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Diffstat (limited to 'Documentation/admin-guide/mm/userfaultfd.rst')
| -rw-r--r-- | Documentation/admin-guide/mm/userfaultfd.rst | 229 |
1 files changed, 183 insertions, 46 deletions
diff --git a/Documentation/admin-guide/mm/userfaultfd.rst b/Documentation/admin-guide/mm/userfaultfd.rst index 1dc2d5f823b4..e5cc8848dcb3 100644 --- a/Documentation/admin-guide/mm/userfaultfd.rst +++ b/Documentation/admin-guide/mm/userfaultfd.rst @@ -1,5 +1,3 @@ -.. _userfaultfd: - =========== Userfaultfd =========== @@ -17,7 +15,10 @@ of the ``PROT_NONE+SIGSEGV`` trick. Design ====== -Userfaults are delivered and resolved through the ``userfaultfd`` syscall. +Userspace creates a new userfaultfd, initializes it, and registers one or more +regions of virtual memory with it. Then, any page faults which occur within the +region(s) result in a message being delivered to the userfaultfd, notifying +userspace of the fault. The ``userfaultfd`` (aside from registering and unregistering virtual memory ranges) provides two primary functionalities: @@ -34,12 +35,11 @@ The real advantage of userfaults if compared to regular virtual memory management of mremap/mprotect is that the userfaults in all their operations never involve heavyweight structures like vmas (in fact the ``userfaultfd`` runtime load never takes the mmap_lock for writing). - Vmas are not suitable for page- (or hugepage) granular fault tracking when dealing with virtual address spaces that could span Terabytes. Too many vmas would be needed for that. -The ``userfaultfd`` once opened by invoking the syscall, can also be +The ``userfaultfd``, once created, can also be passed using unix domain sockets to a manager process, so the same manager process could handle the userfaults of a multitude of different processes without them being aware about what is going on @@ -50,6 +50,39 @@ is a corner case that would currently return ``-EBUSY``). API === +Creating a userfaultfd +---------------------- + +There are two ways to create a new userfaultfd, each of which provide ways to +restrict access to this functionality (since historically userfaultfds which +handle kernel page faults have been a useful tool for exploiting the kernel). + +The first way, supported since userfaultfd was introduced, is the +userfaultfd(2) syscall. Access to this is controlled in several ways: + +- Any user can always create a userfaultfd which traps userspace page faults + only. Such a userfaultfd can be created using the userfaultfd(2) syscall + with the flag UFFD_USER_MODE_ONLY. + +- In order to also trap kernel page faults for the address space, either the + process needs the CAP_SYS_PTRACE capability, or the system must have + vm.unprivileged_userfaultfd set to 1. By default, vm.unprivileged_userfaultfd + is set to 0. + +The second way, added to the kernel more recently, is by opening +/dev/userfaultfd and issuing a USERFAULTFD_IOC_NEW ioctl to it. This method +yields equivalent userfaultfds to the userfaultfd(2) syscall. + +Unlike userfaultfd(2), access to /dev/userfaultfd is controlled via normal +filesystem permissions (user/group/mode), which gives fine grained access to +userfaultfd specifically, without also granting other unrelated privileges at +the same time (as e.g. granting CAP_SYS_PTRACE would do). Users who have access +to /dev/userfaultfd can always create userfaultfds that trap kernel page faults; +vm.unprivileged_userfaultfd is not considered. + +Initializing a userfaultfd +-------------------------- + When first opened the ``userfaultfd`` must be enabled invoking the ``UFFDIO_API`` ioctl specifying a ``uffdio_api.api`` value set to ``UFFD_API`` (or a later API version) which will specify the ``read/POLLIN`` protocol @@ -63,36 +96,40 @@ the generic ioctl available. The ``uffdio_api.features`` bitmask returned by the ``UFFDIO_API`` ioctl defines what memory types are supported by the ``userfaultfd`` and what -events, except page fault notifications, may be generated. - -If the kernel supports registering ``userfaultfd`` ranges on hugetlbfs -virtual memory areas, ``UFFD_FEATURE_MISSING_HUGETLBFS`` will be set in -``uffdio_api.features``. Similarly, ``UFFD_FEATURE_MISSING_SHMEM`` will be -set if the kernel supports registering ``userfaultfd`` ranges on shared -memory (covering all shmem APIs, i.e. tmpfs, ``IPCSHM``, ``/dev/zero``, -``MAP_SHARED``, ``memfd_create``, etc). - -The userland application that wants to use ``userfaultfd`` with hugetlbfs -or shared memory need to set the corresponding flag in -``uffdio_api.features`` to enable those features. - -If the userland desires to receive notifications for events other than -page faults, it has to verify that ``uffdio_api.features`` has appropriate -``UFFD_FEATURE_EVENT_*`` bits set. These events are described in more -detail below in `Non-cooperative userfaultfd`_ section. - -Once the ``userfaultfd`` has been enabled the ``UFFDIO_REGISTER`` ioctl should -be invoked (if present in the returned ``uffdio_api.ioctls`` bitmask) to -register a memory range in the ``userfaultfd`` by setting the +events, except page fault notifications, may be generated: + +- The ``UFFD_FEATURE_EVENT_*`` flags indicate that various other events + other than page faults are supported. These events are described in more + detail below in the `Non-cooperative userfaultfd`_ section. + +- ``UFFD_FEATURE_MISSING_HUGETLBFS`` and ``UFFD_FEATURE_MISSING_SHMEM`` + indicate that the kernel supports ``UFFDIO_REGISTER_MODE_MISSING`` + registrations for hugetlbfs and shared memory (covering all shmem APIs, + i.e. tmpfs, ``IPCSHM``, ``/dev/zero``, ``MAP_SHARED``, ``memfd_create``, + etc) virtual memory areas, respectively. + +- ``UFFD_FEATURE_MINOR_HUGETLBFS`` indicates that the kernel supports + ``UFFDIO_REGISTER_MODE_MINOR`` registration for hugetlbfs virtual memory + areas. ``UFFD_FEATURE_MINOR_SHMEM`` is the analogous feature indicating + support for shmem virtual memory areas. + +- ``UFFD_FEATURE_MOVE`` indicates that the kernel supports moving an + existing page contents from userspace. + +The userland application should set the feature flags it intends to use +when invoking the ``UFFDIO_API`` ioctl, to request that those features be +enabled if supported. + +Once the ``userfaultfd`` API has been enabled the ``UFFDIO_REGISTER`` +ioctl should be invoked (if present in the returned ``uffdio_api.ioctls`` +bitmask) to register a memory range in the ``userfaultfd`` by setting the uffdio_register structure accordingly. The ``uffdio_register.mode`` bitmask will specify to the kernel which kind of faults to track for -the range (``UFFDIO_REGISTER_MODE_MISSING`` would track missing -pages). The ``UFFDIO_REGISTER`` ioctl will return the +the range. The ``UFFDIO_REGISTER`` ioctl will return the ``uffdio_register.ioctls`` bitmask of ioctls that are suitable to resolve userfaults on the range registered. Not all ioctls will necessarily be -supported for all memory types depending on the underlying virtual -memory backend (anonymous memory vs tmpfs vs real filebacked -mappings). +supported for all memory types (e.g. anonymous memory vs. shmem vs. +hugetlbfs), or all types of intercepted faults. Userland can use the ``uffdio_register.ioctls`` to manage the virtual address space in the background (to add or potentially also remove @@ -100,21 +137,46 @@ memory from the ``userfaultfd`` registered range). This means a userfault could be triggering just before userland maps in the background the user-faulted page. -The primary ioctl to resolve userfaults is ``UFFDIO_COPY``. That -atomically copies a page into the userfault registered range and wakes -up the blocked userfaults -(unless ``uffdio_copy.mode & UFFDIO_COPY_MODE_DONTWAKE`` is set). -Other ioctl works similarly to ``UFFDIO_COPY``. They're atomic as in -guaranteeing that nothing can see an half copied page since it'll -keep userfaulting until the copy has finished. +Resolving Userfaults +-------------------- + +There are three basic ways to resolve userfaults: + +- ``UFFDIO_COPY`` atomically copies some existing page contents from + userspace. + +- ``UFFDIO_ZEROPAGE`` atomically zeros the new page. + +- ``UFFDIO_CONTINUE`` maps an existing, previously-populated page. + +These operations are atomic in the sense that they guarantee nothing can +see a half-populated page, since readers will keep userfaulting until the +operation has finished. + +By default, these wake up userfaults blocked on the range in question. +They support a ``UFFDIO_*_MODE_DONTWAKE`` ``mode`` flag, which indicates +that waking will be done separately at some later time. + +Which ioctl to choose depends on the kind of page fault, and what we'd +like to do to resolve it: + +- For ``UFFDIO_REGISTER_MODE_MISSING`` faults, the fault needs to be + resolved by either providing a new page (``UFFDIO_COPY``), or mapping + the zero page (``UFFDIO_ZEROPAGE``). By default, the kernel would map + the zero page for a missing fault. With userfaultfd, userspace can + decide what content to provide before the faulting thread continues. + +- For ``UFFDIO_REGISTER_MODE_MINOR`` faults, there is an existing page (in + the page cache). Userspace has the option of modifying the page's + contents before resolving the fault. Once the contents are correct + (modified or not), userspace asks the kernel to map the page and let the + faulting thread continue with ``UFFDIO_CONTINUE``. Notes: -- If you requested ``UFFDIO_REGISTER_MODE_MISSING`` when registering then - you must provide some kind of page in your thread after reading from - the uffd. You must provide either ``UFFDIO_COPY`` or ``UFFDIO_ZEROPAGE``. - The normal behavior of the OS automatically providing a zero page on - an annonymous mmaping is not in place. +- You can tell which kind of fault occurred by examining + ``pagefault.flags`` within the ``uffd_msg``, checking for the + ``UFFD_PAGEFAULT_FLAG_*`` flags. - None of the page-delivering ioctls default to the range that you registered with. You must fill in all fields for the appropriate @@ -122,9 +184,9 @@ Notes: - You get the address of the access that triggered the missing page event out of a struct uffd_msg that you read in the thread from the - uffd. You can supply as many pages as you want with ``UFFDIO_COPY`` or - ``UFFDIO_ZEROPAGE``. Keep in mind that unless you used DONTWAKE then - the first of any of those IOCTLs wakes up the faulting thread. + uffd. You can supply as many pages as you want with these IOCTLs. + Keep in mind that unless you used DONTWAKE then the first of any of + those IOCTLs wakes up the faulting thread. - Be sure to test for all errors including (``pollfd[0].revents & POLLERR``). This can happen, e.g. when ranges @@ -160,6 +222,81 @@ former will have ``UFFD_PAGEFAULT_FLAG_WP`` set, the latter you still need to supply a page when ``UFFDIO_REGISTER_MODE_MISSING`` was used. +Userfaultfd write-protect mode currently behave differently on none ptes +(when e.g. page is missing) over different types of memories. + +For anonymous memory, ``ioctl(UFFDIO_WRITEPROTECT)`` will ignore none ptes +(e.g. when pages are missing and not populated). For file-backed memories +like shmem and hugetlbfs, none ptes will be write protected just like a +present pte. In other words, there will be a userfaultfd write fault +message generated when writing to a missing page on file typed memories, +as long as the page range was write-protected before. Such a message will +not be generated on anonymous memories by default. + +If the application wants to be able to write protect none ptes on anonymous +memory, one can pre-populate the memory with e.g. MADV_POPULATE_READ. On +newer kernels, one can also detect the feature UFFD_FEATURE_WP_UNPOPULATED +and set the feature bit in advance to make sure none ptes will also be +write protected even upon anonymous memory. + +When using ``UFFDIO_REGISTER_MODE_WP`` in combination with either +``UFFDIO_REGISTER_MODE_MISSING`` or ``UFFDIO_REGISTER_MODE_MINOR``, when +resolving missing / minor faults with ``UFFDIO_COPY`` or ``UFFDIO_CONTINUE`` +respectively, it may be desirable for the new page / mapping to be +write-protected (so future writes will also result in a WP fault). These ioctls +support a mode flag (``UFFDIO_COPY_MODE_WP`` or ``UFFDIO_CONTINUE_MODE_WP`` +respectively) to configure the mapping this way. + +If the userfaultfd context has ``UFFD_FEATURE_WP_ASYNC`` feature bit set, +any vma registered with write-protection will work in async mode rather +than the default sync mode. + +In async mode, there will be no message generated when a write operation +happens, meanwhile the write-protection will be resolved automatically by +the kernel. It can be seen as a more accurate version of soft-dirty +tracking and it can be different in a few ways: + + - The dirty result will not be affected by vma changes (e.g. vma + merging) because the dirty is only tracked by the pte. + + - It supports range operations by default, so one can enable tracking on + any range of memory as long as page aligned. + + - Dirty information will not get lost if the pte was zapped due to + various reasons (e.g. during split of a shmem transparent huge page). + + - Due to a reverted meaning of soft-dirty (page clean when uffd-wp bit + set; dirty when uffd-wp bit cleared), it has different semantics on + some of the memory operations. For example: ``MADV_DONTNEED`` on + anonymous (or ``MADV_REMOVE`` on a file mapping) will be treated as + dirtying of memory by dropping uffd-wp bit during the procedure. + +The user app can collect the "written/dirty" status by looking up the +uffd-wp bit for the pages being interested in /proc/pagemap. + +The page will not be under track of uffd-wp async mode until the page is +explicitly write-protected by ``ioctl(UFFDIO_WRITEPROTECT)`` with the mode +flag ``UFFDIO_WRITEPROTECT_MODE_WP`` set. Trying to resolve a page fault +that was tracked by async mode userfaultfd-wp is invalid. + +When userfaultfd-wp async mode is used alone, it can be applied to all +kinds of memory. + +Memory Poisioning Emulation +--------------------------- + +In response to a fault (either missing or minor), an action userspace can +take to "resolve" it is to issue a ``UFFDIO_POISON``. This will cause any +future faulters to either get a SIGBUS, or in KVM's case the guest will +receive an MCE as if there were hardware memory poisoning. + +This is used to emulate hardware memory poisoning. Imagine a VM running on a +machine which experiences a real hardware memory error. Later, we live migrate +the VM to another physical machine. Since we want the migration to be +transparent to the guest, we want that same address range to act as if it was +still poisoned, even though it's on a new physical host which ostensibly +doesn't have a memory error in the exact same spot. + QEMU/KVM ======== |