linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH v2 10/10] arm64: mm: Unmap kernel data/bss entirely from the linear map

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Message-ID: <3d6b2d69-ba7c-4da0-80e1-d1b80da47696@arm.com>
Date: Tue, 27 Jan 2026 10:50:19 +0000
From: Ryan Roberts <ryan.roberts@....com>
To: Ard Biesheuvel <ardb+git@...gle.com>, linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org
Cc: linux-arm-kernel@...ts.infradead.org, will@...nel.org,
 catalin.marinas@....com, mark.rutland@....com,
 Ard Biesheuvel <ardb@...nel.org>,
 Anshuman Khandual <anshuman.khandual@....com>,
 Liz Prucka <lizprucka@...gle.com>, Seth Jenkins <sethjenkins@...gle.com>,
 Kees Cook <kees@...nel.org>, linux-hardening@...r.kernel.org
Subject: Re: [PATCH v2 10/10] arm64: mm: Unmap kernel data/bss entirely from
 the linear map

On 26/01/2026 09:26, Ard Biesheuvel wrote:
> From: Ard Biesheuvel <ardb@...nel.org>
> 
> The linear aliases of the kernel text and rodata are mapped read-only in
> the linear map as well. Given that the contents of these regions are
> mostly identical to the version in the loadable image, mapping them
> read-only and leaving their contents visible is a reasonable hardening
> measure.

what about ro_after_init? Could that contain secrets that we don't want to leak?
What is the advantage of leaving text/rodata ro in the linear map vs just
umapping the whole lot?

> 
> Data and bss, however, are now also mapped read-only but the contents of
> these regions are more likely to contain data that we'd rather not leak.
> So let's unmap these entirely in the linear map when the kernel is
> running normally.
> 
> When going into hibernation or waking up from it, these regions need to
> be mapped, so map the region initially, and toggle the valid bit so
> map/unmap the region as needed.
> 
> Signed-off-by: Ard Biesheuvel <ardb@...nel.org>
> ---
>  arch/arm64/mm/mmu.c | 40 ++++++++++++++++++--
>  1 file changed, 37 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)
> 
> diff --git a/arch/arm64/mm/mmu.c b/arch/arm64/mm/mmu.c
> index fdbbb018adc5..06b2d11b4561 100644
> --- a/arch/arm64/mm/mmu.c
> +++ b/arch/arm64/mm/mmu.c
> @@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
>  #include <linux/mm.h>
>  #include <linux/vmalloc.h>
>  #include <linux/set_memory.h>
> +#include <linux/suspend.h>
>  #include <linux/kfence.h>
>  #include <linux/pkeys.h>
>  #include <linux/mm_inline.h>
> @@ -1027,6 +1028,31 @@ static void __init __map_memblock(phys_addr_t start, phys_addr_t end,
>  				 end - start, prot, early_pgtable_alloc, flags);
>  }
>  
> +static void remap_linear_data_alias(bool unmap)
> +{
> +	set_memory_valid((unsigned long)lm_alias(__init_end),
> +			 (unsigned long)(__pgdir_start - __init_end) / PAGE_SIZE,
> +			 !unmap);
> +}
> +
> +static int arm64_hibernate_pm_notify(struct notifier_block *nb,
> +				     unsigned long mode, void *unused)
> +{
> +	switch (mode) {
> +	default:
> +		break;
> +	case PM_POST_HIBERNATION:
> +	case PM_POST_RESTORE:
> +		remap_linear_data_alias(true);
> +		break;
> +	case PM_HIBERNATION_PREPARE:
> +	case PM_RESTORE_PREPARE:
> +		remap_linear_data_alias(false);
> +		break;
> +	}
> +	return 0;
> +}
> +
>  void __init mark_linear_text_alias_ro(void)
>  {
>  	/*
> @@ -1035,6 +1061,16 @@ void __init mark_linear_text_alias_ro(void)
>  	update_mapping_prot(__pa_symbol(_text), (unsigned long)lm_alias(_text),
>  			    (unsigned long)__init_begin - (unsigned long)_text,
>  			    PAGE_KERNEL_RO);
> +
> +	remap_linear_data_alias(true);
> +
> +	if (IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_HIBERNATION)) {
> +		static struct notifier_block nb = {
> +			.notifier_call = arm64_hibernate_pm_notify
> +		};
> +
> +		register_pm_notifier(&nb);
> +	}
>  }
>  
>  #ifdef CONFIG_KFENCE
> @@ -1163,7 +1199,7 @@ static void __init map_mem(void)
>  	__map_memblock(kernel_start, init_begin, PAGE_KERNEL,
>  		       flags | NO_CONT_MAPPINGS);
>  	__map_memblock(init_end, kernel_end, PAGE_KERNEL,
> -		       flags | NO_CONT_MAPPINGS);
> +		       flags | NO_BLOCK_MAPPINGS | NO_CONT_MAPPINGS);
>  
>  	/* map all the memory banks */
>  	for_each_mem_range(i, &start, &end) {
> @@ -1176,8 +1212,6 @@ static void __init map_mem(void)
>  			       flags);
>  	}
>  
> -	__map_memblock(init_end, kernel_end, PAGE_KERNEL_RO,
> -		       flags | NO_CONT_MAPPINGS);

In the previous patch, perhaps this should be moved to
mark_linear_text_alias_ro() and combined with the update_mapping_prot() there?

Thanks,
Ryan



>  	arm64_kfence_map_pool(early_kfence_pool);
>  }
>