mmap to address zero with MAP_FIXED returns ENOPERM for non-rootusers?

[Eric Smith]

I'm doing some work with binary translation of an executable from a 
non-x86 microcontroller to run in an x86 process, and need to have part 
of the memory map match that of the microcontroller.  This includes 
having some memory at virtual address zero.  I know why this isn't 
usually a good idea, and why mmap() won't give that out without MAP_FIXED.

However, when I try an anonymous mmap() to virtual address zero with 
MAP_FIXED, I get ENOPERM unless running as superuser.

Is this deliberate?  I really don't want to have to run my translated 
executable as superuser.

strace shows the system call, so I don't think glibc is the culprit.

I'm running Fedora 14 with kernel 2.6.35.6-48.fc14.x86_64.  I'm 
compiling with gcc 4.5.1 with the -m32 option to get a 32-bit 
executable, which I'm then running on the 64-bit kernel.  However, I 
seem to get the same behavior if I build a 64-bit executable.  My 
trivial test program is below.

Thanks!
Eric




#include <stdint.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <string.h>
#include <sys/mman.h>

int main (int argc, char *argv [])
{
  void *p;
  int fd = -1;
  int offset = 0;

  uint32_t addr;
  uint32_t length;

  if (argc != 3)
    {
      fprintf (stderr, "usage: %s <addr> <length>\n", argv [0]);
      return 1;
    }

  addr = strtoul (argv [1], NULL, 0);
  length = strtoul (argv [2], NULL, 0);

  printf ("attempting to create anonymous mapping at addr 0x%08x, 
length 0x%08x\n", addr, length);

  p = mmap ((void *) addr,
        length,
        PROT_READ | PROT_WRITE,
        MAP_PRIVATE | MAP_ANONYMOUS | MAP_FIXED,
        fd,
        offset);

  if (p == MAP_FAILED)
    {
      perror ("mapping failed");
      return 2;
    }

  printf ("mapped at address 0x%08x\n", (uint32_t) p);
  return 0;
}

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