[RFC PATCH v1 1/1] arm64: Implement stack trace termination record

From: madvenka
Date: Wed Mar 24 2021 - 14:47:37 EST


From: "Madhavan T. Venkataraman" <madvenka@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>

The unwinder needs to be able to reliably tell when it has reached the end
of a stack trace. One way to do this is to have the last stack frame at a
fixed offset from the base of the task stack. When the unwinder reaches
that offset, it knows it is done.

Kernel Tasks
============

All tasks except the idle task have a pt_regs structure right after the
task stack. This is called the task pt_regs. The pt_regs structure has a
special stackframe field. Make this stackframe field the last frame in the
task stack. This needs to be done in copy_thread() which initializes a new
task's pt_regs and initial CPU context.

For the idle task, there is no task pt_regs. For our purpose, we need one.
So, create a pt_regs just like other kernel tasks and make
pt_regs->stackframe the last frame in the idle task stack. This needs to be
done at two places:

- On the primary CPU, the boot task runs. It calls start_kernel()
and eventually becomes the idle task for the primary CPU. Just
before start_kernel() is called, set up the last frame.

- On each secondary CPU, a startup task runs that calls
secondary_startup_kernel() and eventually becomes the idle task
on the secondary CPU. Just before secondary_start_kernel() is
called, set up the last frame.

User Tasks
==========

User tasks are initially set up like kernel tasks when they are created.
Then, they return to userland after fork via ret_from_fork(). After that,
they enter the kernel only on an EL0 exception. (In arm64, system calls are
also EL0 exceptions). The EL0 exception handler stores state in the task
pt_regs and calls different functions based on the type of exception. The
stack trace for an EL0 exception must end at the task pt_regs. So, make
task pt_regs->stackframe as the last frame in the EL0 exception stack.

In summary, task pt_regs->stackframe is where a successful stack trace ends.

Stack trace termination
=======================

In the unwinder, terminate the stack trace successfully when
task_pt_regs(task)->stackframe is reached. For stack traces in the kernel,
this will correctly terminate the stack trace at the right place.

However, debuggers terminate the stack trace when FP == 0. In the
pt_regs->stackframe, the PC is 0 as well. So, stack traces taken in the
debugger may print an extra record 0x0 at the end. While this is not
pretty, this does not do any harm. This is a small price to pay for
having reliable stack trace termination in the kernel.

Signed-off-by: Madhavan T. Venkataraman <madvenka@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
---
arch/arm64/kernel/entry.S | 8 +++++---
arch/arm64/kernel/head.S | 28 ++++++++++++++++++++++++----
arch/arm64/kernel/process.c | 5 +++++
arch/arm64/kernel/stacktrace.c | 8 ++++----
4 files changed, 38 insertions(+), 11 deletions(-)

diff --git a/arch/arm64/kernel/entry.S b/arch/arm64/kernel/entry.S
index a31a0a713c85..e2dc2e998934 100644
--- a/arch/arm64/kernel/entry.S
+++ b/arch/arm64/kernel/entry.S
@@ -261,16 +261,18 @@ alternative_else_nop_endif
stp lr, x21, [sp, #S_LR]

/*
- * For exceptions from EL0, terminate the callchain here.
+ * For exceptions from EL0, terminate the callchain here at
+ * task_pt_regs(current)->stackframe.
+ *
* For exceptions from EL1, create a synthetic frame record so the
* interrupted code shows up in the backtrace.
*/
.if \el == 0
- mov x29, xzr
+ stp xzr, xzr, [sp, #S_STACKFRAME]
.else
stp x29, x22, [sp, #S_STACKFRAME]
- add x29, sp, #S_STACKFRAME
.endif
+ add x29, sp, #S_STACKFRAME

#ifdef CONFIG_ARM64_SW_TTBR0_PAN
alternative_if_not ARM64_HAS_PAN
diff --git a/arch/arm64/kernel/head.S b/arch/arm64/kernel/head.S
index 840bda1869e9..b8003fb9cfa5 100644
--- a/arch/arm64/kernel/head.S
+++ b/arch/arm64/kernel/head.S
@@ -393,6 +393,28 @@ SYM_FUNC_START_LOCAL(__create_page_tables)
ret x28
SYM_FUNC_END(__create_page_tables)

+ /*
+ * The boot task becomes the idle task for the primary CPU. The
+ * CPU startup task on each secondary CPU becomes the idle task
+ * for the secondary CPU.
+ *
+ * The idle task does not require pt_regs. But create a dummy
+ * pt_regs so that task_pt_regs(idle_task)->stackframe can be
+ * set up to be the last frame on the idle task stack just like
+ * all the other kernel tasks. This helps the unwinder to
+ * terminate the stack trace at a well-known stack offset.
+ *
+ * Also, set up the last return PC to be ret_from_fork() just
+ * like all the other kernel tasks so that the stack trace of
+ * all kernel tasks ends with the same function.
+ */
+ .macro setup_last_frame
+ sub sp, sp, #PT_REGS_SIZE
+ stp xzr, xzr, [sp, #S_STACKFRAME]
+ add x29, sp, #S_STACKFRAME
+ ldr x30, =ret_from_fork
+ .endm
+
/*
* The following fragment of code is executed with the MMU enabled.
*
@@ -447,8 +469,7 @@ SYM_FUNC_START_LOCAL(__primary_switched)
#endif
bl switch_to_vhe // Prefer VHE if possible
add sp, sp, #16
- mov x29, #0
- mov x30, #0
+ setup_last_frame
b start_kernel
SYM_FUNC_END(__primary_switched)

@@ -606,8 +627,7 @@ SYM_FUNC_START_LOCAL(__secondary_switched)
cbz x2, __secondary_too_slow
msr sp_el0, x2
scs_load x2, x3
- mov x29, #0
- mov x30, #0
+ setup_last_frame

#ifdef CONFIG_ARM64_PTR_AUTH
ptrauth_keys_init_cpu x2, x3, x4, x5
diff --git a/arch/arm64/kernel/process.c b/arch/arm64/kernel/process.c
index 325c83b1a24d..7ffa689e8b60 100644
--- a/arch/arm64/kernel/process.c
+++ b/arch/arm64/kernel/process.c
@@ -437,6 +437,11 @@ int copy_thread(unsigned long clone_flags, unsigned long stack_start,
}
p->thread.cpu_context.pc = (unsigned long)ret_from_fork;
p->thread.cpu_context.sp = (unsigned long)childregs;
+ /*
+ * For the benefit of the unwinder, set up childregs->stackframe
+ * as the last frame for the new task.
+ */
+ p->thread.cpu_context.fp = (unsigned long)childregs->stackframe;

ptrace_hw_copy_thread(p);

diff --git a/arch/arm64/kernel/stacktrace.c b/arch/arm64/kernel/stacktrace.c
index ad20981dfda4..a35b760a1892 100644
--- a/arch/arm64/kernel/stacktrace.c
+++ b/arch/arm64/kernel/stacktrace.c
@@ -44,16 +44,16 @@ int notrace unwind_frame(struct task_struct *tsk, struct stackframe *frame)
unsigned long fp = frame->fp;
struct stack_info info;

+ if (!tsk)
+ tsk = current;
+
/* Terminal record; nothing to unwind */
- if (!fp)
+ if (fp == (unsigned long) task_pt_regs(tsk)->stackframe)
return -ENOENT;

if (fp & 0xf)
return -EINVAL;

- if (!tsk)
- tsk = current;
-
if (!on_accessible_stack(tsk, fp, &info))
return -EINVAL;

--
2.25.1