Re: [PATCHv2 2/2] kernel/kexec: Fix IMA when allocation happens in CMA area

Pingfan Liu
2025-11-07T05:13:38Z

On Fri, Nov 7, 2025 at 9:51 AM Baoquan He <bhe@redhat.com> wrote:
>
> On 11/06/25 at 06:01pm, Pingfan Liu wrote:
> > On Thu, Nov 6, 2025 at 4:01 PM Baoquan He <bhe@redhat.com> wrote:
> > >
> > > On 11/06/25 at 02:59pm, Pingfan Liu wrote:
> > > > When I tested kexec with the latest kernel, I ran into the following warning:
> > > >
> > > > [ 40.712410] ------------[ cut here ]------------
> > > > [ 40.712576] WARNING: CPU: 2 PID: 1562 at kernel/kexec_core.c:1001 kimage_map_segment+0x144/0x198
> > > > [...]
> > > > [ 40.816047] Call trace:
> > > > [ 40.818498] kimage_map_segment+0x144/0x198 (P)
> > > > [ 40.823221] ima_kexec_post_load+0x58/0xc0
> > > > [ 40.827246] __do_sys_kexec_file_load+0x29c/0x368
> > > > [...]
> > > > [ 40.855423] ---[ end trace 0000000000000000 ]---
> > > >
> > > > This is caused by the fact that kexec allocates the destination directly
> > > > in the CMA area. In that case, the CMA kernel address should be exported
> > > > directly to the IMA component, instead of using the vmalloc'd address.
> > >
> > > Well, you didn't update the log accordingly.
> > >
> >
> > I am not sure what you mean. Do you mean the earlier content which I
> > replied to you?
>
> No. In v1, you return cma directly. But in v2, you return its direct
> mapping address, isnt' it?
>

Yes. But I think it is a fault in the code, which does not convey the
expression in the commit log. Do you think I should rephrase the words
"the CMA kernel address" as "the CMA kernel direct mapping address"?

> >
> > > Do you know why cma area can't be mapped into vmalloc?
> > >
> > Should not the kernel direct mapping be used?
>
> When image->segment_cma[i] has value, image->ima_buffer_addr also
> contains the physical address of the cma area, why cma physical address
> can't be mapped into vmalloc and cause the failure and call trace?
>

It could be done using the vmalloc approach, but it's unnecessary.
IIUC, kimage_map_segment() was introduced to provide a contiguous
virtual address for IMA access, since the IND_SRC pages are scattered
throughout the kernel. However, in the CMA case, there is already a
contiguous virtual address in the kernel direct mapping range.
Normally, when we have a physical address, we simply use
phys_to_virt() to get its corresponding kernel virtual address.

Thanks,

Pingfan