[RFC PATCH v2 07/24] unwind_user/eh_frame: Add support for reading .eh_frame_hdr section
From: Jens Remus
Date: Fri Aug 21 2026 - 15:55:40 EST
In preparation for unwinding user space stacks with .eh_frame, add
basic unwind user eh_frame infrastructure and support for reading the
.eh_frame_hdr section.
The .eh_frame_hdr section provides a binary search table for efficient
lookup of Frame Description Entries (FDEs) in the .eh_frame section
based on instruction pointer (IP).
eh_frame_add_section() reads the .eh_frame_hdr section and
unconditionally returns an error, so it is not very useful yet. A
subsequent patch will improve that.
Based on Josh Poimboeuf's, Steven Rostedt's, and my unwind user sframe
implementation.
Signed-off-by: Jens Remus <jremus@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
---
Notes (jremus):
Changes in RFC v2:
- read_encoded_pointer(): Enable DW_EH_PE_absptr in combination with
relative application flags (e.g. DW_EH_PE_pcrel). (Sashiko AI)
- eh_frame_read_header(): Fix binary search table bounds check.
(Sashiko AI)
- UNSAFE_GET_USER_INC(): Improve overflow check.
MAINTAINERS | 1 +
arch/Kconfig | 3 +
include/linux/eh_frame.h | 45 +++++
kernel/unwind/Makefile | 3 +-
kernel/unwind/eh_frame.c | 366 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
kernel/unwind/eh_frame.h | 30 ++++
6 files changed, 447 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
create mode 100644 include/linux/eh_frame.h
create mode 100644 kernel/unwind/eh_frame.c
create mode 100644 kernel/unwind/eh_frame.h
diff --git a/MAINTAINERS b/MAINTAINERS
index e5738a250d63..f19f5bb87f00 100644
--- a/MAINTAINERS
+++ b/MAINTAINERS
@@ -28203,6 +28203,7 @@ M: Steven Rostedt <rostedt@xxxxxxxxxxx>
S: Maintained
F: arch/*/include/asm/unwind_user.h
F: include/asm-generic/unwind_user.h
+F: include/linux/eh_frame.h
F: include/linux/unwind*.h
F: kernel/unwind/
diff --git a/arch/Kconfig b/arch/Kconfig
index fa7507ac8e13..60542d5e5731 100644
--- a/arch/Kconfig
+++ b/arch/Kconfig
@@ -486,6 +486,9 @@ config HAVE_HARDLOCKUP_DETECTOR_ARCH
config UNWIND_USER
bool
+config HAVE_UNWIND_USER_EH_FRAME
+ bool
+
config HAVE_UNWIND_USER_FP
bool
select UNWIND_USER
diff --git a/include/linux/eh_frame.h b/include/linux/eh_frame.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..aaac2dd663d5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/linux/eh_frame.h
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+/* SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0 */
+#ifndef _LINUX_EH_FRAME_H
+#define _LINUX_EH_FRAME_H
+
+#ifdef CONFIG_HAVE_UNWIND_USER_EH_FRAME
+
+struct eh_frame_section {
+ unsigned long eh_frame_hdr_start;
+ unsigned long eh_frame_hdr_end;
+ unsigned long text_start;
+ unsigned long text_end;
+
+ /* .eh_frame_hdr information */
+ unsigned long eh_frame_start;
+ unsigned long eh_frame_vma_end;
+ unsigned long binary_search_table_start;
+ unsigned long binary_search_table_end;
+ unsigned long fde_count;
+ u8 binary_search_table_enc;
+};
+
+extern int eh_frame_add_section(unsigned long eh_frame_hdr_start,
+ unsigned long eh_frame_hdr_end,
+ unsigned long text_start,
+ unsigned long text_end);
+extern int eh_frame_remove_section(unsigned long eh_frame_hdr_start);
+
+#else /* !CONFIG_HAVE_UNWIND_USER_EH_FRAME */
+
+static inline int eh_frame_add_section(unsigned long eh_frame_hdr_start,
+ unsigned long eh_frame_hdr_end,
+ unsigned long text_start,
+ unsigned long text_end)
+{
+ return -ENOSYS;
+}
+
+static inline int eh_frame_remove_section(unsigned long eh_frame_hdr_start)
+{
+ return -ENOSYS;
+}
+
+#endif /* CONFIG_HAVE_UNWIND_USER_EH_FRAME */
+
+#endif /* _LINUX_EH_FRAME_H */
diff --git a/kernel/unwind/Makefile b/kernel/unwind/Makefile
index eae37bea54fd..2d97e2625d8a 100644
--- a/kernel/unwind/Makefile
+++ b/kernel/unwind/Makefile
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
- obj-$(CONFIG_UNWIND_USER) += user.o deferred.o
+ obj-$(CONFIG_UNWIND_USER) += user.o deferred.o
+ obj-$(CONFIG_HAVE_UNWIND_USER_EH_FRAME) += eh_frame.o
diff --git a/kernel/unwind/eh_frame.c b/kernel/unwind/eh_frame.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..f25a0923e315
--- /dev/null
+++ b/kernel/unwind/eh_frame.c
@@ -0,0 +1,366 @@
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0
+/*
+ * Userspace eh_frame access functions
+ */
+
+#define pr_fmt(fmt) "eh_frame: " fmt
+
+#include <linux/sched.h>
+#include <linux/slab.h>
+#include <linux/srcu.h>
+#include <linux/uaccess.h>
+#include <linux/mm.h>
+#include <linux/string_helpers.h>
+#include <linux/eh_frame.h>
+#include <linux/unwind_user_types.h>
+
+#include "eh_frame.h"
+
+#define dbg(fmt, ...) \
+ pr_debug("%s (%d): " fmt, current->comm, current->pid, ##__VA_ARGS__)
+
+#define UNSAFE_GET_USER_INC(to, from, end, label) \
+({ \
+ typeof(to) __to; \
+ if (sizeof(__to) > end - from) \
+ return -EINVAL; \
+ unsafe_get_user(__to, (typeof(to) __user *)from, label); \
+ from += sizeof(__to); \
+ to = __to; \
+})
+
+static __always_inline int read_uleb128(unsigned long *addr, unsigned long end,
+ unsigned long *value)
+{
+ unsigned long cur = *addr;
+ unsigned long result = 0;
+ int shift = 0;
+ u8 byte;
+
+ do {
+ if (shift >= BITS_PER_LONG)
+ return -EINVAL;
+
+ UNSAFE_GET_USER_INC(byte, cur, end, Efault);
+ result |= (unsigned long)(byte & 0x7f) << shift;
+ shift += 7;
+ } while (byte & 0x80);
+
+ *value = result;
+ *addr = cur;
+ return 0;
+
+Efault:
+ return -EFAULT;
+}
+
+static __always_inline int read_sleb128(unsigned long *addr, unsigned long end,
+ long *value)
+{
+ unsigned long cur = *addr;
+ long result = 0;
+ int shift = 0;
+ u8 byte;
+
+ do {
+ if (shift >= BITS_PER_LONG)
+ return -EINVAL;
+
+ UNSAFE_GET_USER_INC(byte, cur, end, Efault);
+ result |= (long)(byte & 0x7f) << shift;
+ shift += 7;
+ } while (byte & 0x80);
+
+ /* Sign extend if necessary */
+ if (shift < BITS_PER_LONG && (byte & 0x40))
+ result |= -(1L << shift);
+
+ *value = result;
+ *addr = cur;
+ return 0;
+
+Efault:
+ return -EFAULT;
+}
+
+static __always_inline int encoded_pointer_size(u8 encoding)
+{
+ u8 format = DW_EH_PE_format(encoding);
+
+ switch (format) {
+ case DW_EH_PE_absptr:
+ return sizeof(unsigned long);
+ case DW_EH_PE_udata2:
+ case DW_EH_PE_sdata2:
+ return 2;
+ case DW_EH_PE_udata4:
+ case DW_EH_PE_sdata4:
+ return 4;
+ case DW_EH_PE_udata8:
+ case DW_EH_PE_sdata8:
+ return 8;
+ case DW_EH_PE_uleb128:
+ case DW_EH_PE_sleb128:
+ /* Variable length */
+ return 0;
+ default:
+ return 0;
+ }
+}
+
+static __always_inline int read_encoded_pointer(struct eh_frame_section *sec,
+ unsigned long *addr,
+ unsigned long end,
+ u8 encoding,
+ unsigned long *value)
+{
+ unsigned long cur = *addr;
+ u8 format = DW_EH_PE_format(encoding);
+ u8 application = DW_EH_PE_application(encoding);
+ unsigned long result;
+ int ret;
+
+ if (encoding == DW_EH_PE_omit)
+ return -EINVAL;
+
+ /* Determine base address based on application */
+ switch (application) {
+ case 0:
+ /* Absolute */
+ result = 0;
+ break;
+ case DW_EH_PE_pcrel:
+ result = *addr;
+ break;
+ case DW_EH_PE_datarel:
+ result = sec->eh_frame_hdr_start;
+ break;
+ case DW_EH_PE_textrel:
+ result = sec->text_start;
+ break;
+ case DW_EH_PE_funcrel:
+ case DW_EH_PE_aligned:
+ return -EOPNOTSUPP;
+ default:
+ return -EINVAL;
+ }
+
+ /* Read value based on format */
+ switch (format) {
+ case DW_EH_PE_absptr: {
+ unsigned long tmp;
+ UNSAFE_GET_USER_INC(tmp, cur, end, Efault);
+ result += tmp;
+ break;
+ }
+ case DW_EH_PE_uleb128: {
+ unsigned long tmp;
+ ret = read_uleb128(&cur, end, &tmp);
+ if (ret)
+ return ret;
+ result += tmp;
+ break;
+ }
+ case DW_EH_PE_udata2: {
+ u16 tmp16;
+ UNSAFE_GET_USER_INC(tmp16, cur, end, Efault);
+ result += tmp16;
+ break;
+ }
+ case DW_EH_PE_udata4: {
+ u32 tmp32;
+ UNSAFE_GET_USER_INC(tmp32, cur, end, Efault);
+ result += tmp32;
+ break;
+ }
+ case DW_EH_PE_udata8: {
+ u64 tmp64;
+ UNSAFE_GET_USER_INC(tmp64, cur, end, Efault);
+ result += tmp64;
+ break;
+ }
+ case DW_EH_PE_sleb128: {
+ long stmp;
+ ret = read_sleb128(&cur, end, &stmp);
+ if (ret)
+ return ret;
+ result += stmp;
+ break;
+ }
+ case DW_EH_PE_sdata2: {
+ s16 stmp16;
+ UNSAFE_GET_USER_INC(stmp16, cur, end, Efault);
+ result += stmp16;
+ break;
+ }
+ case DW_EH_PE_sdata4: {
+ s32 stmp32;
+ UNSAFE_GET_USER_INC(stmp32, cur, end, Efault);
+ result += stmp32;
+ break;
+ }
+ case DW_EH_PE_sdata8: {
+ s64 stmp64;
+ UNSAFE_GET_USER_INC(stmp64, cur, end, Efault);
+ result += stmp64;
+ break;
+ }
+ default:
+ return -EINVAL;
+ }
+
+ /* Indirect (dereference) - should not occur */
+ if (encoding & DW_EH_PE_indirect)
+ return -EOPNOTSUPP;
+
+ *value = result;
+ *addr = cur;
+ return 0;
+
+Efault:
+ return -EFAULT;
+}
+
+static void free_section(struct eh_frame_section *sec)
+{
+ kfree(sec);
+}
+
+static int eh_frame_read_header(struct eh_frame_section *sec)
+{
+ struct mm_struct *mm = current->mm;
+ void __user *eh_frame_hdr = (void __user *)sec->eh_frame_hdr_start;
+ unsigned long cur = sec->eh_frame_hdr_start, end = sec->eh_frame_hdr_end;
+ unsigned long eh_frame_start, eh_frame_vma_end, table_start, table_end;
+ u8 version, eh_frame_ptr_enc, fde_count_enc, table_enc;
+ unsigned long fde_count;
+ int entry_size;
+ int ret;
+
+ /*
+ * Unaligned access to .eh_frame[_hdr] fields using
+ * unsafe_get_user() via UNSAFE_GET_USER_INC()
+ */
+ BUILD_BUG_ON(!IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_HAVE_EFFICIENT_UNALIGNED_ACCESS));
+
+ scoped_user_read_access_size(eh_frame_hdr, end - sec->eh_frame_hdr_start,
+ Efault) {
+ /* Read version */
+ UNSAFE_GET_USER_INC(version, cur, end, Efault);
+ if (version != 1)
+ return -EINVAL;
+
+ /* Read encoding information */
+ UNSAFE_GET_USER_INC(eh_frame_ptr_enc, cur, end, Efault);
+ UNSAFE_GET_USER_INC(fde_count_enc, cur, end, Efault);
+ UNSAFE_GET_USER_INC(table_enc, cur, end, Efault);
+
+ /* .eh_frame_hdr without binary search table is not supported */
+ if (fde_count_enc == DW_EH_PE_omit || table_enc == DW_EH_PE_omit)
+ return -EINVAL;
+
+ /* Read pointer to .eh_frame */
+ ret = read_encoded_pointer(sec, &cur, end,
+ eh_frame_ptr_enc, &eh_frame_start);
+ if (ret)
+ return ret;
+
+ /* Read FDE count */
+ ret = read_encoded_pointer(sec, &cur, end,
+ fde_count_enc, &fde_count);
+ if (ret)
+ return ret;
+
+ /* Determine binary search table start and end */
+ table_start = cur;
+ entry_size = 2 * encoded_pointer_size(table_enc);
+ if (!entry_size)
+ return -EINVAL;
+ if (fde_count > (end - table_start) / entry_size)
+ return -EINVAL;
+ table_end = table_start + fde_count * entry_size;
+ }
+
+ scoped_guard(mmap_read_lock, mm) {
+ struct vm_area_struct *eh_frame_vma;
+
+ eh_frame_vma = vma_lookup(mm, eh_frame_start);
+ if (!eh_frame_vma) {
+ dbg("bad eh_frame address (0x%lx)\n", eh_frame_start);
+ return -EINVAL;
+ }
+ eh_frame_vma_end = eh_frame_vma->vm_end;
+ }
+
+ sec->eh_frame_start = eh_frame_start;
+ sec->eh_frame_vma_end = eh_frame_vma_end;
+ sec->binary_search_table_start = table_start;
+ sec->binary_search_table_end = table_end;
+ sec->binary_search_table_enc = table_enc;
+ sec->fde_count = fde_count;
+
+ return 0;
+
+Efault:
+ return -EFAULT;
+}
+
+int eh_frame_add_section(unsigned long eh_frame_hdr_start,
+ unsigned long eh_frame_hdr_end,
+ unsigned long text_start,
+ unsigned long text_end)
+{
+ struct mm_struct *mm = current->mm;
+ struct eh_frame_section *sec;
+ int ret;
+
+ if (eh_frame_hdr_start >= eh_frame_hdr_end || text_start >= text_end) {
+ dbg("invalid eh_frame/text address\n");
+ return -EINVAL;
+ }
+
+ scoped_guard(mmap_read_lock, mm) {
+ struct vm_area_struct *eh_frame_hdr_vma, *text_vma;
+
+ eh_frame_hdr_vma = vma_lookup(mm, eh_frame_hdr_start);
+ if (!eh_frame_hdr_vma || eh_frame_hdr_end > eh_frame_hdr_vma->vm_end) {
+ dbg("bad eh_frame_hdr address (0x%lx - 0x%lx)\n",
+ eh_frame_hdr_start, eh_frame_hdr_end);
+ return -EINVAL;
+ }
+
+ text_vma = vma_lookup(mm, text_start);
+ if (!text_vma ||
+ !(text_vma->vm_flags & VM_EXEC) ||
+ text_end > text_vma->vm_end) {
+ dbg("bad text address (0x%lx - 0x%lx)\n",
+ text_start, text_end);
+ return -EINVAL;
+ }
+ }
+
+ sec = kzalloc(sizeof(*sec), GFP_KERNEL_ACCOUNT);
+ if (!sec)
+ return -ENOMEM;
+
+ sec->eh_frame_hdr_start = eh_frame_hdr_start;
+ sec->eh_frame_hdr_end = eh_frame_hdr_end;
+ sec->text_start = text_start;
+ sec->text_end = text_end;
+
+ ret = eh_frame_read_header(sec);
+ if (ret)
+ goto err_free;
+
+ /* TODO nowhere to store it yet - just free it and return an error */
+ ret = -ENOSYS;
+
+err_free:
+ free_section(sec);
+ return ret;
+}
+
+int eh_frame_remove_section(unsigned long eh_frame_hdr_start)
+{
+ return -ENOSYS;
+}
diff --git a/kernel/unwind/eh_frame.h b/kernel/unwind/eh_frame.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..77eda5376dfb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/kernel/unwind/eh_frame.h
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+/* SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0-or-later */
+#ifndef _EH_FRAME_H
+#define _EH_FRAME_H
+
+/* DWARF exception header pointer encodings */
+#define DW_EH_PE_omit 0xff
+/* Formats */
+#define DW_EH_PE_absptr 0x00
+#define DW_EH_PE_uleb128 0x01
+#define DW_EH_PE_udata2 0x02
+#define DW_EH_PE_udata4 0x03
+#define DW_EH_PE_udata8 0x04
+#define DW_EH_PE_sleb128 0x09
+#define DW_EH_PE_sdata2 0x0a
+#define DW_EH_PE_sdata4 0x0b
+#define DW_EH_PE_sdata8 0x0c
+/* Applications */
+#define DW_EH_PE_pcrel 0x10
+#define DW_EH_PE_textrel 0x20
+#define DW_EH_PE_datarel 0x30
+#define DW_EH_PE_funcrel 0x40
+#define DW_EH_PE_aligned 0x50
+/* Flags */
+#define DW_EH_PE_indirect 0x80
+
+/* Helpers for DWARF exception header pointer encodings */
+#define DW_EH_PE_format(encoding) ((encoding) & 0x0f)
+#define DW_EH_PE_application(encoding) ((encoding) & 0x70)
+
+#endif /* _EH_FRAME_H */
--
2.53.0