Linux kernel mirror (for testing) git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git
kernel os linux

arm64: documentation: document tagged pointer stack constraints

Some kernel features don't currently work if a task puts a non-zero
address tag in its stack pointer, frame pointer, or frame record entries
(FP, LR).

For example, with a tagged stack pointer, the kernel can't deliver
signals to the process, and the task is killed instead. As another
example, with a tagged frame pointer or frame records, perf fails to
generate call graphs or resolve symbols.

For now, just document these limitations, instead of finding and fixing
everything that doesn't work, as it's not known if anyone needs to use
tags in these places anyway.

In addition, as requested by Dave Martin, generalize the limitations
into a general kernel address tag policy, and refactor
tagged-pointers.txt to include it.

Fixes: d50240a5f6ce ("arm64: mm: permit use of tagged pointers at EL0")
Cc: <stable@vger.kernel.org> # 3.12.x-
Reviewed-by: Dave Martin <Dave.Martin@arm.com>
Acked-by: Will Deacon <will.deacon@arm.com>
Signed-off-by: Kristina Martsenko <kristina.martsenko@arm.com>
Signed-off-by: Catalin Marinas <catalin.marinas@arm.com>

authored by

Kristina Martsenko and committed by
Catalin Marinas
f0e421b1 276e9327

+47 -15
+47 -15
Documentation/arm64/tagged-pointers.txt
··· 11 11 The kernel configures the translation tables so that translations made 12 12 via TTBR0 (i.e. userspace mappings) have the top byte (bits 63:56) of 13 13 the virtual address ignored by the translation hardware. This frees up 14 - this byte for application use, with the following caveats: 14 + this byte for application use. 15 15 16 - (1) The kernel requires that all user addresses passed to EL1 17 - are tagged with tag 0x00. This means that any syscall 18 - parameters containing user virtual addresses *must* have 19 - their top byte cleared before trapping to the kernel. 20 16 21 - (2) Non-zero tags are not preserved when delivering signals. 22 - This means that signal handlers in applications making use 23 - of tags cannot rely on the tag information for user virtual 24 - addresses being maintained for fields inside siginfo_t. 25 - One exception to this rule is for signals raised in response 26 - to watchpoint debug exceptions, where the tag information 27 - will be preserved. 17 + Passing tagged addresses to the kernel 18 + -------------------------------------- 28 19 29 - (3) Special care should be taken when using tagged pointers, 30 - since it is likely that C compilers will not hazard two 31 - virtual addresses differing only in the upper byte. 20 + All interpretation of userspace memory addresses by the kernel assumes 21 + an address tag of 0x00. 22 + 23 + This includes, but is not limited to, addresses found in: 24 + 25 + - pointer arguments to system calls, including pointers in structures 26 + passed to system calls, 27 + 28 + - the stack pointer (sp), e.g. when interpreting it to deliver a 29 + signal, 30 + 31 + - the frame pointer (x29) and frame records, e.g. when interpreting 32 + them to generate a backtrace or call graph. 33 + 34 + Using non-zero address tags in any of these locations may result in an 35 + error code being returned, a (fatal) signal being raised, or other modes 36 + of failure. 37 + 38 + For these reasons, passing non-zero address tags to the kernel via 39 + system calls is forbidden, and using a non-zero address tag for sp is 40 + strongly discouraged. 41 + 42 + Programs maintaining a frame pointer and frame records that use non-zero 43 + address tags may suffer impaired or inaccurate debug and profiling 44 + visibility. 45 + 46 + 47 + Preserving tags 48 + --------------- 49 + 50 + Non-zero tags are not preserved when delivering signals. This means that 51 + signal handlers in applications making use of tags cannot rely on the 52 + tag information for user virtual addresses being maintained for fields 53 + inside siginfo_t. One exception to this rule is for signals raised in 54 + response to watchpoint debug exceptions, where the tag information will 55 + be preserved. 32 56 33 57 The architecture prevents the use of a tagged PC, so the upper byte will 34 58 be set to a sign-extension of bit 55 on exception return. 59 + 60 + 61 + Other considerations 62 + -------------------- 63 + 64 + Special care should be taken when using tagged pointers, since it is 65 + likely that C compilers will not hazard two virtual addresses differing 66 + only in the upper byte.