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 16/21] exec: carry a PT_INTERP substitute in struct linux_binprm
Date: Mon, 20 Jul 2026 11:33:39 +0200 [thread overview]
Message-ID: <20260720-work-bpf-binfmt_misc-ptinterp-v1-16-ddb76c9a508e@kernel.org> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <20260720-work-bpf-binfmt_misc-ptinterp-v1-0-ddb76c9a508e@kernel.org>
binfmt_misc currently supports an execution model where the registered
interpreter becomes the executed program and the matched binary is
handed to it as payload. The upcoming binfmt_misc loader mode inverts
this. The matched binary remains the executed program and the registered
interpreter is substituted into the role the binary's PT_INTERP would
have played.
Add the channel for that hand-over. bprm->loader carries an
open_exec-style struct file reference from the binfmt_misc match to the
binary format that consumes it. Unlike bprm->interpreter it does not
request a restart of the format search. The stashing handler declines
the exec with -ENOEXEC and the search continues to the real format in
the same round.
Establish the complete lifecycle up front so a stashed loader can
neither leak nor be silently ignored.
- Chain restart: if another format wins the round by staging
bprm->interpreter (binfmt_script) the stashed loader belonged to
the file being replaced. Drop it at the top of the swap block in
exec_binprm().
- Unclaimed or error: free_bprm() releases a still-stashed loader
next to the other bprm file references.
- Silent non-substitution: a final format that reaches
begin_new_exec() with a pending loader would run the binary while
ignoring the override. Refuse with -ENOEXEC before the point of no
return. Formats that do not know about the override (binfmt_flat,
binfmt_elf_fdpic, out-of-tree) need no changes.
Signed-off-by: Christian Brauner (Amutable) <brauner@kernel.org>
---
fs/exec.c | 9 +++++++++
include/linux/binfmts.h | 1 +
2 files changed, 10 insertions(+)
diff --git a/fs/exec.c b/fs/exec.c
index 45d416994682..797d9a0cf6c6 100644
--- a/fs/exec.c
+++ b/fs/exec.c
@@ -1123,6 +1123,10 @@ int begin_new_exec(struct linux_binprm * bprm)
struct task_struct *me = current;
int retval;
+ /* A pending PT_INTERP substitution this format cannot consume. */
+ if (bprm->loader)
+ return -ENOEXEC;
+
/* A declined execfd request has no executable for a later format. */
if (!bprm->executable) {
bprm->have_execfd = 0;
@@ -1435,6 +1439,8 @@ static void free_bprm(struct linux_binprm *bprm)
if (bprm->old_mm)
exec_mm_put_old(bprm->old_mm);
do_close_execat(bprm->file);
+ /* An unconsumed PT_INTERP substitute from a binfmt_misc loader entry. */
+ do_close_execat(bprm->loader);
if (bprm->executable) {
/* A transparent dispatch still holds the write denial. */
if (bprm->executable_denied)
@@ -1757,6 +1763,9 @@ static int exec_binprm(struct linux_binprm *bprm)
if (!bprm->interpreter)
break;
+ /* A stashed PT_INTERP substitute belonged to the replaced file. */
+ do_close_execat(no_free_ptr(bprm->loader));
+
exec = bprm->file;
bprm->file = bprm->interpreter;
bprm->interpreter = NULL;
diff --git a/include/linux/binfmts.h b/include/linux/binfmts.h
index ba5037b69866..aa6dac777173 100644
--- a/include/linux/binfmts.h
+++ b/include/linux/binfmts.h
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ struct linux_binprm {
executable_denied:1;
struct file *executable; /* Executable to pass to the interpreter */
struct file *interpreter;
+ struct file *loader;
struct file *file;
struct cred *cred; /* new credentials */
int unsafe; /* how unsafe this exec is (mask of LSM_UNSAFE_*) */
--
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 ` [PATCH 11/21] binfmt_misc: add a static transparent flag 'T' Christian Brauner
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 ` Christian Brauner [this message]
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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