Re: [PATCH bpf-next v3 3/6] bpf: Disallow !kprobe_write_ctx progs tail-calling kprobe_write_ctx progs
From: Leon Hwang <hidden>
Date: 2026-03-11 06:08:25
Also in:
linux-kselftest, lkml, netdev
On 11/3/26 01:23, Kumar Kartikeya Dwivedi wrote:
On Tue, 3 Mar 2026 at 17:04, [off-list ref] wrote:quoted
quoted
diff --git a/kernel/bpf/core.c b/kernel/bpf/core.c --- a/kernel/bpf/core.c +++ b/kernel/bpf/core.c[ ... ]quoted
+ switch (match) { + case BPF_MAP_OWNER_MATCH_FOR_INIT: + if (owner->kprobe_write_ctx != aux->kprobe_write_ctx) + return false; + break; + + case BPF_MAP_OWNER_MATCH_FOR_UPDATE: + if (!owner->kprobe_write_ctx && aux->kprobe_write_ctx) + return false; + break; + }In the v1 review, Alexei Starovoitov asked for strict conformance both ways rather than one-directional validation: "Don't be fancy. Require strict conformance both ways in *all* patches." https://lore.kernel.org/bpf/CAADnVQ+-V0-1i8_+CYpK7G0CnV-2n8e9Szv43yM3Az197eL_0A@mail.gmail.com/ (local) The BPF_MAP_OWNER_MATCH_FOR_UPDATE case still uses one-directional matching, rejecting only !owner->kprobe_write_ctx && aux->kprobe_write_ctx but allowing the reverse. Was this an intentional design choice, and if so, should the changelog note the disagreement?Let's follow the approach Alexei outlined, while the changes look ok to me, let's remove the one way check and just do owner->kprobe_write_ctx != aux->kprobe_write_ctx, same for the other two checks. With this we can also get rid of this INIT vs UPDATE distinction. Other than that I think patches are good, please also test both directions in the selftest in next respin.
Hi Kumar,
Thanks for your review.
I agreed that both-ways check could simplify the code. But, the UX could
not be great.
Let me explain it with an example.
struct {
__uint(type, BPF_MAP_TYPE_PROG_ARRAY);
__uint(max_entries, 1);
__uint(key_size, sizeof(__u32));
__uint(value_size, sizeof(__u32));
} jmp_table SEC(".maps");
SEC("?kprobe")
int prog_a(struct pt_regs *regs)
{
regs->ax = 0;
bpf_tail_call_static(regs, &jmp_table, 0);
return 0;
}
SEC("?kprobe")
int prog_b(struct pt_regs *regs)
{
return 0;
}
prog_a is kprobe_write_ctx.
prog_b is !kprobe_write_ctx. And, it will be added to jmp_table.
With both-ways check, prog_b is required to modify regs. I think it's
too restrictive for users to use prog_b as tail callee.
With one-way-check of this patch, prog_b can be used as tail callee to
keep regs as-is.
This was what I was concerned about, and the reason why I did not follow
Alexei's approach.
Thanks,
Leon