From: Daniel Borkmann <daniel@iogearbox.net>
To: ast@kernel.org
Cc: memxor@gmail.com, eddyz87@gmail.com, info@starlabs.sg,
bpf@vger.kernel.org
Subject: [PATCH bpf v2 1/4] bpf: Add KF_PERFMON kfunc flag
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 2026 23:35:07 +0200 [thread overview]
Message-ID: <20260910213510.49358-1-daniel@iogearbox.net> (raw)
Tracing related BPF helpers e.g. under bpf_base_func_proto() are gated
behind CAP_PERFMON. However, the same is currently not true for kfuncs
and they are accessible via plain CAP_BPF. Add a new KF_PERFMON flag
which can be used such that check_kfunc_call() ensures env->allow_ptr_leaks
is permitted. This follows similar pattern to existing KF_DESTRUCTIVE flag.
The rejection returns -EPERM to match the other CAP_PERFMON gates in the
verifier, that is, check_ptr_to_btf_access() and check_ptr_to_map_access(),
which report the very same policy to user space.
Signed-off-by: Daniel Borkmann <daniel@iogearbox.net>
---
Documentation/bpf/kfuncs.rst | 10 ++++++++++
include/linux/btf.h | 1 +
kernel/bpf/verifier.c | 14 ++++++++++++++
3 files changed, 25 insertions(+)
diff --git a/Documentation/bpf/kfuncs.rst b/Documentation/bpf/kfuncs.rst
index 85f73e0bbd0f..6691fe8a32c3 100644
--- a/Documentation/bpf/kfuncs.rst
+++ b/Documentation/bpf/kfuncs.rst
@@ -486,6 +486,16 @@ Example usage in BPF program:
/* note that the last argument is omitted */
bpf_task_work_schedule_signal(task, &work->tw, &arrmap, task_work_callback);
+2.5.10 KF_PERFMON flag
+----------------------
+
+The KF_PERFMON flag is used for kfuncs that can expose kernel memory or kernel
+addresses to the BPF program, for example by reading through a pointer that the
+verifier does not check. Calling such a kfunc requires CAP_PERFMON, or
+CAP_SYS_ADMIN, in the same way that the equivalent BPF helpers are gated in
+bpf_base_func_proto(). A program loaded with CAP_BPF alone is rejected at load
+time.
+
2.6 Registering the kfuncs
--------------------------
diff --git a/include/linux/btf.h b/include/linux/btf.h
index 89d5a5c4f117..7c62ea17b116 100644
--- a/include/linux/btf.h
+++ b/include/linux/btf.h
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@
#define KF_ARENA_ARG2 (1 << 15) /* kfunc takes an arena pointer as its second argument */
#define KF_IMPLICIT_ARGS (1 << 16) /* kfunc has implicit arguments supplied by the verifier */
#define KF_SPINLOCK_SAFE (1 << 17) /* kfunc is allowed inside bpf_spin_lock-ed region */
+#define KF_PERFMON (1 << 18) /* kfunc requires CAP_PERFMON */
/*
* Tag marking a kernel function as a kfunc. This is meant to minimize the
diff --git a/kernel/bpf/verifier.c b/kernel/bpf/verifier.c
index 72a3f5998dd2..939e535a3442 100644
--- a/kernel/bpf/verifier.c
+++ b/kernel/bpf/verifier.c
@@ -11356,6 +11356,11 @@ static bool is_kfunc_destructive(struct bpf_call_arg_meta *meta)
return meta->kfunc_flags & KF_DESTRUCTIVE;
}
+static bool is_kfunc_perfmon(struct bpf_call_arg_meta *meta)
+{
+ return meta->kfunc_flags & KF_PERFMON;
+}
+
static bool is_kfunc_rcu(struct bpf_call_arg_meta *meta)
{
return meta->kfunc_flags & KF_RCU;
@@ -13834,6 +13839,15 @@ static int check_kfunc_call(struct bpf_verifier_env *env, struct bpf_insn *insn,
return -EACCES;
}
+ if (is_kfunc_perfmon(&meta) && !env->allow_ptr_leaks) {
+ verbose(env, "%s is allowed only to CAP_PERFMON and CAP_SYS_ADMIN\n",
+ func_name);
+ operation = bpf_diag_fmt(env, "kfunc %s", func_name);
+ bpf_diag_policy(env, insn_idx, operation, "the kfunc requires CAP_PERFMON",
+ "Load the program with CAP_PERFMON, or avoid the kfunc.");
+ return -EPERM;
+ }
+
sleepable = bpf_is_kfunc_sleepable(&meta);
if (sleepable && !in_sleepable(env)) {
verbose(env, "program must be sleepable to call sleepable kfunc %s\n", func_name);
--
2.43.0
next reply other threads:[~2026-09-10 21:35 UTC|newest]
Thread overview: 9+ messages / expand[flat|nested] mbox.gz Atom feed top
2026-09-10 21:35 Daniel Borkmann [this message]
2026-09-10 21:35 ` [PATCH bpf v2 2/4] bpf: Require CAP_PERFMON for kfuncs reading memory Daniel Borkmann
2026-09-10 21:45 ` sashiko-bot
2026-09-10 22:33 ` bot+bpf-ci
2026-09-10 21:35 ` [PATCH bpf v2 3/4] bpf: Require CAP_PERFMON for untrusted read-only memory reads Daniel Borkmann
2026-09-10 22:33 ` bot+bpf-ci
2026-09-10 21:35 ` [PATCH bpf v2 4/4] selftests/bpf: Add tests for the KF_PERFMON gates Daniel Borkmann
2026-09-10 22:33 ` bot+bpf-ci
2026-09-11 0:00 ` [PATCH bpf v2 1/4] bpf: Add KF_PERFMON kfunc flag patchwork-bot+netdevbpf
Reply instructions:
You may reply publicly to this message via plain-text email
using any one of the following methods:
* Save the following mbox file, import it into your mail client,
and reply-to-all from there: mbox
Avoid top-posting and favor interleaved quoting:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Posting_style#Interleaved_style
* Reply using the --to, --cc, and --in-reply-to
switches of git-send-email(1):
git send-email \
--in-reply-to=20260910213510.49358-1-daniel@iogearbox.net \
--to=daniel@iogearbox.net \
--cc=ast@kernel.org \
--cc=bpf@vger.kernel.org \
--cc=eddyz87@gmail.com \
--cc=info@starlabs.sg \
--cc=memxor@gmail.com \
/path/to/YOUR_REPLY
https://kernel.org/pub/software/scm/git/docs/git-send-email.html
* If your mail client supports setting the In-Reply-To header
via mailto: links, try the mailto: link
Be sure your reply has a Subject: header at the top and a blank line
before the message body.
This is a public inbox, see mirroring instructions
for how to clone and mirror all data and code used for this inbox