[tip:perf/core] Documentation/kprobes: Add how to change the execution path

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Commit-ID:  dcce32d952eddcd427f648ebd04339cfbf305e23
Gitweb:     https://git.kernel.org/tip/dcce32d952eddcd427f648ebd04339cfbf305e23
Author:     Masami Hiramatsu <mhiramat@xxxxxxxxxx>
AuthorDate: Wed, 20 Jun 2018 01:16:46 +0900
Committer:  Ingo Molnar <mingo@xxxxxxxxxx>
CommitDate: Thu, 21 Jun 2018 12:33:20 +0200

Documentation/kprobes: Add how to change the execution path

Add a section that explaining how to change the execution
path with kprobes and warnings for some arch.

Signed-off-by: Masami Hiramatsu <mhiramat@xxxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Thomas Gleixner <tglx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: Ananth N Mavinakayanahalli <ananth@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: Andrew Morton <akpm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: Jonathan Corbet <corbet@xxxxxxx>
Cc: Linus Torvalds <torvalds@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: Peter Zijlstra <peterz@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: Steven Rostedt <rostedt@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: linux-arch@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Cc: linux-doc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Link: https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/152942500680.15209.12374262914863044775.stgit@devbox
Signed-off-by: Ingo Molnar <mingo@xxxxxxxxxx>
---
 Documentation/kprobes.txt | 20 ++++++++++++++++++++
 1 file changed, 20 insertions(+)

diff --git a/Documentation/kprobes.txt b/Documentation/kprobes.txt
index cbb545910634..13d8efdb9718 100644
--- a/Documentation/kprobes.txt
+++ b/Documentation/kprobes.txt
@@ -80,6 +80,26 @@ After the instruction is single-stepped, Kprobes executes the
 "post_handler," if any, that is associated with the kprobe.
 Execution then continues with the instruction following the probepoint.
 
+Changing Execution Path
+-----------------------
+
+Since the kprobes can probe into a running kernel code, it can change
+the register set, including instruction pointer. This operation
+requires maximum attention, such as keeping the stack frame, recovering
+execution path etc. Since it is operated on running kernel and need deep
+knowladge of the archtecture and concurrent computing, you can easily
+shot your foot.
+
+If you change the instruction pointer (and set up other related
+registers) in pre_handler, you must return !0 so that the kprobes
+stops single stepping and just returns to given address.
+This also means post_handler should not be called anymore.
+
+Note that this operation may be harder on some architectures which
+use TOC (Table of Contents) for function call, since you have to
+setup new TOC for your function in your module, and recover old
+one after back from it.
+
 Return Probes
 -------------
 
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