[tip: objtool/core] objtool/klp: Allow new references to module exports

[tip-bot2 for Joe Lawrence]

The following commit has been merged into the objtool/core branch of tip:

Commit-ID:     72d76d0c18ebd40f6a32df875ff40528564849c1
Gitweb:        https://git.kernel.org/tip/72d76d0c18ebd40f6a32df875ff40528564849c1
Author:        Joe Lawrence <joe.lawrence@xxxxxxxxxx>
AuthorDate:    Fri, 07 Aug 2026 14:37:52 -07:00
Committer:     Josh Poimboeuf <jpoimboe@xxxxxxxxxx>
CommitterDate: Tue, 11 Aug 2026 16:10:51 -07:00

objtool/klp: Allow new references to module exports

klp_reloc_needed() returns true for module exports to support
late-module patching.  However, clone_reloc_klp() unconditionally
rejects symbols without a twin (i.e., new references added by the
patch), even when the symbol is a known export from Module.symvers.

Relax the check: allow new references to exported symbols by only
erroring on !twin when there is no export.  The export metadata from
Module.symvers provides sufficient context to emit the klp-relocation
without a twin.

For a module export that isn't sufficient on its own though, as the
resulting klp relocation will only be resolved at patch-enable time if
the exporting module is loaded.

If the original (unpatched) module already depends on the exporting
module, the dependency is safe: the module loader ensures the dependency
is satisfied before the patched module can be loaded, so the
klp relocation target will exist.

However, if the patch introduces a reference to a module that the
original doesn't depend on, there is no such guarantee.  The exporting
module could be absent or could be unloaded at any time, leading to a
relocation failure or use-after-free.

So also add a build-time check: when a new symbol reference (no twin)
targets a module export, verify that the original module already has at
least one UNDEF symbol resolving to that same exporting module.  If not,
error out with a diagnostic message.

Signed-off-by: Joe Lawrence <joe.lawrence@xxxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Song Liu <song@xxxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Joe Lawrence <joe.lawrence@xxxxxxxxxx>
Link: https://patch.msgid.link/e0d725acb4774747f0e271308b4ca33daae2d5db.1786138493.git.jpoimboe@xxxxxxxxxx
Signed-off-by: Josh Poimboeuf <jpoimboe@xxxxxxxxxx>
---
 tools/objtool/klp-diff.c | 35 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++--
 1 file changed, 33 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)

diff --git a/tools/objtool/klp-diff.c b/tools/objtool/klp-diff.c
index a7cdba0..0211e5c 100644
--- a/tools/objtool/klp-diff.c
+++ b/tools/objtool/klp-diff.c
@@ -1296,6 +1296,28 @@ static int convert_reloc_sym(struct elf *elf, struct reloc *reloc)
 }
 
 /*
+ * Check if the original module already has a dependency on dep_mod, i.e. it
+ * already references at least one export from that module.
+ */
+static bool has_module_dep(struct elfs *e, const char *dep_mod)
+{
+	struct symbol *sym;
+
+	for_each_sym(e->orig, sym) {
+		struct export *exp;
+
+		if (!is_undef_sym(sym) || is_weak_sym(sym))
+			continue;
+
+		exp = find_export(sym);
+		if (exp && !strcmp(exp->mod, dep_mod))
+			return true;
+	}
+
+	return false;
+}
+
+/*
  * Convert a regular relocation to a klp relocation (sort of).
  */
 static int clone_reloc_klp(struct elfs *e, struct reloc *patched_reloc,
@@ -1314,8 +1336,17 @@ static int clone_reloc_klp(struct elfs *e, struct reloc *patched_reloc,
 	unsigned long sympos;
 
 	if (!patched_sym->twin) {
-		ERROR("unexpected klp reloc for new symbol %s", patched_sym->name);
-		return -1;
+		if (!export) {
+			ERROR("unexpected klp reloc for new symbol %s", patched_sym->name);
+			return -1;
+		}
+
+		if (strcmp(export->mod, "vmlinux") &&
+		    !has_module_dep(e, export->mod)) {
+			ERROR("%s: new reference to %s (exported by %s) would create an undeclared module dependency",
+			      patched_sym->name, export->sym, export->mod);
+			return -1;
+		}
 	}
 
 	/*