linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH 02/12] powerpc/module: Mark module stubs with a magic value

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Date:	Fri, 26 Feb 2016 21:37:52 +1100
From:	Michael Ellerman <mpe@...erman.id.au>
To:	Torsten Duwe <duwe@....de>
Cc:	linuxppc-dev@...abs.org, bsingharora@...il.com,
	linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org, rostedt@...dmis.org,
	kamalesh@...ux.vnet.ibm.com, pmladek@...e.com, jeyu@...hat.com,
	jkosina@...e.cz, live-patching@...r.kernel.org, mbenes@...e.cz
Subject: Re: [PATCH 02/12] powerpc/module: Mark module stubs with a magic
 value

On Thu, 2016-02-25 at 14:17 +0100, Torsten Duwe wrote:
> On Thu, Feb 25, 2016 at 01:28:25AM +1100, Michael Ellerman wrote:
> > 
> > We can make that process easier by marking the generated stubs with a
> > magic value, and then looking for that magic value. Altough this is not
> > as rigorous as the current method, I believe it is sufficient in
> > practice.
> 
> The actual magic value is sort of debatable; it should be "improbable"
> enough. But this can be changed easily, for each kernel compile, even.

Yeah. Given the locations we're trying to patch are computed in the first place
from the mcount call sites, I feel like we don't need to be super paranoid
here. The only time I've heard of this code (the current version) tripping up
is when folks are hacking on ftrace.

> > Signed-off-by: Michael Ellerman <mpe@...erman.id.au>
> Reviewed-by: Torsten Duwe <duwe@...e.de>
> 
> [for reference:]

> > +#define STUB_MAGIC 0x73747562 /* stub */

Which is one of:

ori     r21,r19,29811
andi.   r20,r27,30050

Both of which are pretty improbable. They don't appear in any kernel I have
around here.

I have more plans for this code, which would hopefully mean we can get rid of
the magic checking entirely. But I think this is OK for now.

cheers