1 .. SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0 1 .. SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0
2 2
3 ===================== 3 =====================
4 Syscall User Dispatch 4 Syscall User Dispatch
5 ===================== 5 =====================
6 6
7 Background 7 Background
8 ---------- 8 ----------
9 9
10 Compatibility layers like Wine need a way to e 10 Compatibility layers like Wine need a way to efficiently emulate system
11 calls of only a part of their process - the pa 11 calls of only a part of their process - the part that has the
12 incompatible code - while being able to execut 12 incompatible code - while being able to execute native syscalls without
13 a high performance penalty on the native part 13 a high performance penalty on the native part of the process. Seccomp
14 falls short on this task, since it has limited 14 falls short on this task, since it has limited support to efficiently
15 filter syscalls based on memory regions, and i 15 filter syscalls based on memory regions, and it doesn't support removing
16 filters. Therefore a new mechanism is necessa 16 filters. Therefore a new mechanism is necessary.
17 17
18 Syscall User Dispatch brings the filtering of 18 Syscall User Dispatch brings the filtering of the syscall dispatcher
19 address back to userspace. The application is 19 address back to userspace. The application is in control of a flip
20 switch, indicating the current personality of 20 switch, indicating the current personality of the process. A
21 multiple-personality application can then flip 21 multiple-personality application can then flip the switch without
22 invoking the kernel, when crossing the compati 22 invoking the kernel, when crossing the compatibility layer API
23 boundaries, to enable/disable the syscall redi 23 boundaries, to enable/disable the syscall redirection and execute
24 syscalls directly (disabled) or send them to b 24 syscalls directly (disabled) or send them to be emulated in userspace
25 through a SIGSYS. 25 through a SIGSYS.
26 26
27 The goal of this design is to provide very qui 27 The goal of this design is to provide very quick compatibility layer
28 boundary crosses, which is achieved by not exe 28 boundary crosses, which is achieved by not executing a syscall to change
29 personality every time the compatibility layer 29 personality every time the compatibility layer executes. Instead, a
30 userspace memory region exposed to the kernel 30 userspace memory region exposed to the kernel indicates the current
31 personality, and the application simply modifi 31 personality, and the application simply modifies that variable to
32 configure the mechanism. 32 configure the mechanism.
33 33
34 There is a relatively high cost associated wit 34 There is a relatively high cost associated with handling signals on most
35 architectures, like x86, but at least for Wine 35 architectures, like x86, but at least for Wine, syscalls issued by
36 native Windows code are currently not known to 36 native Windows code are currently not known to be a performance problem,
37 since they are quite rare, at least for modern 37 since they are quite rare, at least for modern gaming applications.
38 38
39 Since this mechanism is designed to capture sy 39 Since this mechanism is designed to capture syscalls issued by
40 non-native applications, it must function on s 40 non-native applications, it must function on syscalls whose invocation
41 ABI is completely unexpected to Linux. Syscal 41 ABI is completely unexpected to Linux. Syscall User Dispatch, therefore
42 doesn't rely on any of the syscall ABI to make 42 doesn't rely on any of the syscall ABI to make the filtering. It uses
43 only the syscall dispatcher address and the us 43 only the syscall dispatcher address and the userspace key.
44 44
45 As the ABI of these intercepted syscalls is un 45 As the ABI of these intercepted syscalls is unknown to Linux, these
46 syscalls are not instrumentable via ptrace or 46 syscalls are not instrumentable via ptrace or the syscall tracepoints.
47 47
48 Interface 48 Interface
49 --------- 49 ---------
50 50
51 A thread can setup this mechanism on supported 51 A thread can setup this mechanism on supported kernels by executing the
52 following prctl: 52 following prctl:
53 53
54 prctl(PR_SET_SYSCALL_USER_DISPATCH, <op>, <o 54 prctl(PR_SET_SYSCALL_USER_DISPATCH, <op>, <offset>, <length>, [selector])
55 55
56 <op> is either PR_SYS_DISPATCH_ON or PR_SYS_DI 56 <op> is either PR_SYS_DISPATCH_ON or PR_SYS_DISPATCH_OFF, to enable and
57 disable the mechanism globally for that thread 57 disable the mechanism globally for that thread. When
58 PR_SYS_DISPATCH_OFF is used, the other fields 58 PR_SYS_DISPATCH_OFF is used, the other fields must be zero.
59 59
60 [<offset>, <offset>+<length>) delimit a memory 60 [<offset>, <offset>+<length>) delimit a memory region interval
61 from which syscalls are always executed direct 61 from which syscalls are always executed directly, regardless of the
62 userspace selector. This provides a fast path 62 userspace selector. This provides a fast path for the C library, which
63 includes the most common syscall dispatchers i 63 includes the most common syscall dispatchers in the native code
64 applications, and also provides a way for the 64 applications, and also provides a way for the signal handler to return
65 without triggering a nested SIGSYS on (rt\_)si 65 without triggering a nested SIGSYS on (rt\_)sigreturn. Users of this
66 interface should make sure that at least the s 66 interface should make sure that at least the signal trampoline code is
67 included in this region. In addition, for sysc 67 included in this region. In addition, for syscalls that implement the
68 trampoline code on the vDSO, that trampoline i 68 trampoline code on the vDSO, that trampoline is never intercepted.
69 69
70 [selector] is a pointer to a char-sized region 70 [selector] is a pointer to a char-sized region in the process memory
71 region, that provides a quick way to enable di 71 region, that provides a quick way to enable disable syscall redirection
72 thread-wide, without the need to invoke the ke 72 thread-wide, without the need to invoke the kernel directly. selector
73 can be set to SYSCALL_DISPATCH_FILTER_ALLOW or 73 can be set to SYSCALL_DISPATCH_FILTER_ALLOW or SYSCALL_DISPATCH_FILTER_BLOCK.
74 Any other value should terminate the program w 74 Any other value should terminate the program with a SIGSYS.
75 75
76 Additionally, a tasks syscall user dispatch co 76 Additionally, a tasks syscall user dispatch configuration can be peeked
77 and poked via the PTRACE_(GET|SET)_SYSCALL_USE 77 and poked via the PTRACE_(GET|SET)_SYSCALL_USER_DISPATCH_CONFIG ptrace
78 requests. This is useful for checkpoint/restar 78 requests. This is useful for checkpoint/restart software.
79 79
80 Security Notes 80 Security Notes
81 -------------- 81 --------------
82 82
83 Syscall User Dispatch provides functionality f 83 Syscall User Dispatch provides functionality for compatibility layers to
84 quickly capture system calls issued by a non-n 84 quickly capture system calls issued by a non-native part of the
85 application, while not impacting the Linux nat 85 application, while not impacting the Linux native regions of the
86 process. It is not a mechanism for sandboxing 86 process. It is not a mechanism for sandboxing system calls, and it
87 should not be seen as a security mechanism, si 87 should not be seen as a security mechanism, since it is trivial for a
88 malicious application to subvert the mechanism 88 malicious application to subvert the mechanism by jumping to an allowed
89 dispatcher region prior to executing the sysca 89 dispatcher region prior to executing the syscall, or to discover the
90 address and modify the selector value. If the 90 address and modify the selector value. If the use case requires any
91 kind of security sandboxing, Seccomp should be 91 kind of security sandboxing, Seccomp should be used instead.
92 92
93 Any fork or exec of the existing process reset 93 Any fork or exec of the existing process resets the mechanism to
94 PR_SYS_DISPATCH_OFF. 94 PR_SYS_DISPATCH_OFF.
Linux® is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds in the United States and other countries.
TOMOYO® is a registered trademark of NTT DATA CORPORATION.