[RFC PATCH v3 3/4] mm: memfd_luo: Add the feature header

From: Tarun Sahu

Date: Mon Oct 26 2026 - 13:45:31 EST


Precede struct memfd_luo_ser with the 8-byte struct luo_ser_hdr for
memfd preservation. The source kernel writes the state through struct
memfd_luo_ser_wrap, declared with DECLARE_LUO_SER_WRAP():

DECLARE_LUO_SER_WRAP(memfd_luo_ser, 64, MEMFD_LUO_FEAT_MAX);

This consists of hdr + memfd_luo_ser (payload).

The existing struct memfd_luo_ser fields (pos, size, seals, flags,
nr_folios, folios, and MEMFD_LUO_ALL_SEALS) form MEMFD_LUO_FEAT_CORE
(index 0 of enum memfd_luo_feature). The source kernel marks it as
LUO_FEAT_REQUIRED when preserving state, and the target kernel marks it
as supported (true) in its memfd_luo_supported_feats table passed to
luo_ser_hdr_validate(). Future changes append any new fields to the end
of struct memfd_luo_ser under a new feature index so existing field
offsets never shift.

memfd_luo_retrieve() and memfd_luo_finish() validate the incoming header
against memfd_luo_supported_feats with luo_ser_hdr_validate() before
accessing any payload field; finish warns and skips discarding the folios
when the header is invalid.

Prepending the header shifts every field of the serialized memfd state,
so bump MEMFD_LUO_FH_COMPATIBLE from memfd-v2 to memfd-v3.

Signed-off-by: Logan Odell <loganodell@xxxxxxxxxx>
Signed-off-by: Tarun Sahu <tarunsahu@xxxxxxxxxx>
---
include/linux/kho/abi/memfd.h | 32 +++++++++++++++--
mm/memfd_luo.c | 68 ++++++++++++++++++++++++-----------
2 files changed, 77 insertions(+), 23 deletions(-)

diff --git a/include/linux/kho/abi/memfd.h b/include/linux/kho/abi/memfd.h
index 7115a8a77cfd..d467d18fe6e8 100644
--- a/include/linux/kho/abi/memfd.h
+++ b/include/linux/kho/abi/memfd.h
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
#include <linux/build_bug.h>
#include <linux/types.h>
#include <linux/kho/abi/kexec_handover.h>
+#include <linux/kho/abi/luo.h>

/**
* DOC: memfd Live Update ABI
@@ -22,9 +23,18 @@
* reboot using the LUO.
*
* The state is serialized into `struct memfd_luo_ser`
- * which is handed over to the next kernel via the KHO mechanism.
+ * which is handed over to the target kernel via the KHO mechanism.
*
- * This interface is a contract. Any modification to the structure layout
+ * This interface is a contract. The serialized state starts with an
+ * 8-byte `struct luo_ser_hdr` followed by `struct memfd_luo_ser`.
+ * The relative order and offsets of fields must remain unchanged as
+ * features are added or retired: new fields are appended at the end of
+ * `struct memfd_luo_ser` under a new feature flag, and retired fields are
+ * kept in place so subsequent offsets never shift. In the target kernel,
+ * the fields of a feature are read only after `luo_ser_get_feat()` shows
+ * the feature present.
+ *
+ * Any modification to the structure layout beyond feature extensions
* constitutes a breaking change. Such changes require incrementing the
* version number in the MEMFD_LUO_FH_COMPATIBLE string.
*/
@@ -70,6 +80,17 @@ static_assert(sizeof(struct memfd_luo_folio_ser) == 16);
F_SEAL_FUTURE_WRITE | \
F_SEAL_EXEC)

+/**
+ * enum memfd_luo_feature - Feature indices for &struct memfd_luo_ser.
+ * @MEMFD_LUO_FEAT_CORE: Core feature covering `pos`, `size`, `seals`, `flags`,
+ * `nr_folios`, `folios`, and %MEMFD_LUO_ALL_SEALS.
+ * @MEMFD_LUO_FEAT_MAX: Number of defined &enum memfd_luo_feature features.
+ */
+enum memfd_luo_feature {
+ MEMFD_LUO_FEAT_CORE = 0,
+ MEMFD_LUO_FEAT_MAX,
+};
+
/**
* struct memfd_luo_ser - Main serialization structure for a memfd.
* @pos: The file's current position (f_pos).
@@ -80,6 +101,8 @@ static_assert(sizeof(struct memfd_luo_folio_ser) == 16);
* @nr_folios: Number of folios in the folios array.
* @folios: KHO vmalloc descriptor pointing to the array of
* struct memfd_luo_folio_ser.
+ *
+ * Preceded by &struct luo_ser_hdr.
*/
struct memfd_luo_ser {
u64 pos;
@@ -92,7 +115,10 @@ struct memfd_luo_ser {

static_assert(sizeof(struct memfd_luo_ser) == 48);

+/* memfd state written by this kernel. Never cast incoming state to it. */
+DECLARE_LUO_SER_WRAP(memfd_luo_ser, 64, MEMFD_LUO_FEAT_MAX);
+
/* The compatibility string for memfd file handler */
-#define MEMFD_LUO_FH_COMPATIBLE "memfd-v2"
+#define MEMFD_LUO_FH_COMPATIBLE "memfd-v3"

#endif /* _LINUX_KHO_ABI_MEMFD_H */
diff --git a/mm/memfd_luo.c b/mm/memfd_luo.c
index 6b68220275eb..85424a5fbc20 100644
--- a/mm/memfd_luo.c
+++ b/mm/memfd_luo.c
@@ -84,6 +84,10 @@

#include "internal.h"

+static const bool memfd_luo_supported_feats[MEMFD_LUO_FEAT_MAX] = {
+ [MEMFD_LUO_FEAT_CORE] = true,
+};
+
static int memfd_luo_preserve_folios(struct file *file,
struct kho_vmalloc *kho_vmalloc,
struct memfd_luo_folio_ser **out_folios_ser,
@@ -258,6 +262,7 @@ static int memfd_luo_preserve(struct liveupdate_file_op_args *args)
{
struct inode *inode = file_inode(args->file);
struct memfd_luo_folio_ser *folios_ser;
+ struct memfd_luo_ser_wrap *wrap;
struct memfd_luo_ser *ser;
u64 nr_folios, inode_size;
int err = 0, seals;
@@ -266,9 +271,9 @@ static int memfd_luo_preserve(struct liveupdate_file_op_args *args)
shmem_freeze(inode, true);

/* Allocate the main serialization structure in preserved memory */
- ser = kho_alloc_preserve(sizeof(*ser));
- if (IS_ERR(ser)) {
- err = PTR_ERR(ser);
+ wrap = kho_alloc_preserve(sizeof(*wrap));
+ if (IS_ERR(wrap)) {
+ err = PTR_ERR(wrap);
goto err_unlock;
}

@@ -284,6 +289,10 @@ static int memfd_luo_preserve(struct liveupdate_file_op_args *args)
goto err_free_ser;
}

+ memfd_luo_ser_wrap_init(wrap);
+ luo_ser_set_feat(&wrap->hdr, MEMFD_LUO_FEAT_CORE, LUO_FEAT_REQUIRED);
+
+ ser = &wrap->ser;
ser->pos = args->file->f_pos;
inode_size = i_size_read(inode);

@@ -308,12 +317,12 @@ static int memfd_luo_preserve(struct liveupdate_file_op_args *args)
inode_unlock(inode);

args->private_data = folios_ser;
- args->serialized_data = virt_to_phys(ser);
+ args->serialized_data = virt_to_phys(wrap);

return 0;

err_free_ser:
- kho_unpreserve_free(ser);
+ kho_unpreserve_free(wrap);
err_unlock:
shmem_freeze(inode, false);
inode_unlock(inode);
@@ -322,18 +331,18 @@ static int memfd_luo_preserve(struct liveupdate_file_op_args *args)

static int memfd_luo_freeze(struct liveupdate_file_op_args *args)
{
- struct memfd_luo_ser *ser;
+ struct memfd_luo_ser_wrap *wrap;

if (WARN_ON_ONCE(!args->serialized_data))
return -EINVAL;

- ser = phys_to_virt(args->serialized_data);
+ wrap = phys_to_virt(args->serialized_data);

/*
* The pos might have changed since prepare. Everything else stays the
* same.
*/
- ser->pos = args->file->f_pos;
+ wrap->ser.pos = args->file->f_pos;

return 0;
}
@@ -341,7 +350,7 @@ static int memfd_luo_freeze(struct liveupdate_file_op_args *args)
static void memfd_luo_unpreserve(struct liveupdate_file_op_args *args)
{
struct inode *inode = file_inode(args->file);
- struct memfd_luo_ser *ser;
+ struct memfd_luo_ser_wrap *wrap;

if (WARN_ON_ONCE(!args->serialized_data))
return;
@@ -349,12 +358,12 @@ static void memfd_luo_unpreserve(struct liveupdate_file_op_args *args)
inode_lock(inode);
shmem_freeze(inode, false);

- ser = phys_to_virt(args->serialized_data);
+ wrap = phys_to_virt(args->serialized_data);

- memfd_luo_unpreserve_folios(&ser->folios, args->private_data,
- ser->nr_folios);
+ memfd_luo_unpreserve_folios(&wrap->ser.folios, args->private_data,
+ wrap->ser.nr_folios);

- kho_unpreserve_free(ser);
+ kho_unpreserve_free(wrap);
inode_unlock(inode);
}

@@ -385,6 +394,7 @@ static void memfd_luo_discard_folios(const struct memfd_luo_folio_ser *folios_se

static void memfd_luo_finish(struct liveupdate_file_op_args *args)
{
+ struct luo_ser_hdr *hdr;
struct memfd_luo_folio_ser *folios_ser;
struct memfd_luo_ser *ser;

@@ -396,10 +406,17 @@ static void memfd_luo_finish(struct liveupdate_file_op_args *args)
if (args->retrieve_status)
return;

- ser = phys_to_virt(args->serialized_data);
- if (!ser)
+ if (WARN_ON_ONCE(!args->serialized_data))
return;

+ hdr = phys_to_virt(args->serialized_data);
+ if (luo_ser_hdr_validate(hdr, memfd_luo_supported_feats,
+ ARRAY_SIZE(memfd_luo_supported_feats))) {
+ pr_warn("invalid feature header, folios not discarded\n");
+ goto out;
+ }
+
+ ser = luo_ser_payload(hdr);
if (ser->nr_folios) {
folios_ser = kho_restore_vmalloc(&ser->folios);
if (!folios_ser)
@@ -410,7 +427,7 @@ static void memfd_luo_finish(struct liveupdate_file_op_args *args)
}

out:
- kho_restore_free(ser);
+ kho_restore_free(hdr);
}

static int memfd_luo_retrieve_folios(struct file *file,
@@ -516,15 +533,26 @@ static int memfd_luo_retrieve_folios(struct file *file,

static int memfd_luo_retrieve(struct liveupdate_file_op_args *args)
{
+ struct luo_ser_hdr *hdr;
struct memfd_luo_folio_ser *folios_ser;
struct memfd_luo_ser *ser;
struct file *file;
int err;

- ser = phys_to_virt(args->serialized_data);
- if (!ser)
+ if (WARN_ON_ONCE(!args->serialized_data))
return -EINVAL;

+ hdr = phys_to_virt(args->serialized_data);
+ err = luo_ser_hdr_validate(hdr, memfd_luo_supported_feats,
+ ARRAY_SIZE(memfd_luo_supported_feats));
+ if (err) {
+ pr_err("memfd_luo_ser feature header validation failed (size=%u, nr_features=%u): %pe\n",
+ hdr->size, hdr->nr_features, ERR_PTR(err));
+ goto free_ser;
+ }
+
+ ser = luo_ser_payload(hdr);
+
/* Make sure the file only has seals supported by this version. */
if (ser->seals & ~MEMFD_LUO_ALL_SEALS) {
err = -EOPNOTSUPP;
@@ -565,14 +593,14 @@ static int memfd_luo_retrieve(struct liveupdate_file_op_args *args)
}

args->file = file;
- kho_restore_free(ser);
+ kho_restore_free(hdr);

return 0;

put_file:
fput(file);
free_ser:
- kho_restore_free(ser);
+ kho_restore_free(hdr);
return err;
}

--
2.56.0.307.g5fe7bd680c-goog