[PATCH bpf-next v3 2/7] bpf: Add user memory access kfuncs for mm_struct
From: Anastasios Papagiannis
Date: Mon Aug 31 2026 - 05:54:09 EST
On CONFIG_MMU kernels, when security_bprm_check() runs, the argument and
environment strings for the exec have been copied into bprm->mm. The new
address space is not associated with a task_struct until exec_mmap(), so
existing BPF user memory helpers can only read from the calling task's old
address space.
Add bpf_copy_from_user_mm() and bpf_copy_from_user_mm_str() kfuncs. Both
take a struct mm_struct pointer directly, allowing callers to access
trusted address spaces that are not associated with a task_struct.
bpf_copy_from_user_mm() has similar semantics to
bpf_copy_from_user_task(). bpf_copy_from_user_mm_str() copies one
NUL-terminated string and returns its size including the NUL terminator.
It accepts BPF_F_PAD_ZEROS to clear unused destination bytes on success.
Register both kfuncs and mark them KF_SLEEPABLE because accessing the
remote address space can fault.
On !CONFIG_MMU, exec argument and environment strings remain in
bprm->page[] until the binary loader transfers them to the new process
stack. They are therefore not accessible through bprm->mm at the
bprm_check_security hook. The linux_binprm use described above is
CONFIG_MMU-only, although the new kfuncs remain available for other
address spaces on !CONFIG_MMU.
Signed-off-by: Anastasios Papagiannis <tasos.papagiannnis@xxxxxxxxx>
---
kernel/bpf/helpers.c | 115 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++------
1 file changed, 101 insertions(+), 14 deletions(-)
diff --git a/kernel/bpf/helpers.c b/kernel/bpf/helpers.c
index b3cc5c8fc875..19c01aa734ae 100644
--- a/kernel/bpf/helpers.c
+++ b/kernel/bpf/helpers.c
@@ -32,6 +32,13 @@
#include "../../lib/kstrtox.h"
+int bpf_copy_from_user_mm(void *dst, u32 dst__sz,
+ const void __user *unsafe_ptr__ign,
+ struct mm_struct *mm, u64 flags);
+int bpf_copy_from_user_mm_str(void *dst, u32 dst__sz,
+ const void __user *unsafe_ptr__ign,
+ struct mm_struct *mm, u64 flags);
+
/* If kernel subsystem is allowing eBPF programs to call this function,
* inside its own verifier_ops->get_func_proto() callback it should return
* bpf_map_lookup_elem_proto, so that verifier can properly check the arguments
@@ -682,22 +689,15 @@ const struct bpf_func_proto bpf_copy_from_user_proto = {
BPF_CALL_5(bpf_copy_from_user_task, void *, dst, u32, size,
const void __user *, user_ptr, struct task_struct *, tsk, u64, flags)
{
+ struct mm_struct *mm;
int ret;
- /* flags is not used yet */
- if (unlikely(flags))
- return -EINVAL;
-
- if (unlikely(!size))
- return 0;
-
- ret = access_process_vm(tsk, (unsigned long)user_ptr, dst, size, 0);
- if (ret == size)
- return 0;
+ mm = get_task_mm(tsk);
+ ret = bpf_copy_from_user_mm(dst, size, user_ptr, mm, flags);
+ if (mm)
+ mmput(mm);
- memset(dst, 0, size);
- /* Return -EFAULT for partial read */
- return ret < 0 ? ret : -EFAULT;
+ return ret;
}
const struct bpf_func_proto bpf_copy_from_user_task_proto = {
@@ -3680,6 +3680,83 @@ __bpf_kfunc int bpf_copy_from_user_str(void *dst, u32 dst__sz, const void __user
__bpf_kfunc int bpf_copy_from_user_task_str(void *dst, u32 dst__sz,
const void __user *unsafe_ptr__ign,
struct task_struct *tsk, u64 flags)
+{
+ struct mm_struct *mm;
+ int ret;
+
+ mm = get_task_mm(tsk);
+ ret = bpf_copy_from_user_mm_str(dst, dst__sz, unsafe_ptr__ign,
+ mm, flags);
+ if (mm)
+ mmput(mm);
+
+ return ret;
+}
+
+/**
+ * bpf_copy_from_user_mm() - Copy data from an address space
+ * @dst: Destination address, in kernel space
+ * @dst__sz: Number of bytes to copy
+ * @unsafe_ptr__ign: Source address in the address space
+ * @mm: Address space to copy from
+ * @flags: Reserved for future use; must be zero
+ *
+ * Copies data from the user address space associated with @mm. The destination
+ * is zeroed if an attempted copy cannot be completed in full. Unsupported
+ * flags return -EINVAL without modifying @dst.
+ *
+ * Return: 0 on success, -EINVAL if @flags is non-zero, or -EFAULT if the copy
+ * fails or is partial.
+ */
+__bpf_kfunc int bpf_copy_from_user_mm(void *dst, u32 dst__sz,
+ const void __user *unsafe_ptr__ign,
+ struct mm_struct *mm, u64 flags)
+{
+ int ret;
+
+ if (unlikely(flags))
+ return -EINVAL;
+
+ if (unlikely(!dst__sz))
+ return 0;
+
+ if (unlikely(!mm)) {
+ memset(dst, 0, dst__sz);
+ return -EFAULT;
+ }
+
+ ret = access_remote_vm(mm, (unsigned long)unsafe_ptr__ign,
+ dst, dst__sz, 0);
+ if (ret == dst__sz)
+ return 0;
+
+ memset(dst, 0, dst__sz);
+ return ret < 0 ? ret : -EFAULT;
+}
+
+/**
+ * bpf_copy_from_user_mm_str() - Copy a string from an address space
+ * @dst: Destination address, in kernel space. This buffer must be
+ * at least @dst__sz bytes long
+ * @dst__sz: Maximum number of bytes to copy, including the trailing NUL
+ * @unsafe_ptr__ign: Source address in the address space
+ * @mm: Address space to copy from
+ * @flags: The only supported flag is BPF_F_PAD_ZEROS
+ *
+ * Copies a NUL-terminated string from the user address space associated with
+ * @mm. If the string is too long, @dst is still NUL-terminated unless @dst__sz
+ * is zero.
+ *
+ * If the flags are valid and BPF_F_PAD_ZEROS is set, the unused portion of
+ * @dst is cleared on success and all of @dst is cleared on a copy failure.
+ * Unsupported flags return -EINVAL without modifying @dst.
+ *
+ * Return: The number of copied bytes including the NUL terminator on success,
+ * or a negative error code on failure.
+ */
+__bpf_kfunc int bpf_copy_from_user_mm_str(void *dst, u32 dst__sz,
+ const void __user *unsafe_ptr__ign,
+ struct mm_struct *mm, u64 flags)
{
int ret;
@@ -3689,7 +3766,15 @@ __bpf_kfunc int bpf_copy_from_user_task_str(void *dst, u32 dst__sz,
if (unlikely(dst__sz == 0))
return 0;
- ret = copy_remote_vm_str(tsk, (unsigned long)unsafe_ptr__ign, dst, dst__sz, 0);
+ if (unlikely(!mm)) {
+ if (flags & BPF_F_PAD_ZEROS)
+ memset(dst, 0, dst__sz);
+ else
+ *(char *)dst = '\0';
+ return -EFAULT;
+ }
+
+ ret = copy_remote_mm_str(mm, (unsigned long)unsafe_ptr__ign, dst, dst__sz, 0);
if (ret < 0) {
if (flags & BPF_F_PAD_ZEROS)
memset(dst, 0, dst__sz);
@@ -4924,6 +5009,8 @@ BTF_ID_FLAGS(func, bpf_iter_bits_new, KF_ITER_NEW)
BTF_ID_FLAGS(func, bpf_iter_bits_next, KF_ITER_NEXT | KF_RET_NULL)
BTF_ID_FLAGS(func, bpf_iter_bits_destroy, KF_ITER_DESTROY)
BTF_ID_FLAGS(func, bpf_copy_from_user_str, KF_SLEEPABLE)
+BTF_ID_FLAGS(func, bpf_copy_from_user_mm, KF_SLEEPABLE)
+BTF_ID_FLAGS(func, bpf_copy_from_user_mm_str, KF_SLEEPABLE)
BTF_ID_FLAGS(func, bpf_copy_from_user_task_str, KF_SLEEPABLE)
BTF_ID_FLAGS(func, bpf_get_kmem_cache)
BTF_ID_FLAGS(func, bpf_iter_kmem_cache_new, KF_ITER_NEW | KF_SLEEPABLE)
--
2.55.0