[RFC PATCH v1 02/13] exec: add an internal helper for opened executables

From: Li Chen

Date: Thu May 28 2026 - 06:09:25 EST


Split alloc_bprm_file() from alloc_bprm() so internal callers can build
a linux_binprm from an executable file that they already opened.
Add kernel_execveat_file() for in-kernel users that need to execute an
opened file while still using the normal execve credential, LSM, and
binary-format path.

Signed-off-by: Li Chen <me@linux.beauty>
---
fs/exec.c | 78 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++------
include/linux/binfmts.h | 4 +++
2 files changed, 71 insertions(+), 11 deletions(-)

diff --git a/fs/exec.c b/fs/exec.c
index 53f7b18d2b1ea..5b91a9b208a77 100644
--- a/fs/exec.c
+++ b/fs/exec.c
@@ -1392,16 +1392,13 @@ static void free_bprm(struct linux_binprm *bprm)
kfree(bprm);
}

-static struct linux_binprm *alloc_bprm(int fd, struct filename *filename, int flags)
+static struct linux_binprm *alloc_bprm_file(struct file *file,
+ struct filename *filename,
+ int fd, int flags)
{
struct linux_binprm *bprm;
- struct file *file;
int retval = -ENOMEM;

- file = do_open_execat(fd, filename, flags);
- if (IS_ERR(file))
- return ERR_CAST(file);
-
bprm = kzalloc_obj(*bprm);
if (!bprm) {
do_close_execat(file);
@@ -1463,6 +1460,17 @@ static struct linux_binprm *alloc_bprm(int fd, struct filename *filename, int fl
return ERR_PTR(retval);
}

+static struct linux_binprm *alloc_bprm(int fd, struct filename *filename, int flags)
+{
+ struct file *file;
+
+ file = do_open_execat(fd, filename, flags);
+ if (IS_ERR(file))
+ return ERR_CAST(file);
+
+ return alloc_bprm_file(file, filename, fd, flags);
+}
+
DEFINE_CLASS(bprm, struct linux_binprm *, if (!IS_ERR(_T)) free_bprm(_T),
alloc_bprm(fd, name, flags), int fd, struct filename *name, int flags)

@@ -1901,6 +1909,59 @@ int kernel_execve(const char *kernel_filename,
return bprm_execve(bprm);
}

+static inline struct user_arg_ptr native_arg(const char __user *const __user *p)
+{
+ return (struct user_arg_ptr){.ptr.native = p};
+}
+
+static int do_execveat_file_common(struct file *file, struct filename *filename,
+ struct user_arg_ptr argv,
+ struct user_arg_ptr envp, int flags)
+{
+ struct linux_binprm *bprm;
+ struct file *exec_file;
+ int retval;
+
+ if (flags & ~AT_EMPTY_PATH)
+ return -EINVAL;
+
+ if ((current->flags & PF_NPROC_EXCEEDED) &&
+ is_rlimit_overlimit(current_ucounts(), UCOUNT_RLIMIT_NPROC, rlimit(RLIMIT_NPROC)))
+ return -EAGAIN;
+
+ current->flags &= ~PF_NPROC_EXCEEDED;
+
+ retval = exe_file_deny_write_access(file);
+ if (retval)
+ return retval;
+ exec_file = get_file(file);
+
+ bprm = alloc_bprm_file(exec_file, filename, AT_FDCWD, flags);
+ if (IS_ERR(bprm))
+ return PTR_ERR(bprm);
+
+ retval = do_execveat_common_bprm(bprm, argv, envp);
+ free_bprm(bprm);
+ return retval;
+}
+
+int kernel_execveat_file(struct file *file, const char *filename,
+ const void __user *argv,
+ const void __user *envp,
+ int flags)
+{
+ const char __user *const __user *user_argv;
+ const char __user *const __user *user_envp;
+
+ CLASS(filename_kernel, name)(filename);
+
+ user_argv = (const char __user *const __user *)argv;
+ user_envp = (const char __user *const __user *)envp;
+
+ return do_execveat_file_common(file, name, native_arg(user_argv),
+ native_arg(user_envp), flags);
+}
+
void set_binfmt(struct linux_binfmt *new)
{
struct mm_struct *mm = current->mm;
@@ -1925,11 +1986,6 @@ void set_dumpable(struct mm_struct *mm, int value)
__mm_flags_set_mask_dumpable(mm, value);
}

-static inline struct user_arg_ptr native_arg(const char __user *const __user *p)
-{
- return (struct user_arg_ptr){.ptr.native = p};
-}
-
SYSCALL_DEFINE3(execve,
const char __user *, filename,
const char __user *const __user *, argv,
diff --git a/include/linux/binfmts.h b/include/linux/binfmts.h
index 65abd5ab8836c..c0715678c9a06 100644
--- a/include/linux/binfmts.h
+++ b/include/linux/binfmts.h
@@ -141,6 +141,10 @@ extern int transfer_args_to_stack(struct linux_binprm *bprm,
unsigned long *sp_location);
extern int bprm_change_interp(const char *interp, struct linux_binprm *bprm);
int copy_string_kernel(const char *arg, struct linux_binprm *bprm);
+int kernel_execveat_file(struct file *file, const char *filename,
+ const void __user *argv,
+ const void __user *envp,
+ int flags);
extern void set_binfmt(struct linux_binfmt *new);
extern ssize_t read_code(struct file *, unsigned long, loff_t, size_t);

--
2.52.0