Re: [BUG] uprobes/x86: uprobe syscall accepts forged trampoline frames
From: Oleg Nesterov
Date: Tue Oct 20 2026 - 03:44:44 EST
(resend with more CC's)
On 10/20, shaos wrote:
>
> The x86 uprobe syscall checks only that regs->ip lies somewhere in the caller's
> executable [uprobes-trampoline] VMA, then trusts ax, r11, cx and retaddr copied
> from the user stack. A process can jump into that VMA with a fabricated frame
> and make an enabled uprobe report a hit at a site it never executed, with
> caller-chosen register values.
Yes sure. Userspace can easily fool the sanity checks in in_uprobe_trampoline().
This is a known issue. I think we don't care, and in fact IMO in_uprobe_trampoline()
can die.
At worst this can trigger a wrong a trace event, right? Nothing to fix, I think.
Oleg.
>
> HEAD commit: fe2ec83746e501645709761605c2464a44fd2929
> git tree: upstream Linux checkout, local branch master
> source version: Linux 7.3.0-rc4-70-gfe2ec83746e50
> compiler: gcc 11.4.0, GNU ld 2.38 (from the kernel build banner)
>
> console output:
> https://gist.githubusercontent.com/shaos26/82a14d478c3e5b27d81713f9989693cd/raw/9eb4cfbf7c87bf4b06cd6138775a13814ded54c6/console-output.txt
> kernel config:
> https://gist.githubusercontent.com/shaos26/82a14d478c3e5b27d81713f9989693cd/raw/b1d9a09b984075b425aab4875117a6766a795110/kernel-config.txt
> reproducer:
> https://gist.githubusercontent.com/shaos26/82a14d478c3e5b27d81713f9989693cd/raw/b7e400345a004b4a4c340eccad862ac1f569aaee/poc.c
>
> Build the PoC and run it in a disposable VM with tracefs mounted. First print the file offsets for site1 and site2, then register and enable a uprobe event at each offset. The forge mode executes site1 once to map the trampoline, then makes the forged syscall from a uid 65534 child:
>
> cc -static -no-pie -O1 -fno-ipa-icf -fno-stack-protector -o forge poc.c
> mount -t tracefs tracefs /sys/kernel/tracing
> cp forge /forge
> /forge offsets
> echo "p:uprobes/site1 /forge:OFFSET1" > /sys/kernel/tracing/uprobe_events
> echo "p:uprobes/site2 /forge:OFFSET2" >> /sys/kernel/tracing/uprobe_events
> echo 1 > /sys/kernel/tracing/events/uprobes/site1/enable
> echo 1 > /sys/kernel/tracing/events/uprobes/site2/enable
> echo > /sys/kernel/tracing/trace
> /forge forge
> cat /sys/kernel/tracing/trace
>
> Replace OFFSET1 and OFFSET2 with the file_off1 and file_off2 values printed by /forge offsets. Run as root for tracefs setup; the PoC drops its forged child to uid 65534.
>
> Two fresh boots emitted a trace event for registered site2, which was never executed, and reported attacker-chosen ax/r11/cx values. Legitimate execution produced only site1; an unregistered offset produced no site2 event; calling uprobe without the trampoline returned EPROTO.
>
> Impact and prerequisites:
> This falsifies tracing and profiling data for an enabled uprobe in the caller’s address space. The evidence demonstrates event and register-value forgery, not kernel memory corruption, cross-process data disclosure, or privilege escalation.
>
> A fix needs to authenticate the probe context before dispatching consumers. Checking only the trampoline address is insufficient because that mapping is user-executable.
>
> Validation: Two independent boots emitted a trace event for registered site2, which was never executed, with attacker-chosen register values. Legitimate site1 execution, an unregistered offset, and a direct syscall without a mapped trampoline served as controls.
>
> Thanks,
>
> shaos
.>