[PATCH v3 01/26] set_memory: add folio_{zap,restore}_direct_map helpers

From: Brendan Jackman

Date: Sun Jul 26 2026 - 18:23:34 EST


From: Nikita Kalyazin <nikita.kalyazin@xxxxxxxxx>

Let's provide folio_{zap,restore}_direct_map helpers as preparation for
supporting removal of the direct map for guest_memfd folios.
In folio_zap_direct_map(), flush TLB to make sure the data is not
accessible. On some architectures, there may be a double TLB flush
issued because set_direct_map_valid_noflush already performs a flush
internally.

The new helpers need to be accessible to KVM on architectures that
support guest_memfd (x86 and arm64).

Direct map removal gives guest_memfd the same protection that
memfd_secret does, such as hardening against Spectre-like attacks
through in-kernel gadgets.

Acked-by: David Hildenbrand (Arm) <david@xxxxxxxxxx>
Signed-off-by: Nikita Kalyazin <nikita.kalyazin@xxxxxxxxx>
[Added comment, dropped modified set_direct_map API, added highmem check]
Signed-off-by: Brendan Jackman <jackmanb@xxxxxxxxxx>
---
include/linux/set_memory.h | 13 +++++++++++++
mm/memory.c | 46 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
2 files changed, 59 insertions(+)

diff --git a/include/linux/set_memory.h b/include/linux/set_memory.h
index 3030d9245f5ac..1bf2a15bca118 100644
--- a/include/linux/set_memory.h
+++ b/include/linux/set_memory.h
@@ -40,6 +40,15 @@ static inline int set_direct_map_valid_noflush(struct page *page,
return 0;
}

+static inline int folio_zap_direct_map(struct folio *folio)
+{
+ return 0;
+}
+
+static inline void folio_restore_direct_map(struct folio *folio)
+{
+}
+
static inline bool kernel_page_present(struct page *page)
{
return true;
@@ -56,6 +65,10 @@ static inline bool can_set_direct_map(void)
}
#define can_set_direct_map can_set_direct_map
#endif
+
+int folio_zap_direct_map(struct folio *folio);
+void folio_restore_direct_map(struct folio *folio);
+
#endif /* CONFIG_ARCH_HAS_SET_DIRECT_MAP */

#ifdef CONFIG_X86_64
diff --git a/mm/memory.c b/mm/memory.c
index a73af1fccb3d0..789c65a6d6a0e 100644
--- a/mm/memory.c
+++ b/mm/memory.c
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@
#include <linux/sched/sysctl.h>
#include <linux/pgalloc.h>
#include <linux/uaccess.h>
+#include <linux/set_memory.h>

#include <trace/events/kmem.h>

@@ -7758,3 +7759,48 @@ void vma_pgtable_walk_end(struct vm_area_struct *vma)
if (is_vm_hugetlb_page(vma))
hugetlb_vma_unlock_read(vma);
}
+
+#ifdef CONFIG_ARCH_HAS_SET_DIRECT_MAP
+/**
+ * folio_zap_direct_map - remove a folio from the kernel direct map
+ * @folio: folio to remove from the direct map
+ *
+ * Removes the folio from the kernel direct map and flushes the TLB. This may
+ * require splitting huge pages in the direct map, which can fail due to memory
+ * allocation. So far, only order-0 folios are supported; this guarantees
+ * the unmap is either a complete success or a total failure.
+ *
+ * Return: 0 on success, or a negative error code on failure.
+ */
+int folio_zap_direct_map(struct folio *folio)
+{
+ struct page *page = folio_page(folio, 0);
+ unsigned long addr = (unsigned long)page_address(page);
+ int ret;
+
+ if (folio_test_large(folio) || folio_test_highmem(folio))
+ return -EINVAL;
+
+ ret = set_direct_map_valid_noflush(page, 1, false);
+ flush_tlb_kernel_range(addr, addr + folio_size(folio));
+
+ return ret;
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL_FOR_MODULES(folio_zap_direct_map, "kvm");
+
+/**
+ * folio_restore_direct_map - restore the kernel direct map entry for a folio
+ * @folio: folio whose direct map entry is to be restored
+ *
+ * This may only be called after a prior successful folio_zap_direct_map() on
+ * the same folio. Because the zap will have already split any huge pages in
+ * the direct map, restoration here only updates protection bits and cannot
+ * fail.
+ */
+void folio_restore_direct_map(struct folio *folio)
+{
+ WARN_ON_ONCE(set_direct_map_valid_noflush(folio_page(folio, 0),
+ folio_nr_pages(folio), true));
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL_FOR_MODULES(folio_restore_direct_map, "kvm");
+#endif /* CONFIG_ARCH_HAS_SET_DIRECT_MAP */

--
2.54.0