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author | Josh Poimboeuf <jpoimboe@redhat.com> | 2022-04-18 09:50:44 -0700 |
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committer | Peter Zijlstra <peterz@infradead.org> | 2022-04-22 12:32:05 +0200 |
commit | a8e35fece49b16b20de000aab687ca075e4463af (patch) | |
tree | d4d02e5dcfee024f97ae18520a66ac5a0c57bba8 | |
parent | 753da4179d08b625d8df72e97724e22749969fd3 (diff) | |
download | linux-a8e35fece49b16b20de000aab687ca075e4463af.tar.bz2 |
objtool: Update documentation
The objtool documentation is very stack validation centric. Broaden the
documentation and describe all the features objtool supports.
Signed-off-by: Josh Poimboeuf <jpoimboe@redhat.com>
Signed-off-by: Peter Zijlstra (Intel) <peterz@infradead.org>
Reviewed-by: Miroslav Benes <mbenes@suse.cz>
Link: https://lkml.kernel.org/r/b6a84d301d9f73ec6725752654097f4e31fa1b69.1650300597.git.jpoimboe@redhat.com
-rw-r--r-- | tools/objtool/Documentation/objtool.txt (renamed from tools/objtool/Documentation/stack-validation.txt) | 122 |
1 files changed, 102 insertions, 20 deletions
diff --git a/tools/objtool/Documentation/stack-validation.txt b/tools/objtool/Documentation/objtool.txt index 30f38fdc0d56..8a671902a187 100644 --- a/tools/objtool/Documentation/stack-validation.txt +++ b/tools/objtool/Documentation/objtool.txt @@ -1,15 +1,103 @@ -Compile-time stack metadata validation -====================================== +Objtool +======= +The kernel CONFIG_OBJTOOL option enables a host tool named 'objtool' +which runs at compile time. It can do various validations and +transformations on .o files. -Overview +Objtool has become an integral part of the x86-64 kernel toolchain. The +kernel depends on it for a variety of security and performance features +(and other types of features as well). + + +Features -------- -The kernel CONFIG_STACK_VALIDATION option enables a host tool named -objtool which runs at compile time. It has a "check" subcommand which -analyzes every .o file and ensures the validity of its stack metadata. -It enforces a set of rules on asm code and C inline assembly code so -that stack traces can be reliable. +Objtool has the following features: + +- Stack unwinding metadata validation -- useful for helping to ensure + stack traces are reliable for live patching + +- ORC unwinder metadata generation -- a faster and more precise + alternative to frame pointer based unwinding + +- Retpoline validation -- ensures that all indirect calls go through + retpoline thunks, for Spectre v2 mitigations + +- Retpoline call site annotation -- annotates all retpoline thunk call + sites, enabling the kernel to patch them inline, to prevent "thunk + funneling" for both security and performance reasons + +- Non-instrumentation validation -- validates non-instrumentable + ("noinstr") code rules, preventing instrumentation in low-level C + entry code + +- Static call annotation -- annotates static call sites, enabling the + kernel to implement inline static calls, a faster alternative to some + indirect branches + +- Uaccess validation -- validates uaccess rules for a proper + implementation of Supervisor Mode Access Protection (SMAP) + +- Straight Line Speculation validation -- validates certain SLS + mitigations + +- Indirect Branch Tracking validation -- validates Intel CET IBT rules + to ensure that all functions referenced by function pointers have + corresponding ENDBR instructions + +- Indirect Branch Tracking annotation -- annotates unused ENDBR + instruction sites, enabling the kernel to "seal" them (replace them + with NOPs) to further harden IBT + +- Function entry annotation -- annotates function entries, enabling + kernel function tracing + +- Other toolchain hacks which will go unmentioned at this time... + +Each feature can be enabled individually or in combination using the +objtool cmdline. + + +Objects +------- + +Typically, objtool runs on every translation unit (TU, aka ".o file") in +the kernel. If a TU is part of a kernel module, the '--module' option +is added. + +However: + +- If noinstr validation is enabled, it also runs on vmlinux.o, with all + options removed and '--noinstr' added. + +- If IBT or LTO is enabled, it doesn't run on TUs at all. Instead it + runs on vmlinux.o and linked modules, with all options. + +In summary: + + A) Legacy mode: + TU: objtool [--module] <options> + vmlinux: N/A + module: N/A + + B) CONFIG_NOINSTR_VALIDATION=y && !(CONFIG_X86_KERNEL_IBT=y || CONFIG_LTO=y): + TU: objtool [--module] <options> // no --noinstr + vmlinux: objtool --noinstr // other options removed + module: N/A + + C) CONFIG_X86_KERNEL_IBT=y || CONFIG_LTO=y: + TU: N/A + vmlinux: objtool --noinstr <options> + module: objtool --module --noinstr <options> + + +Stack validation +---------------- + +Objtool's stack validation feature analyzes every .o file and ensures +the validity of its stack metadata. It enforces a set of rules on asm +code and C inline assembly code so that stack traces can be reliable. For each function, it recursively follows all possible code paths and validates the correct frame pointer state at each instruction. @@ -20,14 +108,6 @@ alternative execution paths to a given instruction (or set of instructions). Similarly, it knows how to follow switch statements, for which gcc sometimes uses jump tables. -(Objtool also has an 'orc generate' subcommand which generates debuginfo -for the ORC unwinder. See Documentation/x86/orc-unwinder.rst in the -kernel tree for more details.) - - -Why do we need stack metadata validation? ------------------------------------------ - Here are some of the benefits of validating stack metadata: a) More reliable stack traces for frame pointer enabled kernels @@ -113,9 +193,6 @@ c) Higher live patching compatibility rate For more details, see the livepatch documentation in the Linux kernel source tree at Documentation/livepatch/livepatch.rst. -Rules ------ - To achieve the validation, objtool enforces the following rules: 1. Each callable function must be annotated as such with the ELF @@ -177,7 +254,8 @@ Another possible cause for errors in C code is if the Makefile removes -fno-omit-frame-pointer or adds -fomit-frame-pointer to the gcc options. Here are some examples of common warnings reported by objtool, what -they mean, and suggestions for how to fix them. +they mean, and suggestions for how to fix them. When in doubt, ping +the objtool maintainers. 1. file.o: warning: objtool: func()+0x128: call without frame pointer save/setup @@ -358,3 +436,7 @@ ignore it: OBJECT_FILES_NON_STANDARD := y to the Makefile. + +NOTE: OBJECT_FILES_NON_STANDARD doesn't work for link time validation of +vmlinux.o or a linked module. So it should only be used for files which +aren't linked into vmlinux or a module. |