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authorMuhammad Bilal <meatuni001@gmail.com>2026-07-28 17:54:55 +0500
committerGreg Kroah-Hartman <gregkh@linuxfoundation.org>2026-09-01 12:15:16 +0200
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treec38fd8fcf58e1937b17fdbc6518b6f8b797fc15a /Documentation/livepatch/system-state.rst
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staging: rtl8723bs: fix OOB read in rtw_action_frame_parse()grafted
rtw_action_frame_parse() takes a frame_len parameter but never actually checks it before indexing into the frame body: const u8 *frame_body = frame + sizeof(struct ieee80211_hdr_3addr); ... c = frame_body[0]; ... a = frame_body[1]; frame_body already points 24 bytes (sizeof(struct ieee80211_hdr_3addr)) into frame, so reading frame_body[0] and frame_body[1] requires frame_len >= 26. A management action frame shorter than that (e.g. exactly 24 bytes, the minimum a malicious peer can send) causes a 1-2 byte out-of-bounds read. This is reachable from rtw_cfg80211_monitor_if_xmit_entry() and cfg80211_rtw_mgmt_tx() in ioctl_cfg80211.c, both of which pass attacker/user-influenced frame buffers and lengths straight through. Add the missing length check before frame_body is dereferenced. Fixes: 554c0a3abf216 ("staging: Add rtl8723bs sdio wifi driver") Cc: stable@vger.kernel.org Signed-off-by: Muhammad Bilal <meatuni001@gmail.com> Link: https://patch.msgid.link/20260728125456.32359-3-meatuni001@gmail.com Signed-off-by: Greg Kroah-Hartman <gregkh@linuxfoundation.org>
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+====================
+System State Changes
+====================
+
+Some users are really reluctant to reboot a system. This brings the need
+to provide more livepatches and maintain some compatibility between them.
+
+Maintaining more livepatches is much easier with cumulative livepatches.
+Each new livepatch completely replaces any older one. It can keep,
+add, and even remove fixes. And it is typically safe to replace any version
+of the livepatch with any other one thanks to the atomic replace feature.
+
+The problems might come with shadow variables and callbacks. They might
+change the system behavior or state so that it is no longer safe to
+go back and use an older livepatch or the original kernel code. Also
+any new livepatch must be able to detect what changes have already been
+done by the already installed livepatches.
+
+This is where the livepatch system state tracking gets useful. It
+allows to:
+
+ - store data needed to manipulate and restore the system state
+
+ - define compatibility between livepatches using a change id
+ and version
+
+
+1. Livepatch system state API
+=============================
+
+The state of the system might get modified either by several livepatch callbacks
+or by the newly used code. Also it must be possible to find changes done by
+already installed livepatches.
+
+Each modified state is described by struct klp_state, see
+include/linux/livepatch.h.
+
+Each livepatch defines an array of struct klp_states. They mention
+all states that the livepatch modifies.
+
+The livepatch author must define the following two fields for each
+struct klp_state:
+
+ - *id*
+
+ - Non-zero number used to identify the affected system state.
+
+ - *version*
+
+ - Number describing the variant of the system state change that
+ is supported by the given livepatch.
+
+The state can be manipulated using two functions:
+
+ - klp_get_state()
+
+ - Get struct klp_state associated with the given livepatch
+ and state id.
+
+ - klp_get_prev_state()
+
+ - Get struct klp_state associated with the given feature id and
+ already installed livepatches.
+
+2. Livepatch compatibility
+==========================
+
+The system state version is used to prevent loading incompatible livepatches.
+The check is done when the livepatch is enabled. The rules are:
+
+ - Any completely new system state modification is allowed.
+
+ - System state modifications with the same or higher version are allowed
+ for already modified system states.
+
+ - Cumulative livepatches must handle all system state modifications from
+ already installed livepatches.
+
+ - Non-cumulative livepatches are allowed to touch already modified
+ system states.
+
+3. Supported scenarios
+======================
+
+Livepatches have their life-cycle and the same is true for the system
+state changes. Every compatible livepatch has to support the following
+scenarios:
+
+ - Modify the system state when the livepatch gets enabled and the state
+ has not been already modified by a livepatches that are being
+ replaced.
+
+ - Take over or update the system state modification when is has already
+ been done by a livepatch that is being replaced.
+
+ - Restore the original state when the livepatch is disabled.
+
+ - Restore the previous state when the transition is reverted.
+ It might be the original system state or the state modification
+ done by livepatches that were being replaced.
+
+ - Remove any already made changes when error occurs and the livepatch
+ cannot get enabled.
+
+4. Expected usage
+=================
+
+System states are usually modified by livepatch callbacks. The expected
+role of each callback is as follows:
+
+*pre_patch()*
+
+ - Allocate *state->data* when necessary. The allocation might fail
+ and *pre_patch()* is the only callback that could stop loading
+ of the livepatch. The allocation is not needed when the data
+ are already provided by previously installed livepatches.
+
+ - Do any other preparatory action that is needed by
+ the new code even before the transition gets finished.
+ For example, initialize *state->data*.
+
+ The system state itself is typically modified in *post_patch()*
+ when the entire system is able to handle it.
+
+ - Clean up its own mess in case of error. It might be done by a custom
+ code or by calling *post_unpatch()* explicitly.
+
+*post_patch()*
+
+ - Copy *state->data* from the previous livepatch when they are
+ compatible.
+
+ - Do the actual system state modification. Eventually allow
+ the new code to use it.
+
+ - Make sure that *state->data* has all necessary information.
+
+ - Free *state->data* from replaces livepatches when they are
+ not longer needed.
+
+*pre_unpatch()*
+
+ - Prevent the code, added by the livepatch, relying on the system
+ state change.
+
+ - Revert the system state modification..
+
+*post_unpatch()*
+
+ - Distinguish transition reverse and livepatch disabling by
+ checking *klp_get_prev_state()*.
+
+ - In case of transition reverse, restore the previous system
+ state. It might mean doing nothing.
+
+ - Remove any not longer needed setting or data.
+
+.. note::
+
+ *pre_unpatch()* typically does symmetric operations to *post_patch()*.
+ Except that it is called only when the livepatch is being disabled.
+ Therefore it does not need to care about any previously installed
+ livepatch.
+
+ *post_unpatch()* typically does symmetric operations to *pre_patch()*.
+ It might be called also during the transition reverse. Therefore it
+ has to handle the state of the previously installed livepatches.