[PATCH V2] x86: NX protection for kernel data

[PATCH V2] x86: NX protection for kernel data

[Siarhei Liakh]

This patch expands functionality of CONFIG_DEBUG_RODATA to set main
(static) kernel data area as NX.
The following steps are taken to achieve this:
1. Linker script is adjusted so .text always starts and ends on a page boundary
2. Linker script is adjusted so .rodata and .data always start and
end on a page boundary
3. void mark_nxdata_nx(void) added to init/main.c with actual
functionality: NX is set for all
pages from _etext through _end.
4. mark_nxdata_nx() called from init_post(void) in init/main.c (after
init has been released)
5. free_init_pages() sets released memory NX in arch/x86/mm/init.c

The patch have been developed for Linux 2.6.31-rc7 x86 by Siarhei Liakh
<sliakh.lkml@gmail.com> and Xuxian Jiang <jiang@cs.ncsu.edu>.

V1:  initial patch for 2.6.30
V2:  patch for 2.6.31-rc7

---

Signed-off-by: Siarhei Liakh <sliakh.lkml@gmail.com>
Signed-off-by: Xuxian Jiang <jiang@cs.ncsu.edu>

diff --git a/arch/x86/kernel/vmlinux.lds.S b/arch/x86/kernel/vmlinux.lds.S
index 78d185d..1b036e3 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kernel/vmlinux.lds.S
+++ b/arch/x86/kernel/vmlinux.lds.S
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ jiffies_64 = jiffies;

 PHDRS {
 	text PT_LOAD FLAGS(5);          /* R_E */
-	data PT_LOAD FLAGS(7);          /* RWE */
+	data PT_LOAD FLAGS(6);          /* RW_ */
 #ifdef CONFIG_X86_64
 	user PT_LOAD FLAGS(7);          /* RWE */
 	data.init PT_LOAD FLAGS(7);     /* RWE */
@@ -89,6 +89,8 @@ SECTIONS
 		IRQENTRY_TEXT
 		*(.fixup)
 		*(.gnu.warning)
+		/* .text should occupy whole number of pages */
+		. = ALIGN(PAGE_SIZE);
 		/* End of text section */
 		_etext = .;
 	} :text = 0x9090
@@ -151,6 +153,8 @@ SECTIONS
 	.data.read_mostly : AT(ADDR(.data.read_mostly) - LOAD_OFFSET) {
 		*(.data.read_mostly)

+		/* .data should occupy whole number of pages */
+		. = ALIGN(PAGE_SIZE);
 		/* End of data section */
 		_edata = .;
 	}
diff --git a/arch/x86/mm/init.c b/arch/x86/mm/init.c
index 0607119..da6da99 100644
--- a/arch/x86/mm/init.c
+++ b/arch/x86/mm/init.c
@@ -423,9 +423,10 @@ void free_init_pages(char *what, unsigned long
begin, unsigned long end)
 	/*
 	 * We just marked the kernel text read only above, now that
 	 * we are going to free part of that, we need to make that
-	 * writeable first.
+	 * writeable and non-executable first.
 	 */
 	set_memory_rw(begin, (end - begin) >> PAGE_SHIFT);
+	set_memory_nx(begin, (end - begin) >> PAGE_SHIFT);

 	printk(KERN_INFO "Freeing %s: %luk freed\n", what, (end - begin) >> 10);

diff --git a/init/main.c b/init/main.c
index 2d9d6bd..a1a6248 100644
--- a/init/main.c
+++ b/init/main.c
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@
  *  Added initrd & change_root: Werner Almesberger & Hans Lermen, Feb '96
  *  Moan early if gcc is old, avoiding bogus kernels - Paul Gortmaker, May '96
  *  Simplified starting of init:  Michael A. Griffith <grif@acm.org>
+ *  Data NX protection by Siarhei Liakh <sliakh.lkml@gmail.com>
+ *  and Xuxian Jiang <jiang@cs.ncsu.edu>
  */

 #include <linux/types.h>
@@ -91,6 +93,21 @@ extern void radix_tree_init(void);
 extern void free_initmem(void);
 #ifndef CONFIG_DEBUG_RODATA
 static inline void mark_rodata_ro(void) { }
+static inline void mark_nxdata_nx(void) { }
+#else
+void mark_nxdata_nx(void)
+{
+	/*
+	 * When this called, init has already been executed and released,
+	 * so everything past _etext sould be NX.
+	 */
+	unsigned long start = PFN_ALIGN(_etext);
+	unsigned long size = PFN_ALIGN(_end) - start;
+
+	printk(KERN_INFO "NX-protecting the kernel data: %lx, %lu pages\n",
+		start, size >> PAGE_SHIFT);
+	set_pages_nx(virt_to_page(start), size >> PAGE_SHIFT);
+}
 #endif

 #ifdef CONFIG_TC
@@ -839,6 +856,7 @@ static noinline int init_post(void)
 	free_initmem();
 	unlock_kernel();
 	mark_rodata_ro();
+	mark_nxdata_nx();
 	system_state = SYSTEM_RUNNING;
 	numa_default_policy();

Re: [PATCH V2] x86: NX protection for kernel data

[Amerigo Wang]

On Wed, Aug 26, 2009 at 01:20:19PM -0400, Siarhei Liakh wrote:
>This patch expands functionality of CONFIG_DEBUG_RODATA to set main
>(static) kernel data area as NX.
>The following steps are taken to achieve this:
>1. Linker script is adjusted so .text always starts and ends on a page boundary
>2. Linker script is adjusted so .rodata and .data always start and
>end on a page boundary
>3. void mark_nxdata_nx(void) added to init/main.c with actual
>functionality: NX is set for all
>pages from _etext through _end.
>4. mark_nxdata_nx() called from init_post(void) in init/main.c (after
>init has been released)
>5. free_init_pages() sets released memory NX in arch/x86/mm/init.c
>
>The patch have been developed for Linux 2.6.31-rc7 x86 by Siarhei Liakh
><sliakh.lkml@gmail.com> and Xuxian Jiang <jiang@cs.ncsu.edu>.
>


{snip}


>
> #include <linux/types.h>
>@@ -91,6 +93,21 @@ extern void radix_tree_init(void);
> extern void free_initmem(void);
> #ifndef CONFIG_DEBUG_RODATA
> static inline void mark_rodata_ro(void) { }
>+static inline void mark_nxdata_nx(void) { }
>+#else
>+void mark_nxdata_nx(void)
>+{
>+	/*
>+	 * When this called, init has already been executed and released,
>+	 * so everything past _etext sould be NX.
>+	 */
>+	unsigned long start = PFN_ALIGN(_etext);
>+	unsigned long size = PFN_ALIGN(_end) - start;
>+
>+	printk(KERN_INFO "NX-protecting the kernel data: %lx, %lu pages\n",
>+		start, size >> PAGE_SHIFT);
>+	set_pages_nx(virt_to_page(start), size >> PAGE_SHIFT);
>+}


I am afraid this function has to be in arch/x86/mm/init.c.
Seems set_pages_nx() is x86-specific.

Have you tested this on other arch?

Re: [PATCH V2] x86: NX protection for kernel data

[Pavel Machek]

Hi!

> --- a/init/main.c
> +++ b/init/main.c
> @@ -7,6 +7,8 @@
>   *  Added initrd & change_root: Werner Almesberger & Hans Lermen, Feb '96
>   *  Moan early if gcc is old, avoiding bogus kernels - Paul Gortmaker, May '96
>   *  Simplified starting of init:  Michael A. Griffith <grif@acm.org>
> + *  Data NX protection by Siarhei Liakh <sliakh.lkml@gmail.com>
> + *  and Xuxian Jiang <jiang@cs.ncsu.edu>
>   */

Better delete the changelog and add yourself to credits. Changelogs in
.c files are considered bad these days. (Feel free to kill the old
entries, too.)

-- 
(english) http://www.livejournal.com/~pavelmachek
(cesky, pictures) http://atrey.karlin.mff.cuni.cz/~pavel/picture/horses/blog.html

Re: [PATCH V2] x86: NX protection for kernel data

[James Morris]

On Mon, 31 Aug 2009, Pavel Machek wrote:

> .c files are considered bad these days. (Feel free to kill the old
> entries, too.)

No, please don't delete historical information.


- James
-- 
James Morris
<jmorris@namei.org>