to keeping systems up and running, +users want to also have a stable and secure system. Livepatching gives users +both by allowing for function calls to be redirected; thus, fixing critical +functions without a system reboot. + + +2. Kprobes, Ftrace, Livepatching +================================ + +There are multiple mechanisms in the Linux kernel that are directly related +to redirection of code execution; namely: kernel probes, function tracing, +and livepatching: + + - The kernel probes are the most generic. The code can be redirected by + putting a breakpoint instruction instead of any instruction. + + - The function tracer calls the code from a predefined location that is + close to the function entry point. This location is generated by the + compiler using the '-pg' gcc option. + + - Livepatching typically needs to redirect the code at the very beginning + of the function entry before the function parameters or the stack + are in any way modified. + +All three approaches need to modify the existing code at runtime. Therefore +they need to be aware of each other and not step over each other's toes. +Most of these problems are solved by using the dynamic ftrace framework as +a base. A Kprobe is registered as a ftrace handler when the function entry +is probed, see CONFIG_KPROBES_ON_FTRACE. Also an alternative function from +a live patch is called with the help of a custom ftrace handler. But there are +some limitations, see below. + + +3. Consistency model +==================== + +Functions are there for a reason. They take some input parameters, acquire or +release locks, read, process, and even write some data in a defined way, +have return values. In other words, each function has a defined semantic. + +Many fixes do not change the semantic of the modified functions. For +example, they add a NULL pointer or a boundary check, fix a race by adding +a missing memory barrier, or add some locking around a critical section. +Most of these changes are self contained and the function presents itself +the same way to the rest of the system. In this case, the functions might +be updated independently one by one. + +But there are more complex fixes. For example, a patch might change +ordering of locking in multiple functions at the same time. Or a patch +might exchange meaning of some temporary structures and update +all the relevant functions. In this case, the affected unit +(thread, whole kernel) need to start using all new versions of +the functions at the same time. Also the switch must happen only +when it is safe to do so, e.g. when the affected locks are released +or no data are stored in the modified structures at the moment. + +The theory about how to apply functions a safe way is rather complex. +The aim is to define a so-called consistency model. It attempts to define +conditions when the new implementation could be used so that the system +stays consistent. + +Livepatch has a consistency model which is a hybrid of kGraft and +kpatch: it uses kGraft's per-task consistency and syscall barrier +switching combined with kpatch's stack trace switching. There are also +a number of fallback options which make it quite flexible. + +Patches are applied on a per-task basis, when the task is deemed safe to +switch over. When a patch is enabled, livepatch enters into a +transition state where tasks are converging to the patched state. +Usually this transition state can complete in a few seconds. The same +sequence occurs when a patch is disabled, except the tasks converge from +the patched state to the unpatched state. + +An interrupt handler inherits the patched state of the task it +interrupts. The same is true for forked tasks: the child inherits the +patched state of the parent. + +Livepatch uses several complementary approaches to determine when it's +safe to patch tasks: + +1. The first and most effective approach is stack checking of sleeping + tasks. If no affected functions are on the stack of a given task, + the task is patched. In most cases this will patch most or all of + the tasks on the first try. Otherwise it'll keep trying + periodically. This option is only available if the architecture has + reliable stacks (HAVE_RELIABLE_STACKTRACE). + +2. The second approach, if needed, is kernel exit switching. A + task is switched when it returns to user space from a system call, a + user space IRQ, or a signal. It's useful in the following cases: + + a) Patching I/O-bound user tasks which are sleeping on an affected + function. In this case you have to send SIGSTOP and SIGCONT to + force it to exit the kernel and be patched. + b) Patching CPU-bound user tasks. If the task is highly CPU-bound + then it will get patched the next time it gets interrupted by an + IRQ. + +3. For idle "swapper" tasks, since they don't ever exit the kernel, they + instead have a klp_update_patch_state() call in the idle loop which + allows them to be patched before the CPU enters the idle state. + + (Note there's not yet such an approach for kthreads.) + +Architectures which don't have HAVE_RELIABLE_STACKTRACE solely rely on +the second approach. It's highly likely that some tasks may still be +running with an old version of the function, until that function +returns. In this case you would have to signal the tasks. This +especially applies to kthreads. They may not be woken up and would need +to be forced. See below for more information. + +Unless we can come up with another way to patch kthreads, architectures +without HAVE_RELIABLE_STACKTRACE are not considered fully supported by +the kernel livepatching. + +The /sys/kernel/livepatch/<patch>/transition file shows whether a patch +is in transition. Only a single patch can be in transition at a given +time. A patch can remain in transition indefinitely, if any of the tasks +are stuck in the initial patch state. + +A transition can be reversed and effectively canceled by writing the +opposite value to the /sys/kernel/livepatch/<patch>/enabled file while +the transition is in progress. Then all the tasks will attempt to +converge back to the original patch state. + +There's also a /proc/<pid>/patch_state file which can be used to +determine which tasks are blocking completion of a patching operation. +If a patch is in transition, this file shows 0 to indicate the task is +unpatched and 1 to indicate it's patched. Otherwise, if no patch is in +transition, it shows -1. Any tasks which are blocking the transition +can be signaled with SIGSTOP and SIGCONT to force them to change their +patched state. This may be harmful to the system though. Sending a fake signal +to all remaining blocking tasks is a better alternative. No proper signal is +actually delivered (there is no data in signal pending structures). Tasks are +interrupted or woken up, and forced to change their patched state. The fake +signal is automatically sent every 15 seconds. + +Administrator can also affect a transition through +/sys/kernel/livepatch/<patch>/force attribute. Writing 1 there clears +TIF_PATCH_PENDING flag of all tasks and thus forces the tasks to the patched +state. Important note! The force attribute is intended for cases when the +transition gets stuck for a long time because of a blocking task. Administrator +is expected to collect all necessary data (namely stack traces of such blocking +tasks) and request a clearance from a patch distributor to force the transition. +Unauthorized usage may cause harm to the system. It depends on the nature of the +patch, which functions are (un)patched, and which functions the blocking tasks +are sleeping in (/proc/<pid>/stack may help here). Removal (rmmod) of patch +modules is permanently disabled when the force feature is used. It cannot be +guaranteed there is no task sleeping in such module. It implies unbounded +reference count if a patch module is disabled and enabled in a loop. + +Moreover, the usage of force may also affect future applications of live +patches and cause even more harm to the system. Administrator should first +consider to simply cancel a transition (see above). If force is used, reboot +should be planned and no more live patches applied. + +3.1 Adding consistency model support to new architectures +--------------------------------------------------------- + +For adding consistency model support to new architectures, there are a +few options: + +1) Add CONFIG_HAVE_RELIABLE_STACKTRACE. This means porting objtool, and + for non-DWARF unwinders, also making sure there's a way for the stack + tracing code to detect interrupts on the stack. + +2) Alternatively, ensure that every kthread has a call to + klp_update_patch_state() in a safe location. Kthreads are typically + in an infinite loop which does some action repeatedly. The safe + location to switch the kthread's patch state would be at a designated + point in the loop where there are no locks taken and all data + structures are in a well-defined state. + + The location is clear when using workqueues or the kthread worker + API. These kthreads process independent actions in a generic loop. + + It's much more complicated with kthreads which have a custom loop. + There the safe location must be carefully selected on a case-by-case + basis. + + In that case, arches without HAVE_RELIABLE_STACKTRACE would still be + able to use the non-stack-checking parts of the consistency model: + + a) patching user tasks when they cross the kernel/user space + boundary; and + + b) patching kthreads and idle tasks at their designated patch points. + + This option isn't as good as option 1 because it requires signaling + user tasks and waking kthreads to patch them. But it could still be + a good backup option for those architectures which don't have + reliable stack traces yet. + + +4. Livepatch module +=================== + +Livepatches are distributed using kernel modules, see +samples/livepatch/livepatch-sample.c. + +The module includes a new implementation of functions that we want +to replace. In addition, it defines some structures describing the +relation between the original and the new implementation. Then there +is code that makes the kernel start using the new code when the livepatch +module is loaded. Also there is code that cleans up before the +livepatch module is removed. All this is explained in more details in +the next sections. + + +4.1. New functions +------------------ + +New versions of functions are typically just copied from the original +sources. A good practice is to add a prefix to the names so that they +can be distinguished from the original ones, e.g. in a backtrace. Also +they can be declared as static because they are not called directly +and do not need the global visibility. + +The patch contains only functions that are really modified. But they +might want to access functions or data from the original source file +that may only be locally accessible. This can be solved by a special +relocation section in the generated livepatch module, see +Documentation/livepatch/module-elf-format.rst for more details. + + +4.2. Metadata +------------- + +The patch is described by several structures that split the information +into three levels: + + - struct klp_func is defined for each patched function. It describes + the relation between the original and the new implementation of a + particular function. + + The structure includes the name, as a string, of the original function. + The function address is found via kallsyms at runtime. + + Then it includes the address of the new function. It is defined + directly by assigning the function pointer. Note that the new + function is typically defined in the same source file. + + As an optional parameter, the symbol position in the kallsyms database can + be used to disambiguate functions of the same name. This is not the + absolute position in the database, but rather the order it has been found + only for a particular object ( vmlinux or a kernel module ). Note that + kallsyms allows for searching symbols according to the object name. + + - struct klp_object defines an array of patched functions (struct + klp_func) in the same object. Where the object is either vmlinux + (NULL) or a module name. + + The structure helps to group and handle functions for each object + together. Note that patched modules might be loaded later than + the patch itself and the relevant functions might be patched + only when they are available. + + + - struct klp_patch defines an array of patched objects (struct + klp_object). + + This structure handles all patched functions consistently and eventually, + synchronously. The whole patch is applied only when all patched + symbols are found. The only exception are symbols from objects + (kernel modules) that have not been loaded yet. + + For more details on how the patch is applied on a per-task basis, + see the "Consistency model" section. + + +5. Livepatch life-cycle +======================= + +Livepatching can be described by five basic operations: +loading, enabling, replacing, disabling, removing. + +Where the replacing and the disabling operations are mutually +exclusive. They have the same result for the given patch but +not for the system. + + +5.1. Loading +------------ + +The only reasonable way is to enable the patch when the livepatch kernel +module is being loaded. For this, klp_enable_patch() has to be called +in the module_init() callback. There are two main reasons: + +First, only the module has an easy access to the related struct klp_patch. + +Second, the error code might be used to refuse loading the module when +the patch cannot get enabled. + + +5.2. Enabling +------------- + +The livepatch gets enabled by calling klp_enable_patch() from +the module_init() callback. The system will start using the new +implementation of the patched functions at this stage. + +First, the addresses of the patched functions are found according to their +names. The special relocations, mentioned in the section "New functions", +are applied. The relevant entries are created under +/sys/kernel/livepatch/<name>. The patch is rejected when any above +operation fails. + +Second, livepatch enters into a transition state where tasks are converging +to the patched state. If an original function is patched for the first +time, a function specific struct klp_ops is created and an universal +ftrace handler is registered\ [#]_. This stage is indicated by a value of '1' +in /sys/kernel/livepatch/<name>/transition. For more information about +this process, see the "Consistency model" section. + +Finally, once all tasks have been patched, the 'transition' value changes +to '0'. + +.. [#] + + Note that functions might be patched multiple times. The ftrace handler + is registered only once for a given function. Further patches just add + an entry to the list (see field `func_stack`) of the struct klp_ops. + The right implementation is selected by the ftrace handler, see + the "Consistency model" section. + + That said, it is highly recommended to use cumulative livepatches + because they help keeping the consistency of all changes. In this case, + functions might be patched two times only during the transition period. + + +5.3. Replacing +-------------- + +All enabled patches might get replaced by a cumulative patch that +has the .replace flag set. + +Once the new patch is enabled and the 'transition' finishes then +all the functions (struct klp_func) associated with the replaced +patches are removed from the corresponding struct klp_ops. Also +the ftrace handler is unregistered and the struct klp_ops is +freed when the related function is not modified by the new patch +and func_stack list becomes empty. + +See Documentation/livepatch/cumulative-patches.rst for more details. + + +5.4. Disabling +-------------- + +Enabled patches might get disabled by writing '0' to +/sys/kernel/livepatch/<name>/enabled. + +First, livepatch enters into a transition state where tasks are converging +to the unpatched state. The system starts using either the code from +the previously enabled patch or even the original one. This stage is +indicated by a value of '1' in /sys/kernel/livepatch/<name>/transition. +For more information about this process, see the "Consistency model" +section. + +Second, once all tasks have been unpatched, the 'transition' value changes +to '0'. All the functions (struct klp_func) associated with the to-be-disabled +patch are removed from the corresponding struct klp_ops. The ftrace handler +is unregistered and the struct klp_ops is freed when the func_stack list +becomes empty. + +Third, the sysfs interface is destroyed. + + +5.5. Removing +------------- + +Module removal is only safe when there are no users of functions provided +by the module. This is the reason why the force feature permanently +disables the removal. Only when the system is successfully transitioned +to a new patch state (patched/unpatched) without being forced it is +guaranteed that no task sleeps or runs in the old code. + + +6. Sysfs +======== + +Information about the registered patches can be found under +/sys/kernel/livepatch. The patches could be enabled and disabled +by writing there. + +/sys/kernel/livepatch/<patch>/force attributes allow administrator to affect a +patching operation. + +See Documentation/ABI/testing/sysfs-kernel-livepatch for more details. + + +7. Limitations +============== + +The current Livepatch implementation has several limitations: + + - Only functions that can be traced could be patched. + + Livepatch is based on the dynamic ftrace. In particular, functions + implementing ftrace or the livepatch ftrace handler could not be + patched. Otherwise, the code would end up in an infinite loop. A + potential mistake is prevented by marking the problematic functions + by "notrace". + + + + - Livepatch works reliably only when the dynamic ftrace is located at + the very beginning of the function. + + The function need to be redirected before the stack or the function + parameters are modified in any way. For example, livepatch requires + using -fentry gcc compiler option on x86_64. + + One exception is the PPC port. It uses relative addressing and TOC. + Each function has to handle TOC and save LR before it could call + the ftrace handler. This operation has to be reverted on return. + Fortunately, the generic ftrace code has the same problem and all + this is handled on the ftrace level. + + + - Kretprobes using the ftrace framework conflict with the patched + functions. + + Both kretprobes and livepatches use a ftrace handler that modifies + the return address. The first user wins. Either the probe or the patch + is rejected when the handler is already in use by the other. + + + - Kprobes in the original function are ignored when the code is + redirected to the new implementation. + + There is a work in progress to add warnings about this situation. |
