[PATCH bpf-next v3 0/7] bpf: Add user memory access kfuncs for mm_struct

From: Anastasios Papagiannis

Date: Mon Aug 31 2026 - 05:52:25 EST


On MMU systems, during exec, argument and environment strings are copied
into the new address space held by struct linux_binprm before that address
space is installed on the task_struct. Existing eBPF user memory helpers
only support reading from the old address space (i.e. current process),
and for this reason programs cannot access these strings from the
bprm_check_security LSM hook.

This series adds two sleepable BPF kfuncs for copying bytes or
NUL-terminated strings from a trusted struct mm_struct. It also marks
linux_binprm->mm as trusted-or-null, allowing BPF LSM programs to pass it
to the kfuncs after a NULL check and inspect exec arguments before
allowing the exec to continue.

Changing bprm->mm to trusted-or-null would otherwise reject existing BPF
programs that read through it without a NULL check. Preserve that behavior
by allowing fault-protected reads through trusted-or-null BTF pointers.
Pointer arithmetic, writes, and passing the pointer to a kfunc that
requires a non-NULL trusted argument continue to require an explicit
NULL check.

On NOMMU systems, exec argument and environment strings remain in
bprm->page[] until they are transferred to the new process stack. They
cannot be accessed through bprm->mm at the bprm_check_security hook.
The new kfuncs remain available on NOMMU for address ranges represented
by a supplied struct mm_struct.

The series also adds selftests covering both kfuncs when reading argument
and environment strings, and verifier tests covering trusted-or-null BTF
pointer reads.

Changes in v3:
- Replace the linux_binprm-specific kfuncs with generic struct mm_struct
kfuncs, as suggested by Andrii Nakryiko.
- Move the kfuncs next to the existing user memory helpers and make the
task-based variants delegate to the new mm-based implementations, as
suggested by Andrii Nakryiko.
- Clear bprm->mm before dropping its reference on exec error paths.
- Mark linux_binprm->mm as trusted-or-null.
- Allow fault-protected reads through trusted-or-null BTF pointers to
preserve compatibility with existing BPF programs, as suggested by
Andrii Nakryiko.
- Add verifier and runtime selftests for trusted-or-null BTF pointer
reads.
- Rename __copy_remote_vm_str() to __copy_remote_mm_str(), as suggested
by Andrii Nakryiko.
- Clarify that reading exec strings through bprm->mm is limited to MMU
systems, while the generic mm-based kfuncs remain available on NOMMU.

Changes in v2:
- Register the kfuncs on NOMMU systems and return -EOPNOTSUPP when called,
as suggested by Justin Suess.
- Add selftest coverage for reading environment strings, as suggested by
Justin Suess.
- Clarify that copy_remote_mm_str() leaves the destination untouched when
called with a zero-length buffer.
- Use sizeof() instead of hardcoded argument lengths in the selftests.
- Use ~0ULL for invalid-flags checks in the selftests.

v2:
https://lore.kernel.org/bpf/20260820131801.68759-1-tasos.papagiannnis@xxxxxxxxx/

v1:
https://lore.kernel.org/bpf/20260812111140.7762-1-tasos.papagiannnis@xxxxxxxxx/

Anastasios Papagiannis (7):
mm: Add copy_remote_mm_str()
bpf: Add user memory access kfuncs for mm_struct
exec: Clear bprm->mm before dropping its reference
bpf: Allow reads through trusted-or-null BTF pointers
selftests/bpf: Cover trusted-or-null BTF pointer reads
bpf: Mark linux_binprm->mm as trusted-or-null
selftests/bpf: Test mm_struct user memory kfuncs with linux_binprm

fs/exec.c | 7 +-
include/linux/bpf_verifier.h | 9 +-
include/linux/mm.h | 2 +
kernel/bpf/helpers.c | 115 ++++++++++++++--
kernel/bpf/verifier.c | 17 ++-
mm/memory.c | 33 ++++-
mm/nommu.c | 33 ++++-
.../selftests/bpf/prog_tests/bpf_iter.c | 6 +-
.../bpf/prog_tests/copy_from_user_bprm.c | 72 ++++++++++
.../prog_tests/test_struct_ops_maybe_null.c | 12 +-
.../bpf/prog_tests/tp_btf_nullable.c | 28 ++++
.../selftests/bpf/progs/copy_from_user_bprm.c | 123 ++++++++++++++++++
.../selftests/bpf/progs/raw_tp_null_fail.c | 63 ++++++++-
.../bpf/progs/test_tp_btf_nullable.c | 17 ++-
.../bpf/progs/test_tp_btf_nullable_runtime.c | 35 +++++
.../selftests/bpf/progs/verifier_lsm.c | 19 ++-
.../selftests/bpf/progs/verifier_vfs_accept.c | 13 ++
.../selftests/bpf/progs/verifier_vfs_reject.c | 14 --
.../selftests/bpf/test_kmods/bpf_testmod.c | 1 +
.../testing/selftests/sched_ext/maybe_null.c | 6 +-
20 files changed, 566 insertions(+), 59 deletions(-)
create mode 100644 tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/copy_from_user_bprm.c
create mode 100644 tools/testing/selftests/bpf/progs/copy_from_user_bprm.c
create mode 100644 tools/testing/selftests/bpf/progs/test_tp_btf_nullable_runtime.c


base-commit: d761934c9483ecde93fe99d8705282f716dfee50
--
2.55.0