# Re: \[PATCH v4\] mm/vmalloc: randomize vmalloc() allocations

- From: Kees Cook \<hidden\>
- Date: 2021-03-15 16:17:07 
- List: linux-api
- Page: https://ratatoskr.run/linux-api/2021/03/6302008
- Thread: https://ratatoskr.run/linux-hardening/2021/03/6293771/t.md

```text
On Mon, Mar 15, 2021 at 01:24:10PM +0100, Uladzislau Rezki wrote:
> On Mon, Mar 15, 2021 at 11:04:42AM +0200, Topi Miettinen wrote:
> > What's the problem with that? It seems to me that nothing relies on specific
> > addresses of the chunks, so it should be possible to randomize these too.
> > Also the alignment is honored.
> > 
> My concern are:
> 
> - it is not a vmalloc allocator;
> - per-cpu allocator allocates chunks, thus it might be it happens only once. It does not allocate it often;

That's actually the reason to randomize it: if it always ends up in the
same place at every boot, it becomes a stable target for attackers.

> - changing it will likely introduce issues you are not aware of;
> - it is not supposed to be interacting with vmalloc allocator. Read the
>   comment under pcpu_get_vm_areas();
> 
> Therefore i propose just not touch it.

How about splitting it from this patch instead? Then it can get separate
testing, etc.

-- 
Kees Cook
```