[PATCH RFC 09/10] kfence, Documentation: add KFENCE documentation

[Marco Elver <elver@google.com>]

Add KFENCE documentation in dev-tools/kfence.rst, and add to index.

Co-developed-by: Alexander Potapenko <glider@google.com>
Signed-off-by: Alexander Potapenko <glider@google.com>
Signed-off-by: Marco Elver <elver@google.com>
---
 Documentation/dev-tools/index.rst  |   1 +
 Documentation/dev-tools/kfence.rst | 285 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 2 files changed, 286 insertions(+)
 create mode 100644 Documentation/dev-tools/kfence.rst

diff --git a/Documentation/dev-tools/index.rst b/Documentation/dev-tools/index.rst
index f7809c7b1ba9..1b1cf4f5c9d9 100644
--- a/Documentation/dev-tools/index.rst
+++ b/Documentation/dev-tools/index.rst
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ whole; patches welcome!
    ubsan
    kmemleak
    kcsan
+   kfence
    gdb-kernel-debugging
    kgdb
    kselftest
diff --git a/Documentation/dev-tools/kfence.rst b/Documentation/dev-tools/kfence.rst
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..254f4f089104
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Documentation/dev-tools/kfence.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,285 @@
+.. SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0
+
+Kernel Electric-Fence (KFENCE)
+==============================
+
+Kernel Electric-Fence (KFENCE) is a low-overhead sampling-based memory safety
+error detector. KFENCE detects heap out-of-bounds access, use-after-free, and
+invalid-free errors.
+
+KFENCE is designed to be enabled in production kernels, and has near zero
+performance overhead. Compared to KASAN, KFENCE trades performance for
+precision. The main motivation behind KFENCE's design, is that with enough
+total uptime KFENCE will detect bugs in code paths not typically exercised by
+non-production test workloads. One way to quickly achieve a large enough total
+uptime is when the tool is deployed across a large fleet of machines.
+
+Usage
+-----
+
+To enable KFENCE, configure the kernel with::
+
+    CONFIG_KFENCE=y
+
+KFENCE provides several other configuration options to customize behaviour (see
+the respective help text in ``lib/Kconfig.kfence`` for more info).
+
+Tuning performance
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+The most important parameter is KFENCE's sample interval, which can be set via
+the kernel boot parameter ``kfence.sample_interval`` in milliseconds. The
+sample interval determines the frequency with which heap allocations will be
+guarded by KFENCE. The default is configurable via the Kconfig option
+``CONFIG_KFENCE_SAMPLE_INTERVAL``. Setting ``kfence.sample_interval=0``
+disables KFENCE.
+
+With the Kconfig option ``CONFIG_KFENCE_NUM_OBJECTS`` (default 255), the number
+of available guarded objects can be controlled. Each object requires 2 pages,
+one for the object itself and the other one used as a guard page; object pages
+are interleaved with guard pages, and every object page is therefore surrounded
+by two guard pages.
+
+The total memory dedicated to the KFENCE memory pool can be computed as::
+
+    ( #objects + 1 ) * 2 * PAGE_SIZE
+
+Using the default config, and assuming a page size of 4 KiB, results in
+dedicating 2 MiB to the KFENCE memory pool.
+
+Error reports
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+A typical out-of-bounds access looks like this::
+
+    ==================================================================
+    BUG: KFENCE: out-of-bounds in test_out_of_bounds_read+0xa3/0x22b
+
+    Out-of-bounds access at 0xffffffffb672efff (left of kfence-#17):
+     test_out_of_bounds_read+0xa3/0x22b
+     kunit_try_run_case+0x51/0x85
+     kunit_generic_run_threadfn_adapter+0x16/0x30
+     kthread+0x137/0x160
+     ret_from_fork+0x22/0x30
+
+    kfence-#17 [0xffffffffb672f000-0xffffffffb672f01f, size=32, cache=kmalloc-32] allocated in:
+     __kfence_alloc+0x42d/0x4c0
+     __kmalloc+0x133/0x200
+     test_alloc+0xf3/0x25b
+     test_out_of_bounds_read+0x98/0x22b
+     kunit_try_run_case+0x51/0x85
+     kunit_generic_run_threadfn_adapter+0x16/0x30
+     kthread+0x137/0x160
+     ret_from_fork+0x22/0x30
+
+    CPU: 4 PID: 107 Comm: kunit_try_catch Not tainted 5.8.0-rc6+ #7
+    Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS 1.13.0-1 04/01/2014
+    ==================================================================
+
+The header of the report provides a short summary of the function involved in
+the access. It is followed by more detailed information about the access and
+its origin.
+
+Use-after-free accesses are reported as::
+
+    ==================================================================
+    BUG: KFENCE: use-after-free in test_use_after_free_read+0xb3/0x143
+
+    Use-after-free access at 0xffffffffb673dfe0:
+     test_use_after_free_read+0xb3/0x143
+     kunit_try_run_case+0x51/0x85
+     kunit_generic_run_threadfn_adapter+0x16/0x30
+     kthread+0x137/0x160
+     ret_from_fork+0x22/0x30
+
+    kfence-#24 [0xffffffffb673dfe0-0xffffffffb673dfff, size=32, cache=kmalloc-32] allocated in:
+     __kfence_alloc+0x277/0x4c0
+     __kmalloc+0x133/0x200
+     test_alloc+0xf3/0x25b
+     test_use_after_free_read+0x76/0x143
+     kunit_try_run_case+0x51/0x85
+     kunit_generic_run_threadfn_adapter+0x16/0x30
+     kthread+0x137/0x160
+     ret_from_fork+0x22/0x30
+    freed in:
+     kfence_guarded_free+0x158/0x380
+     __kfence_free+0x38/0xc0
+     test_use_after_free_read+0xa8/0x143
+     kunit_try_run_case+0x51/0x85
+     kunit_generic_run_threadfn_adapter+0x16/0x30
+     kthread+0x137/0x160
+     ret_from_fork+0x22/0x30
+
+    CPU: 4 PID: 109 Comm: kunit_try_catch Tainted: G        W         5.8.0-rc6+ #7
+    Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS 1.13.0-1 04/01/2014
+    ==================================================================
+
+KFENCE also reports on invalid frees, such as double-frees::
+
+    ==================================================================
+    BUG: KFENCE: invalid free in test_double_free+0xdc/0x171
+
+    Invalid free of 0xffffffffb6741000:
+     test_double_free+0xdc/0x171
+     kunit_try_run_case+0x51/0x85
+     kunit_generic_run_threadfn_adapter+0x16/0x30
+     kthread+0x137/0x160
+     ret_from_fork+0x22/0x30
+
+    kfence-#26 [0xffffffffb6741000-0xffffffffb674101f, size=32, cache=kmalloc-32] allocated in:
+     __kfence_alloc+0x42d/0x4c0
+     __kmalloc+0x133/0x200
+     test_alloc+0xf3/0x25b
+     test_double_free+0x76/0x171
+     kunit_try_run_case+0x51/0x85
+     kunit_generic_run_threadfn_adapter+0x16/0x30
+     kthread+0x137/0x160
+     ret_from_fork+0x22/0x30
+    freed in:
+     kfence_guarded_free+0x158/0x380
+     __kfence_free+0x38/0xc0
+     test_double_free+0xa8/0x171
+     kunit_try_run_case+0x51/0x85
+     kunit_generic_run_threadfn_adapter+0x16/0x30
+     kthread+0x137/0x160
+     ret_from_fork+0x22/0x30
+
+    CPU: 4 PID: 111 Comm: kunit_try_catch Tainted: G        W         5.8.0-rc6+ #7
+    Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS 1.13.0-1 04/01/2014
+    ==================================================================
+
+KFENCE also uses pattern-based redzones on the other side of an object's guard
+page, to detect out-of-bounds writes on the unprotected side of the object.
+These are reported on frees::
+
+    ==================================================================
+    BUG: KFENCE: memory corruption in test_kmalloc_aligned_oob_write+0xef/0x184
+
+    Detected corrupted memory at 0xffffffffb6797ff9 [ 0xac . . . . . . ]:
+     test_kmalloc_aligned_oob_write+0xef/0x184
+     kunit_try_run_case+0x51/0x85
+     kunit_generic_run_threadfn_adapter+0x16/0x30
+     kthread+0x137/0x160
+     ret_from_fork+0x22/0x30
+
+    kfence-#69 [0xffffffffb6797fb0-0xffffffffb6797ff8, size=73, cache=kmalloc-96] allocated in:
+     __kfence_alloc+0x277/0x4c0
+     __kmalloc+0x133/0x200
+     test_alloc+0xf3/0x25b
+     test_kmalloc_aligned_oob_write+0x57/0x184
+     kunit_try_run_case+0x51/0x85
+     kunit_generic_run_threadfn_adapter+0x16/0x30
+     kthread+0x137/0x160
+     ret_from_fork+0x22/0x30
+
+    CPU: 4 PID: 120 Comm: kunit_try_catch Tainted: G        W         5.8.0-rc6+ #7
+    Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS 1.13.0-1 04/01/2014
+    ==================================================================
+
+For such errors, the address where the corruption as well as the corrupt bytes
+are shown.
+
+And finally, KFENCE may also report on invalid accesses to any protected page
+where it was not possible to determine an associated object, e.g. if adjacent
+object pages had not yet been allocated::
+
+    ==================================================================
+    BUG: KFENCE: invalid access in test_invalid_access+0x26/0xe0
+
+    Invalid access at 0xffffffffb670b00a:
+     test_invalid_access+0x26/0xe0
+     kunit_try_run_case+0x51/0x85
+     kunit_generic_run_threadfn_adapter+0x16/0x30
+     kthread+0x137/0x160
+     ret_from_fork+0x22/0x30
+
+    CPU: 4 PID: 124 Comm: kunit_try_catch Tainted: G        W         5.8.0-rc6+ #7
+    Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS 1.13.0-1 04/01/2014
+    ==================================================================
+
+DebugFS interface
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+Some debugging information is exposed via debugfs:
+
+* The file ``/sys/kernel/debug/kfence/stats`` provides runtime statistics.
+
+* The file ``/sys/kernel/debug/kfence/objects`` provides a list of objects
+  allocated via KFENCE, including those already freed but protected.
+
+Implementation Details
+----------------------
+
+Guarded allocations are set up based on the sample interval. After expiration
+of the sample interval, a guarded allocation from the KFENCE object pool is
+returned to the main allocator (SLAB or SLUB). At this point, the timer is
+reset, and the next allocation is set up after the expiration of the interval.
+To "gate" a KFENCE allocation through the main allocator's fast-path without
+overhead, KFENCE relies on static branches via the static keys infrastructure.
+The static branch is toggled to redirect the allocation to KFENCE.
+
+KFENCE objects each reside on a dedicated page, at either the left or right
+page boundaries selected at random. The pages to the left and right of the
+object page are "guard pages", whose attributes are changed to a protected
+state, and cause page faults on any attempted access. Such page faults are then
+intercepted by KFENCE, which handles the fault gracefully by reporting an
+out-of-bounds access. The side opposite of an object's guard page is used as a
+pattern-based redzone, to detect out-of-bounds writes on the unprotected sed of
+the object on frees (for special alignment and size combinations, both sides of
+the object are redzoned).
+
+KFENCE also uses pattern-based redzones on the other side of an object's guard
+page, to detect out-of-bounds writes on the unprotected side of the object;
+these are reported on frees.
+
+The following figure illustrates the page layout::
+
+    ---+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+---
+       | xxxxxxxxx | O :       | xxxxxxxxx |       : O | xxxxxxxxx |
+       | xxxxxxxxx | B :       | xxxxxxxxx |       : B | xxxxxxxxx |
+       | x GUARD x | J : RED-  | x GUARD x | RED-  : J | x GUARD x |
+       | xxxxxxxxx | E :  ZONE | xxxxxxxxx |  ZONE : E | xxxxxxxxx |
+       | xxxxxxxxx | C :       | xxxxxxxxx |       : C | xxxxxxxxx |
+       | xxxxxxxxx | T :       | xxxxxxxxx |       : T | xxxxxxxxx |
+    ---+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+---
+
+Upon deallocation of a KFENCE object, the object's page is again protected and
+the object is marked as freed. Any further access to the object causes a fault
+and KFENCE reports a use-after-free access. Freed objects are inserted at the
+tail of KFENCE's freelist, so that the least recently freed objects are reused
+first, and the chances of detecting use-after-frees of recently freed objects
+is increased.
+
+Interface
+---------
+
+The following describes the functions which are used by allocators as well page
+handling code to set up and deal with KFENCE allocations.
+
+.. kernel-doc:: include/linux/kfence.h
+   :functions: is_kfence_address
+               kfence_shutdown_cache
+               kfence_alloc kfence_free
+               kfence_ksize kfence_object_start
+               kfence_handle_page_fault
+
+Related Tools
+-------------
+
+In userspace, a similar approach is taken by `GWP-ASan
+<http://llvm.org/docs/GwpAsan.html>`_. GWP-ASan also relies on guard pages and
+a sampling strategy to detect memory unsafety bugs at scale. KFENCE's design is
+directly influenced by GWP-ASan, and can be seen as its kernel sibling. Another
+similar but non-sampling approach, that also inspired the name "KFENCE", can be
+found in the userspace `Electric Fence Malloc Debugger
+<https://linux.die.net/man/3/efence>`_.
+
+In the kernel, several tools exist to debug memory access errors, and in
+particular KASAN can detect all bug classes that KFENCE can detect. While KASAN
+is more precise, relying on compiler instrumentation, this comes at a
+performance cost. We want to highlight that KASAN and KFENCE are complementary,
+with different target environments. For instance, KASAN is the better
+debugging-aid, where a simple reproducer exists: due to the lower chance to
+detect the error, it would require more effort using KFENCE to debug.
+Deployments at scale, however, would benefit from using KFENCE to discover bugs
+due to code paths not exercised by test cases or fuzzers.
-- 
2.28.0.526.ge36021eeef-goog


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