Since PowerPC and Intel both support memory protection keys, moving the documenation to arch-neutral directory. Signed-off-by: Ram Pai <linuxram@xxxxxxxxxx> --- Documentation/vm/protection-keys.txt | 85 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Documentation/x86/protection-keys.txt | 85 --------------------------------- 2 files changed, 85 insertions(+), 85 deletions(-) create mode 100644 Documentation/vm/protection-keys.txt delete mode 100644 Documentation/x86/protection-keys.txt diff --git a/Documentation/vm/protection-keys.txt b/Documentation/vm/protection-keys.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..fa46dcb --- /dev/null +++ b/Documentation/vm/protection-keys.txt @@ -0,0 +1,85 @@ +Memory Protection Keys for Userspace (PKU aka PKEYs) is a CPU feature +which will be found on future Intel CPUs. + +Memory Protection Keys provides a mechanism for enforcing page-based +protections, but without requiring modification of the page tables +when an application changes protection domains. It works by +dedicating 4 previously ignored bits in each page table entry to a +"protection key", giving 16 possible keys. + +There is also a new user-accessible register (PKRU) with two separate +bits (Access Disable and Write Disable) for each key. Being a CPU +register, PKRU is inherently thread-local, potentially giving each +thread a different set of protections from every other thread. + +There are two new instructions (RDPKRU/WRPKRU) for reading and writing +to the new register. The feature is only available in 64-bit mode, +even though there is theoretically space in the PAE PTEs. These +permissions are enforced on data access only and have no effect on +instruction fetches. + +=========================== Syscalls =========================== + +There are 3 system calls which directly interact with pkeys: + + int pkey_alloc(unsigned long flags, unsigned long init_access_rights) + int pkey_free(int pkey); + int pkey_mprotect(unsigned long start, size_t len, + unsigned long prot, int pkey); + +Before a pkey can be used, it must first be allocated with +pkey_alloc(). An application calls the WRPKRU instruction +directly in order to change access permissions to memory covered +with a key. In this example WRPKRU is wrapped by a C function +called pkey_set(). + + int real_prot = PROT_READ|PROT_WRITE; + pkey = pkey_alloc(0, PKEY_DISABLE_WRITE); + ptr = mmap(NULL, PAGE_SIZE, PROT_NONE, MAP_ANONYMOUS|MAP_PRIVATE, -1, 0); + ret = pkey_mprotect(ptr, PAGE_SIZE, real_prot, pkey); + ... application runs here + +Now, if the application needs to update the data at 'ptr', it can +gain access, do the update, then remove its write access: + + pkey_set(pkey, 0); // clear PKEY_DISABLE_WRITE + *ptr = foo; // assign something + pkey_set(pkey, PKEY_DISABLE_WRITE); // set PKEY_DISABLE_WRITE again + +Now when it frees the memory, it will also free the pkey since it +is no longer in use: + + munmap(ptr, PAGE_SIZE); + pkey_free(pkey); + +(Note: pkey_set() is a wrapper for the RDPKRU and WRPKRU instructions. + An example implementation can be found in + tools/testing/selftests/x86/protection_keys.c) + +=========================== Behavior =========================== + +The kernel attempts to make protection keys consistent with the +behavior of a plain mprotect(). For instance if you do this: + + mprotect(ptr, size, PROT_NONE); + something(ptr); + +you can expect the same effects with protection keys when doing this: + + pkey = pkey_alloc(0, PKEY_DISABLE_WRITE | PKEY_DISABLE_READ); + pkey_mprotect(ptr, size, PROT_READ|PROT_WRITE, pkey); + something(ptr); + +That should be true whether something() is a direct access to 'ptr' +like: + + *ptr = foo; + +or when the kernel does the access on the application's behalf like +with a read(): + + read(fd, ptr, 1); + +The kernel will send a SIGSEGV in both cases, but si_code will be set +to SEGV_PKERR when violating protection keys versus SEGV_ACCERR when +the plain mprotect() permissions are violated. diff --git a/Documentation/x86/protection-keys.txt b/Documentation/x86/protection-keys.txt deleted file mode 100644 index fa46dcb..0000000 --- a/Documentation/x86/protection-keys.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,85 +0,0 @@ -Memory Protection Keys for Userspace (PKU aka PKEYs) is a CPU feature -which will be found on future Intel CPUs. - -Memory Protection Keys provides a mechanism for enforcing page-based -protections, but without requiring modification of the page tables -when an application changes protection domains. It works by -dedicating 4 previously ignored bits in each page table entry to a -"protection key", giving 16 possible keys. - -There is also a new user-accessible register (PKRU) with two separate -bits (Access Disable and Write Disable) for each key. Being a CPU -register, PKRU is inherently thread-local, potentially giving each -thread a different set of protections from every other thread. - -There are two new instructions (RDPKRU/WRPKRU) for reading and writing -to the new register. The feature is only available in 64-bit mode, -even though there is theoretically space in the PAE PTEs. These -permissions are enforced on data access only and have no effect on -instruction fetches. - -=========================== Syscalls =========================== - -There are 3 system calls which directly interact with pkeys: - - int pkey_alloc(unsigned long flags, unsigned long init_access_rights) - int pkey_free(int pkey); - int pkey_mprotect(unsigned long start, size_t len, - unsigned long prot, int pkey); - -Before a pkey can be used, it must first be allocated with -pkey_alloc(). An application calls the WRPKRU instruction -directly in order to change access permissions to memory covered -with a key. In this example WRPKRU is wrapped by a C function -called pkey_set(). - - int real_prot = PROT_READ|PROT_WRITE; - pkey = pkey_alloc(0, PKEY_DISABLE_WRITE); - ptr = mmap(NULL, PAGE_SIZE, PROT_NONE, MAP_ANONYMOUS|MAP_PRIVATE, -1, 0); - ret = pkey_mprotect(ptr, PAGE_SIZE, real_prot, pkey); - ... application runs here - -Now, if the application needs to update the data at 'ptr', it can -gain access, do the update, then remove its write access: - - pkey_set(pkey, 0); // clear PKEY_DISABLE_WRITE - *ptr = foo; // assign something - pkey_set(pkey, PKEY_DISABLE_WRITE); // set PKEY_DISABLE_WRITE again - -Now when it frees the memory, it will also free the pkey since it -is no longer in use: - - munmap(ptr, PAGE_SIZE); - pkey_free(pkey); - -(Note: pkey_set() is a wrapper for the RDPKRU and WRPKRU instructions. - An example implementation can be found in - tools/testing/selftests/x86/protection_keys.c) - -=========================== Behavior =========================== - -The kernel attempts to make protection keys consistent with the -behavior of a plain mprotect(). For instance if you do this: - - mprotect(ptr, size, PROT_NONE); - something(ptr); - -you can expect the same effects with protection keys when doing this: - - pkey = pkey_alloc(0, PKEY_DISABLE_WRITE | PKEY_DISABLE_READ); - pkey_mprotect(ptr, size, PROT_READ|PROT_WRITE, pkey); - something(ptr); - -That should be true whether something() is a direct access to 'ptr' -like: - - *ptr = foo; - -or when the kernel does the access on the application's behalf like -with a read(): - - read(fd, ptr, 1); - -The kernel will send a SIGSEGV in both cases, but si_code will be set -to SEGV_PKERR when violating protection keys versus SEGV_ACCERR when -the plain mprotect() permissions are violated. -- 1.7.1 -- To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kselftest" in the body of a message to majordomo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html
