kernel-hardening - Re: [RFC PATCH 2/8] thread_info: allow custom in-task thread

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Message-ID: <CALCETrUDWiDmLbMqw9sQYEzvDuSVfmT_UscxQXfmf8YYyTOC=Q@mail.gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 16 Sep 2016 08:11:14 -0700
From: Andy Lutomirski <luto@...capital.net>
To: Mark Rutland <mark.rutland@....com>
Cc: "linux-arm-kernel@...ts.infradead.org" <linux-arm-kernel@...ts.infradead.org>, 
	Andrew Morton <akpm@...ux-foundation.org>, Ard Biesheuvel <ard.biesheuvel@...aro.org>, 
	Catalin Marinas <catalin.marinas@....com>, james.morse@....com, 
	Kees Cook <keescook@...omium.org>, 
	"linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org" <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>, lorenzo.pieralisi@....com, 
	Andrew Lutomirski <luto@...nel.org>, suzuki.poulose@....com, 
	Takahiro Akashi <takahiro.akashi@...aro.org>, Will Deacon <will.deacon@....com>, 
	"kernel-hardening@...ts.openwall.com" <kernel-hardening@...ts.openwall.com>
Subject: Re: [RFC PATCH 2/8] thread_info: allow custom in-task thread_info

> On Thu, Sep 15, 2016 at 11:37:47AM -0700, Andy Lutomirski wrote:
> > On Thu, Sep 15, 2016 at 6:49 AM, Mark Rutland <mark.rutland@....com> wrote:
> > > Currently, task_struct is defined in <linux/sched.h>, which (indirectly)
> > > pulls in a number of low-level arch headers such as <asm/preempt.h>
> > > through a number of other headers. Thus, code and structures in these
> > > headers can't rely on the definition of task_struct. Some of these
> > > headers are necessary for the definition of task_struct, so moving
> > > task_struct into its own header is insufficient tio avoid circular
> > > includes.
> >
> > The flippant answer is to fix the headers, but I tried that myself and
> > gave up :(
>
> Agreed; likewise (though I gave up quicker, I suspect). :(
>
> Longer-term I'd still hope that we can do this.
>
> > But how about this slightly less duplicative alternative:
> >
> > struct thread_info {
> > #ifdef arch_thread_info
> >   struct arch_thread_info arch_ti;
> > #endif
> > };
>
> I'm happy to have an arch_thread_info.
>
> Just to check, what do you mean to happen with the flags field? Should
> that always be in the generic thread_info? e.g.
>
> struct thread_info {
>         u32 flags;
> #ifdef arch_thread_info
>         struct arch_thread_info arch_ti;
> #endif
> };

Exactly.  Possibly with a comment that using thread_struct should be
preferred and that arch_thread_info should be used only if some header
file requires access via current_thread_info() or task_thread_info().

--Andy

>
> Thanks,
> Mark,

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