From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: from mail-lj1-f200.google.com (mail-lj1-f200.google.com [209.85.208.200]) by kanga.kvack.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 752A78E0001 for ; Fri, 21 Dec 2018 13:14:58 -0500 (EST) Received: by mail-lj1-f200.google.com with SMTP id k22-v6so1860789ljk.12 for ; Fri, 21 Dec 2018 10:14:58 -0800 (PST) Received: from mail-sor-f65.google.com (mail-sor-f65.google.com. [209.85.220.65]) by mx.google.com with SMTPS id p12sor7472827lfk.37.2018.12.21.10.14.56 for (Google Transport Security); Fri, 21 Dec 2018 10:14:56 -0800 (PST) From: Igor Stoppa Subject: [PATCH 06/12] __wr_after_init: Documentation: self-protection Date: Fri, 21 Dec 2018 20:14:17 +0200 Message-Id: <20181221181423.20455-7-igor.stoppa@huawei.com> In-Reply-To: <20181221181423.20455-1-igor.stoppa@huawei.com> References: <20181221181423.20455-1-igor.stoppa@huawei.com> Reply-To: Igor Stoppa MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Sender: owner-linux-mm@kvack.org List-ID: To: Andy Lutomirski , Matthew Wilcox , Peter Zijlstra , Dave Hansen , Mimi Zohar , Thiago Jung Bauermann Cc: igor.stoppa@huawei.com, Nadav Amit , Kees Cook , Ahmed Soliman , linux-integrity@vger.kernel.org, kernel-hardening@lists.openwall.com, linux-mm@kvack.org, linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Update the self-protection documentation, to mention also the use of the __wr_after_init attribute. Signed-off-by: Igor Stoppa CC: Andy Lutomirski CC: Nadav Amit CC: Matthew Wilcox CC: Peter Zijlstra CC: Kees Cook CC: Dave Hansen CC: Mimi Zohar CC: Thiago Jung Bauermann CC: Ahmed Soliman CC: linux-integrity@vger.kernel.org CC: kernel-hardening@lists.openwall.com CC: linux-mm@kvack.org CC: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org --- Documentation/security/self-protection.rst | 14 ++++++++------ 1 file changed, 8 insertions(+), 6 deletions(-) diff --git a/Documentation/security/self-protection.rst b/Documentation/security/self-protection.rst index f584fb74b4ff..df2614bc25b9 100644 --- a/Documentation/security/self-protection.rst +++ b/Documentation/security/self-protection.rst @@ -84,12 +84,14 @@ For variables that are initialized once at ``__init`` time, these can be marked with the (new and under development) ``__ro_after_init`` attribute. -What remains are variables that are updated rarely (e.g. GDT). These -will need another infrastructure (similar to the temporary exceptions -made to kernel code mentioned above) that allow them to spend the rest -of their lifetime read-only. (For example, when being updated, only the -CPU thread performing the update would be given uninterruptible write -access to the memory.) +Others, which are statically allocated, but still need to be updated +rarely, can be marked with the ``__wr_after_init`` attribute. + +The update mechanism must avoid exposing the data to rogue alterations +during the update. For example, only the CPU thread performing the update +would be given uninterruptible write access to the memory. + +Currently there is no protection available for data allocated dynamically. Segregation of kernel memory from userspace memory ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ -- 2.19.1