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From: Li Chen <me@linux.beauty>
To: Christian Brauner <brauner@kernel.org>,
	Kees Cook <kees@kernel.org>,
	Alexander Viro <viro@zeniv.linux.org.uk>
Cc: linux-fsdevel@vger.kernel.org, linux-api@vger.kernel.org,
	linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org, linux-mm@kvack.org,
	linux-arch@vger.kernel.org, linux-doc@vger.kernel.org,
	linux-kselftest@vger.kernel.org, x86@kernel.org,
	Arnd Bergmann <arnd@arndb.de>, Andy Lutomirski <luto@kernel.org>,
	Thomas Gleixner <tglx@kernel.org>, Ingo Molnar <mingo@redhat.com>,
	Borislav Petkov <bp@alien8.de>,
	Dave Hansen <dave.hansen@linux.intel.com>,
	"H. Peter Anvin" <hpa@zytor.com>, Jan Kara <jack@suse.cz>,
	Jonathan Corbet <corbet@lwn.net>,
	Shuah Khan <skhan@linuxfoundation.org>, Li Chen <me@linux.beauty>
Subject: [RFC PATCH v1 07/13] exec: validate spawn template executable identity
Date: Thu, 28 May 2026 17:52:28 +0800	[thread overview]
Message-ID: <20260528095235.2491226-8-me@linux.beauty> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <20260528095235.2491226-1-me@linux.beauty>

Record a conservative executable identity key when a template is created:
device, inode, size, mode, owner, ctime, and mtime. Recheck it before
each spawn. For path-created templates, also reopen the path so a replaced
executable cannot silently reuse the old template fd.
Reject stale templates with ESTALE. Keep the check conservative by also
rechecking that the file remains a regular executable mapping target.

Signed-off-by: Li Chen <me@linux.beauty>
---
 MAINTAINERS                    |  1 +
 fs/spawn_template.c            | 75 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 include/linux/spawn_template.h | 25 ++++++++++++
 3 files changed, 101 insertions(+)
 create mode 100644 include/linux/spawn_template.h

diff --git a/MAINTAINERS b/MAINTAINERS
index d5441812825c3..ea4134a188779 100644
--- a/MAINTAINERS
+++ b/MAINTAINERS
@@ -9737,6 +9737,7 @@ F:	fs/tests/binfmt_*_kunit.c
 F:	fs/tests/exec_kunit.c
 F:	include/linux/binfmts.h
 F:	include/linux/elf.h
+F:	include/linux/spawn_template.h
 F:	include/uapi/linux/auxvec.h
 F:	include/uapi/linux/binfmts.h
 F:	include/uapi/linux/elf.h
diff --git a/fs/spawn_template.c b/fs/spawn_template.c
index 8c3711929cffb..268f804227987 100644
--- a/fs/spawn_template.c
+++ b/fs/spawn_template.c
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 #include <linux/sched/task.h>
 #include <linux/signal.h>
 #include <linux/slab.h>
+#include <linux/spawn_template.h>
 #include <linux/string.h>
 #include <linux/syscalls.h>
 #include <linux/uaccess.h>
@@ -27,6 +28,7 @@
 
 struct spawn_template {
 	struct file *exec_file;
+	struct spawn_template_file_key exec_key;
 	const struct cred *creator_cred;
 	char *filename;
 	bool deny_write;
@@ -40,6 +42,46 @@ struct spawn_template_spawn_context {
 
 static const struct file_operations spawn_template_fops;
 
+static bool spawn_template_file_exec_allowed(struct file *file);
+
+void spawn_template_fill_file_key(struct file *file,
+				  struct spawn_template_file_key *key)
+{
+	struct inode *inode = file_inode(file);
+	struct timespec64 ctime = inode_get_ctime(inode);
+	struct timespec64 mtime = inode_get_mtime(inode);
+
+	key->dev = inode->i_sb->s_dev;
+	key->ino = inode->i_ino;
+	key->size = i_size_read(inode);
+	key->mode = READ_ONCE(inode->i_mode);
+	key->uid = inode->i_uid;
+	key->gid = inode->i_gid;
+	key->ctime_sec = ctime.tv_sec;
+	key->ctime_nsec = ctime.tv_nsec;
+	key->mtime_sec = mtime.tv_sec;
+	key->mtime_nsec = mtime.tv_nsec;
+}
+
+bool spawn_template_file_key_matches(struct file *file,
+				     const struct spawn_template_file_key *key)
+{
+	struct spawn_template_file_key cur;
+
+	spawn_template_fill_file_key(file, &cur);
+
+	return cur.dev == key->dev &&
+	       cur.ino == key->ino &&
+	       cur.size == key->size &&
+	       cur.mode == key->mode &&
+	       uid_eq(cur.uid, key->uid) &&
+	       gid_eq(cur.gid, key->gid) &&
+	       cur.ctime_sec == key->ctime_sec &&
+	       cur.ctime_nsec == key->ctime_nsec &&
+	       cur.mtime_sec == key->mtime_sec &&
+	       cur.mtime_nsec == key->mtime_nsec;
+}
+
 static int spawn_template_exit_status(int err)
 {
 	switch (err) {
@@ -58,6 +100,32 @@ static bool spawn_template_cred_matches(struct spawn_template *tmpl)
 	return current_cred() == tmpl->creator_cred;
 }
 
+static bool spawn_template_key_matches(struct spawn_template *tmpl)
+{
+	bool matches;
+
+	if (tmpl->filename) {
+		struct file *file __free(fput) = NULL;
+		struct file *tmp;
+
+		tmp = open_exec(tmpl->filename);
+		if (IS_ERR(tmp))
+			return false;
+		file = tmp;
+
+		matches = spawn_template_file_key_matches(file,
+							  &tmpl->exec_key);
+		matches = matches && spawn_template_file_exec_allowed(file);
+		exe_file_allow_write_access(file);
+		if (!matches)
+			return false;
+	}
+
+	return spawn_template_file_exec_allowed(tmpl->exec_file) &&
+	       spawn_template_file_key_matches(tmpl->exec_file,
+					       &tmpl->exec_key);
+}
+
 static int spawn_template_copy_signal_set(const struct spawn_template_action *action,
 					  sigset_t *mask)
 {
@@ -433,6 +501,7 @@ SYSCALL_DEFINE2(spawn_template_create,
 						 &tmpl->deny_write);
 	if (ret)
 		goto out_free_tmpl;
+	spawn_template_fill_file_key(tmpl->exec_file, &tmpl->exec_key);
 
 	if (args.flags & SPAWN_TEMPLATE_CREATE_CLOEXEC)
 		fd_flags |= O_CLOEXEC;
@@ -507,6 +576,11 @@ SYSCALL_DEFINE3(spawn_template_spawn, int, template_fd,
 	if (ret)
 		goto out_free_ctx;
 
+	if (!spawn_template_key_matches(ctx->tmpl)) {
+		ret = -ESTALE;
+		goto out_free_actions;
+	}
+
 	kargs = (struct kernel_clone_args) {
 		.flags		= CLONE_VM | CLONE_VFORK | CLONE_PIDFD,
 		.pidfd		= u64_to_user_ptr(ctx->args.pidfd),
@@ -517,6 +591,7 @@ SYSCALL_DEFINE3(spawn_template_spawn, int, template_fd,
 
 	ret = kernel_clone(&kargs);
 
+out_free_actions:
 	kfree(ctx->actions);
 out_free_ctx:
 	kfree(ctx);
diff --git a/include/linux/spawn_template.h b/include/linux/spawn_template.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..f14a7749fe55b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/linux/spawn_template.h
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+/* SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0 */
+#ifndef _LINUX_SPAWN_TEMPLATE_H
+#define _LINUX_SPAWN_TEMPLATE_H
+
+#include <linux/fs.h>
+
+struct spawn_template_file_key {
+	dev_t dev;
+	ino_t ino;
+	loff_t size;
+	umode_t mode;
+	kuid_t uid;
+	kgid_t gid;
+	u64 ctime_sec;
+	u64 ctime_nsec;
+	u64 mtime_sec;
+	u64 mtime_nsec;
+};
+
+void spawn_template_fill_file_key(struct file *file,
+				  struct spawn_template_file_key *key);
+bool spawn_template_file_key_matches(struct file *file,
+				     const struct spawn_template_file_key *key);
+
+#endif /* _LINUX_SPAWN_TEMPLATE_H */
-- 
2.52.0


  parent reply	other threads:[~2026-05-28  9:56 UTC|newest]

Thread overview: 21+ messages / expand[flat|nested]  mbox.gz  Atom feed  top
2026-05-28  9:52 [RFC PATCH v1 00/13] exec: add spawn templates for repeated executable startup Li Chen
2026-05-28  9:52 ` [RFC PATCH v1 01/13] exec: factor argument setup out of do_execveat_common() Li Chen
2026-05-28  9:52 ` [RFC PATCH v1 02/13] exec: add an internal helper for opened executables Li Chen
2026-05-28  9:52 ` [RFC PATCH v1 03/13] file: expose helpers for in-kernel fd actions Li Chen
2026-05-28  9:52 ` [RFC PATCH v1 04/13] exec: add spawn template UAPI definitions Li Chen
2026-05-28  9:52 ` [RFC PATCH v1 05/13] exec: add spawn template file descriptors Li Chen
2026-05-28  9:52 ` [RFC PATCH v1 06/13] exec: add spawn_template_spawn() Li Chen
2026-05-28  9:52 ` Li Chen [this message]
2026-05-28  9:52 ` [RFC PATCH v1 08/13] binfmt_elf: cache ELF metadata for spawn templates Li Chen
2026-05-28  9:52 ` [RFC PATCH v1 09/13] Documentation: describe " Li Chen
2026-05-28  9:52 ` [RFC PATCH v1 10/13] exec: require absolute paths for path-created templates Li Chen
2026-05-28  9:52 ` [RFC PATCH v1 11/13] exec: let close-range actions target the max fd Li Chen
2026-05-28  9:52 ` [RFC PATCH v1 12/13] syscalls: add generic spawn template entries Li Chen
2026-05-28  9:52 ` [RFC PATCH v1 13/13] selftests/exec: cover spawn template basics Li Chen
2026-05-28 11:02 ` [RFC PATCH v1 00/13] exec: add spawn templates for repeated executable startup Christian Brauner
2026-06-01  2:47   ` Li Chen
2026-06-01 19:55   ` Kees Cook
2026-05-28 12:55 ` Mateusz Guzik
2026-06-01 15:11   ` Li Chen
2026-05-28 18:27 ` Andy Lutomirski
2026-06-02 12:07   ` Li Chen

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