Re: [PATCH v2 5/5] exec: Add a exec_update_mutex to replace cred_guard_mutex

[Eric W. Biederman]

Bernd Edlinger <bernd.edlinger@xxxxxxxxxx> writes:

> On 3/8/20 10:38 PM, Eric W. Biederman wrote:
>> 
>> The cred_guard_mutex is problematic.  The cred_guard_mutex is held
>> over the userspace accesses as the arguments from userspace are read.
>> The cred_guard_mutex is held of PTRACE_EVENT_EXIT as the the other
                                ^ over
>
> ... is held while waiting for the trace parent to handle PTRACE_EVENT_EXIT
> or something?

Yes.  Let me see if I can phrase that better.

> I wonder if we also should mention that
> it is held while waiting for the trace parent to
> receive the exit code with "wait"?

I don't think we have to spell out the details of how it all works,
unless that makes things clearer.  Kernel developers can be expected
to figure out how the kernel works.  The critical thing is that it is
an indefinite wait for userspace to take action.

But I will look.

>> threads are killed.  The cred_guard_mutex is held over
>> "put_user(0, tsk->clear_child_tid)" in exit_mm().
>> 
>> Any of those can result in deadlock, as the cred_guard_mutex is held
>> over a possible indefinite userspace waits for userspace.
>> 
>> Add exec_update_mutex that is only held over exec updating process
>
> Add ?

Yes.  That is what the change does: add exec_update_mutex.

>> with the new contents of exec, so that code that needs not to be
>> confused by exec changing the mm and the cred in ways that can not
>> happen during ordinary execution of a process.
>> 
>> The plan is to switch the users of cred_guard_mutex to
>> exec_udpate_mutex one by one.  This lets us move forward while still
>
> s/udpate/update/

Yes.  Very much so.

Eric