Kees Cook <keescook@xxxxxxxxxxxx> writes: > On Mon, Mar 09, 2020 at 02:02:37PM -0500, Eric W. Biederman wrote: >> exec: Add exec_update_mutex to replace cred_guard_mutex >> >> The cred_guard_mutex is problematic as it is held over possibly >> indefinite waits for userspace. The possilbe indefinite waits for >> userspace that I have identified are: The cred_guard_mutex is held in >> PTRACE_EVENT_EXIT waiting for the tracer. The cred_guard_mutex is >> held over "put_user(0, tsk->clear_child_tid)" in exit_mm(). The >> cred_guard_mutex is held over "get_user(futex_offset, ...") in >> exit_robust_list. The cred_guard_mutex held over copy_strings. > > I suspect you're not trying to make a comprehensive list here, but do > you want to mention seccomp too (since it's yet another weird case). I was calling out all of the places I have found so far where cred_guard_mutex is held over waiting for userspace to maybe do something. Those places are what cause our deadlocks. >> [...] >> Holding a mutex over any of those possibly indefinite waits for >> userspace does not appear necessary. Add exec_update_mutex that will >> just cover updating the process during exec where the permissions and >> the objects pointed to by the task struct may be out of sync. > > Should the specific resources be pointed out here? creds, mm, ... ? > > But otherwise, yup, looks sane: Probably not. The design is if exec changes it we will hold the cred_guard_mutex over it, so things are semi-atomic. > Reviewed-by: Kees Cook <keescook@xxxxxxxxxxxx> Eric