Re: [kernel-hardening] [PATCH 0/7] introduce __ro_mostly_after_init section marker

[Ho-Eun Ryu]

> On 20 Feb 2017, at 7:02 PM, Mark Rutland <mark.rutland@xxxxxxx> wrote:
> 
> On Sun, Feb 19, 2017 at 07:03:38PM +0900, Hoeun Ryu wrote:
>> After `__ro_after_init` marker is included in kernel, many kernel data
>> objects can be read-only-after-init. But there are many other places that
>> would be good to read-only-after-init but `__ro_after_init` can not be simply
>> applicable to them because they should be writable at some points, which are
>> during module_init/exit or dynamic de/registration for a specific subsystem.
> 
> Could you elaborate on this?
> 
> For modules, I assume that the __ro_after_init data structures are part
> of the module, and not part of the "real" kernel image. Is that the case?
> 

__ro_mostly_after_init is for kernel builtin core subsystems, not for modules themselves.
The section can be writable only during kernel init and module_init/exit.
Some hooks (or array of hooks) of a core subsystem can be marked as __ro_mostly_after_init
similar to that way of __ro_after_init. After that some modules that may write to those hooks of
the subsystem to register/deregister something to the subsystem can safely access those section.
Please see RFC 3/7 that makes this section writable.

In addition, some subsystems may use this marker for their (array of) hooks and make them writable
only at some point of time via set_ro_mostly_after_init_rw/ro pair.
please read RFC 4/7 for selinux.

> Which specific subsystems whish to modify data structures that are
> __ro_after_init?

Iâm not intending to make writable __ro_after_init section but introducing new section marker
that works mostly like __ro_after_init but can be written to at some points.
please see RFC 5/7 for cpuhotplug.

> 
> This sounds like the proposed mostly-ro/rarely-rw stuff would be a
> better fit for that case.
> 
> Thanks,
> Mark.
> 
>> `__ro_mostly_after_init` is basically the same to `__ro_after_init`. The
>> section is mapped as read-only after kernel init. The different thing is
>> this section is temporarily mapped as read-write during module_init/exit and
>> de/registration of a subsystem using set_ro_mostly_after_init_rw/ro pair.
>> 
>> - Tested only on arm64.
>> 
>> Description:
>>  0001 patch is `__ro_mostly_after_init` itself.
>>  0002 patch is to add set_ro_mostly_after_init_rw/ro pair using
>>    set_memory_rw/ro.
>>  0003 patch is to make the section read-write in module_init/exit.
>>  0004 patch is an example for dynamic init/deinit of a subsystem.
>>  0005 patch is an example for __ro_mostly_after_init section modified during
>>    module_init/exit.
>>  0006/0007 patches are fixes for arm64 kernel mapping.
>> 
>> Hoeun Ryu (7):
>>  arch: add __ro_mostly_after_init section marker
>>  init: add set_ro_mostly_after_init_rw/ro function
>>  module: modify memory attrs for __ro_mostly_after_init during
>>    module_init/exit
>>  selinux: mark __ro_mostly_after_init for selinux_hooks/selinux_nf_ops
>>  cpu: mark ro_mostly_after_init for cpuhp_ap/bp_states
>>  arm64: add __map_kernel_segment to accept additional vm flags
>>  arm64: map seperately rodata sections for __ro_mostly_after_init
>>    section
>> 
>> arch/arm64/mm/mmu.c               | 44 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++-------
>> include/asm-generic/sections.h    |  1 +
>> include/asm-generic/vmlinux.lds.h | 10 +++++++++
>> include/linux/cache.h             | 11 ++++++++++
>> include/linux/init.h              |  6 ++++++
>> init/main.c                       | 24 +++++++++++++++++++++
>> kernel/cpu.c                      |  4 ++--
>> kernel/module.c                   | 10 +++++++--
>> security/selinux/hooks.c          |  8 +++++--
>> 9 files changed, 105 insertions(+), 13 deletions(-)
>> 
>> -- 
>> 2.7.4
>>