In commit 221af7f87b97 ("Split 'flush_old_exec' into two functions"), the comment about the point of no return should have stayed in flush_old_exec() since it refers to "bprm->mm = NULL;" line, but prior changes in commits c89681ed7d0e ("remove steal_locks()"), and fd8328be874f ("sanitize handling of shared descriptor tables in failing execve()") made it look like it meant the current->sas_ss_sp line instead. The comment is referring to the fact that once bprm->mm is NULL, all failures from a binfmt load_binary hook (e.g. load_elf_binary), will get SEGV raised against current. Move this comment and expand the explanation a bit, putting it above the assignment this time. This also removes an erroneous commet about when credentials are being installed. That has its own dedicated function, install_exec_creds(), which carries a similar (and correct) comment, so remove the bogus comment where installation is not actually happening. Signed-off-by: Kees Cook <keescook@xxxxxxxxxxxx> --- fs/exec.c | 11 ++++++++--- 1 file changed, 8 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-) diff --git a/fs/exec.c b/fs/exec.c index 904199086490..7842ae661e34 100644 --- a/fs/exec.c +++ b/fs/exec.c @@ -1285,7 +1285,14 @@ int flush_old_exec(struct linux_binprm * bprm) if (retval) goto out; - bprm->mm = NULL; /* We're using it now */ + /* + * After clearing bprm->mm (to mark that current is using the + * prepared mm now), we are at the point of no return. If + * anything from here on returns an error, the check in + * search_binary_handler() will kill current (since the mm has + * been replaced). + */ + bprm->mm = NULL; set_fs(USER_DS); current->flags &= ~(PF_RANDOMIZE | PF_FORKNOEXEC | PF_KTHREAD | @@ -1332,7 +1339,6 @@ void setup_new_exec(struct linux_binprm * bprm) { arch_pick_mmap_layout(current->mm); - /* This is the point of no return */ current->sas_ss_sp = current->sas_ss_size = 0; if (uid_eq(current_euid(), current_uid()) && gid_eq(current_egid(), current_gid())) @@ -1350,7 +1356,6 @@ void setup_new_exec(struct linux_binprm * bprm) */ current->mm->task_size = TASK_SIZE; - /* install the new credentials */ if (!uid_eq(bprm->cred->uid, current_euid()) || !gid_eq(bprm->cred->gid, current_egid())) { current->pdeath_signal = 0; -- 2.7.4