[PATCH] x86/mm: Disable W^X detection and enforcement on 32-bit

From: Dave Hansen
Date: Fri Sep 23 2022 - 18:17:39 EST


The 32-bit code is in a weird spot. Some 32-bit builds (non-PAE) do not
even have NX support. Even PAE builds that support NX have to contend
with things like EFI data and code mixed in the same pages where W+X
is unavoidable.

The folks still running X86_32=y kernels are unlikely to care much about
NX. That combined with the fundamental inability fix _all_ of the W+X
things means this code had little value on X86_32=y. Disable the checks.

Reported-by: Guenter Roeck <linux@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Signed-off-by: Dave Hansen <dave.hansen@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: Ard Biesheuvel <ardb@xxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: Darren Hart <dvhart@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: Andy Shevchenko <andy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: Thomas Gleixner <tglx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: Ingo Molnar <mingo@xxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: Borislav Petkov <bp@xxxxxxxxx>
Cc: x86@xxxxxxxxxx
Cc: linux-efi@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Cc: "H. Peter Anvin" <hpa@xxxxxxxxx>
Cc: Kees Cook <keescook@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Link: https://lore.kernel.org/all/CAMj1kXHcF_iK_g0OZSkSv56Wmr=eQGQwNstcNjLEfS=mm7a06w@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx/
---
arch/x86/mm/pat/set_memory.c | 8 ++++++++
1 file changed, 8 insertions(+)

diff --git a/arch/x86/mm/pat/set_memory.c b/arch/x86/mm/pat/set_memory.c
index 20b1e24baa85..efe882c753ca 100644
--- a/arch/x86/mm/pat/set_memory.c
+++ b/arch/x86/mm/pat/set_memory.c
@@ -587,6 +587,14 @@ static inline pgprot_t verify_rwx(pgprot_t old, pgprot_t new, unsigned long star
{
unsigned long end;

+ /*
+ * 32-bit has some unfixable W+X issues, like EFI code
+ * and writeable data being in the same page. Disable
+ * detection and enforcement there.
+ */
+ if (IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_X86_32))
+ return new;
+
/* Only enforce when NX is supported: */
if (!(__supported_pte_mask & _PAGE_NX))
return new;
--
2.34.1