Re: [PATCH 1/5] gcc-plugins/stackleak: Exclude alloca() from the instrumentation logic

Alexander Popov
2020-06-04T15:23:54Z

On 04.06.2020 17:01, Jann Horn wrote:
> On Thu, Jun 4, 2020 at 3:51 PM Alexander Popov <alex.popov@linux.com> wrote:
>> Some time ago Variable Length Arrays (VLA) were removed from the kernel.
>> The kernel is built with '-Wvla'. Let's exclude alloca() from the
>> instrumentation logic and make it simpler. The build-time assertion
>> against alloca() is added instead.
> [...]
>> + /* Variable Length Arrays are forbidden in the kernel */
>> + gcc_assert(!is_alloca(stmt));
>
> There is a patch series from Elena and Kees on the kernel-hardening
> list that deliberately uses __builtin_alloca() in the syscall entry
> path to randomize the stack pointer per-syscall - see
> <https://lore.kernel.org/kernel-hardening/20200406231606.37619-4-keescook@chromium.org/>.

Thanks, Jann.

At first glance, leaving alloca() handling in stackleak instrumentation logic
would allow to integrate stackleak and this version of random_kstack_offset.

Kees, Elena, did you try random_kstack_offset with upstream stackleak?

It looks to me that without stackleak erasing random_kstack_offset can be
weaker. I mean, if next syscall has a bigger stack randomization gap, the data
on thread stack from the previous syscall is not overwritten and can be used. Am
I right?

Another aspect: CONFIG_STACKLEAK_METRICS can be used for guessing kernel stack
offset, which is bad. It should be disabled if random_kstack_offset is on.

Best regards,
Alexander