From: Christian Brauner <brauner@kernel.org>
To: Farid Zakaria <farid.m.zakaria@gmail.com>,
linux-fsdevel@vger.kernel.org
Cc: Daniel Borkmann <daniel@iogearbox.net>,
Alexei Starovoitov <ast@kernel.org>, Kees Cook <kees@kernel.org>,
Alexander Viro <viro@zeniv.linux.org.uk>,
Jan Kara <jack@suse.cz>, Jonathan Corbet <corbet@lwn.net>,
linux-mm@kvack.org, bpf@vger.kernel.org, jannh@google.com,
mail@johnericson.me,
"Christian Brauner (Amutable)" <brauner@kernel.org>
Subject: [PATCH 11/21] binfmt_misc: add a static transparent flag 'T'
Date: Mon, 20 Jul 2026 11:33:34 +0200 [thread overview]
Message-ID: <20260720-work-bpf-binfmt_misc-ptinterp-v1-11-ddb76c9a508e@kernel.org> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <20260720-work-bpf-binfmt_misc-ptinterp-v1-0-ddb76c9a508e@kernel.org>
Let a registration opt into transparent dispatch. The 'T' flag lets a
matched binary keep its argument vector and is sent to the interpreter
through AT_EXECFD. The process's identity is the binary's.
'T' implies 'O' exactly like 'C' does. 'P' is rejected in combination
with it. Transparency preserves the whole argument vector so there is
nothing left for 'P' to say. 'C' remains an independent choice and 'F'
keeps working. A pre-opened interpreter is orthogonal to how the binary
is handed over.
Like the other flag characters 'T' cannot be used as the field
delimiter. The flag scan would run off the registration buffer.
Signed-off-by: Christian Brauner (Amutable) <brauner@kernel.org>
---
Documentation/admin-guide/binfmt-misc.rst | 10 ++++++++++
fs/binfmt_misc.c | 6 ++++++
2 files changed, 16 insertions(+)
diff --git a/Documentation/admin-guide/binfmt-misc.rst b/Documentation/admin-guide/binfmt-misc.rst
index c76381a4bcad..c370c72c7dbe 100644
--- a/Documentation/admin-guide/binfmt-misc.rst
+++ b/Documentation/admin-guide/binfmt-misc.rst
@@ -90,6 +90,16 @@ Here is what the fields mean:
emulation is installed and uses the opened image to spawn the
emulator, meaning it is always available once installed,
regardless of how the environment changes.
+ ``T`` - transparent
+ Run the interpreter transparently. The binary is handed to
+ the interpreter through ``AT_EXECFD`` (``T`` implies ``O``),
+ the argument vector is left exactly as the caller built it
+ and the kernel labels ``/proc/pid/exe`` with the binary
+ instead of the interpreter. The interpreter has to load the
+ binary from ``AT_EXECFD`` and follow the
+ ``AT_FLAGS_TRANSPARENT_INTERP`` contract. Combining ``T``
+ with ``P`` is rejected: transparency preserves the whole
+ argument vector, argv[0] included.
There are some restrictions:
diff --git a/fs/binfmt_misc.c b/fs/binfmt_misc.c
index 239cca389e0e..ed5ffb330749 100644
--- a/fs/binfmt_misc.c
+++ b/fs/binfmt_misc.c
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ static const struct binfmt_misc_flag misc_flags[] = {
{ 'O', MISC_FMT_OPEN_BINARY, 0, "open binary" },
{ 'C', MISC_FMT_CREDENTIALS, MISC_FMT_OPEN_BINARY, "credentials from the binary" },
{ 'F', MISC_FMT_OPEN_FILE, 0, "open interpreter file now" },
+ { 'T', MISC_FMT_TRANSPARENT, MISC_FMT_OPEN_BINARY, "transparent" },
};
/* Look up a flag character, NULL if @c is not one. */
@@ -763,6 +764,11 @@ static struct binfmt_misc_entry *create_entry(const char __user *buffer,
if (test_bit(MISC_FMT_BPF_BIT, &e->flags) && p != flags)
return ERR_PTR(-EINVAL);
+ /* Transparency preserves the whole argv, argv[0] included. */
+ if ((e->flags & MISC_FMT_TRANSPARENT) &&
+ (e->flags & MISC_FMT_PRESERVE_ARGV0))
+ return ERR_PTR(-EINVAL);
+
if (*p == '\n')
p++;
if (p != buf + count)
--
2.53.0
next prev parent reply other threads:[~2026-07-20 9:34 UTC|newest]
Thread overview: 22+ messages / expand[flat|nested] mbox.gz Atom feed top
2026-07-20 9:33 [PATCH 00/21] binfmt_misc: transparent interpreters and PT_INTERP loader substitution Christian Brauner
2026-07-20 9:33 ` [PATCH 01/21] exec: do not act on a stale execfd request without an executable Christian Brauner
2026-07-20 9:33 ` [PATCH 02/21] docs, binfmt_misc: keep general usage out of the handler sections Christian Brauner
2026-07-20 9:33 ` [PATCH 03/21] binfmt_misc: table-drive the register string flags Christian Brauner
2026-07-20 9:33 ` [PATCH 04/21] binfmt_misc: normalize the per-exec invocation flags Christian Brauner
2026-07-20 9:33 ` [PATCH 05/21] binfmt_misc: split out entry_open_interpreter() Christian Brauner
2026-07-20 9:33 ` [PATCH 06/21] binfmt_misc: split out build_interp_argv() Christian Brauner
2026-07-20 9:33 ` [PATCH 07/21] exec: release the replaced file with do_close_execat() Christian Brauner
2026-07-20 9:33 ` [PATCH 08/21] exec: add AT_FLAGS_TRANSPARENT_INTERP Christian Brauner
2026-07-20 9:33 ` [PATCH 09/21] exec: label mm->exe_file with the binary for a transparent dispatch Christian Brauner
2026-07-20 9:33 ` [PATCH 10/21] binfmt_misc: add transparent interpreter dispatch Christian Brauner
2026-07-20 9:33 ` Christian Brauner [this message]
2026-07-20 9:33 ` [PATCH 12/21] binfmt_misc: let a bpf handler run the interpreter transparently Christian Brauner
2026-07-20 9:33 ` [PATCH 13/21] selftests/exec: convert the binfmt_misc bpf test to the kselftest harness Christian Brauner
2026-07-20 9:33 ` [PATCH 14/21] selftests/exec: test the transparent binfmt_misc mode Christian Brauner
2026-07-20 9:33 ` [PATCH 15/21] binfmt_misc: document the transparent identity contract Christian Brauner
2026-07-20 9:33 ` [PATCH 16/21] exec: carry a PT_INTERP substitute in struct linux_binprm Christian Brauner
2026-07-20 9:33 ` [PATCH 17/21] binfmt_elf: consume a stashed PT_INTERP substitute Christian Brauner
2026-07-20 9:33 ` [PATCH 18/21] binfmt_misc: add the 'L' loader substitution flag Christian Brauner
2026-07-20 9:33 ` [PATCH 19/21] binfmt_misc: let a bpf handler request loader substitution Christian Brauner
2026-07-20 9:33 ` [PATCH 20/21] selftests/exec: test binfmt_misc " Christian Brauner
2026-07-20 9:33 ` [PATCH 21/21] binfmt_misc: document " Christian Brauner
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