Patch "x86/build: Build compressed x86 kernels as PIE" has been added to the 4.4-stable tree

This is a note to let you know that I've just added the patch titled

x86/build: Build compressed x86 kernels as PIE

to the 4.4-stable tree which can be found at:
http://www.kernel.org/git/?p=linux/kernel/git/stable/stable-queue.git;a=summary

The filename of the patch is:
x86-build-build-compressed-x86-kernels-as-pie.patch
and it can be found in the queue-4.4 subdirectory.

If you, or anyone else, feels it should not be added to the stable tree, please let <[email protected]> know about it.

From: "H.J. Lu" <[email protected]>
Date: Wed, 16 Mar 2016 20:04:35 -0700
Subject: x86/build: Build compressed x86 kernels as PIE

From: H.J. Lu <[email protected]>

commit 6d92bc9d483aa1751755a66fee8fb39dffb088c0 upstream.

The 32-bit x86 assembler in binutils 2.26 will generate R_386_GOT32X relocation to get the symbol address in PIC. When the compressed x86 kernel isn't built as PIC, the linker optimizes R_386_GOT32X relocations to their fixed symbol addresses. However, when the compressed x86 kernel is loaded at a different address, it leads to the following load failure:

Failed to allocate space for phdrs

during the decompression stage.

If the compressed x86 kernel is relocatable at run-time, it should be compiled with -fPIE, instead of -fPIC, if possible and should be built as Position Independent Executable (PIE) so that linker won't optimize R_386_GOT32X relocation to its fixed symbol address.

Older linkers generate R_386_32 relocations against locally defined symbols, _bss, _ebss, _got and _egot, in PIE. It isn't wrong, just less optimal than R_386_RELATIVE. But the x86 kernel fails to properly handle R_386_32 relocations when relocating the kernel. To generate R_386_RELATIVE relocations, we mark _bss, _ebss, _got and _egot as hidden in both 32-bit and 64-bit x86 kernels.

To build a 64-bit compressed x86 kernel as PIE, we need to disable the relocation overflow check to avoid relocation overflow errors. We do this with a new linker command-line option, -z noreloc-overflow, which got added recently:

commit 4c10bbaa0912742322f10d9d5bb630ba4e15dfa7
Author: H.J. Lu <[email protected]>
Date: Tue Mar 15 11:07:06 2016 -0700

Add -z noreloc-overflow option to x86-64 ld

Add -z noreloc-overflow command-line option to the x86-64 ELF linker to disable relocation overflow check. This can be used to avoid relocation overflow check if there will be no dynamic relocation overflow at run-time.

The 64-bit compressed x86 kernel is built as PIE only if the linker supports -z noreloc-overflow. So far 64-bit relocatable compressed x86 kernel boots fine even when it is built as a normal executable.

---
 arch/x86/boot/compressed/Makefile  |   14 +++++++++++++-
 arch/x86/boot/compressed/head_32.S |   28 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 arch/x86/boot/compressed/head_64.S |    8 ++++++++
 3 files changed, 49 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)

@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ targets := vmlinux vmlinux.bin vmlinux.b
 	vmlinux.bin.xz vmlinux.bin.lzo vmlinux.bin.lz4
 
 KBUILD_CFLAGS := -m$(BITS) -D__KERNEL__ $(LINUX_INCLUDE) -O2
-KBUILD_CFLAGS += -fno-strict-aliasing -fPIC
+KBUILD_CFLAGS += -fno-strict-aliasing $(call cc-option, -fPIE, -fPIC)
 KBUILD_CFLAGS += -DDISABLE_BRANCH_PROFILING
 cflags-$(CONFIG_X86_32) := -march=i386
 cflags-$(CONFIG_X86_64) := -mcmodel=small

@@ -35,6 +35,18 @@ KBUILD_AFLAGS  := $(KBUILD_CFLAGS) -D__A
 GCOV_PROFILE := n
 
 LDFLAGS := -m elf_$(UTS_MACHINE)
+ifeq ($(CONFIG_RELOCATABLE),y)
+# If kernel is relocatable, build compressed kernel as PIE.
+ifeq ($(CONFIG_X86_32),y)
+LDFLAGS += $(call ld-option, -pie) $(call ld-option, --no-dynamic-linker)
+else
+# To build 64-bit compressed kernel as PIE, we disable relocation
+# overflow check to avoid relocation overflow error with a new linker
+# command-line option, -z noreloc-overflow.
+LDFLAGS += $(shell $(LD) --help 2>&1 | grep -q "\-z noreloc-overflow" \
+	&& echo "-z noreloc-overflow -pie --no-dynamic-linker")
+endif
+endif
 LDFLAGS_vmlinux := -T
 
 hostprogs-y	:= mkpiggy

@@ -31,6 +31,34 @@
 #include <asm/asm-offsets.h>
 #include <asm/bootparam.h>
 
+/*
+ * The 32-bit x86 assembler in binutils 2.26 will generate R_386_GOT32X
+ * relocation to get the symbol address in PIC.  When the compressed x86
+ * kernel isn't built as PIC, the linker optimizes R_386_GOT32X
+ * relocations to their fixed symbol addresses.  However, when the
+ * compressed x86 kernel is loaded at a different address, it leads
+ * to the following load failure:
+ *
+ *   Failed to allocate space for phdrs
+ *
+ * during the decompression stage.
+ *
+ * If the compressed x86 kernel is relocatable at run-time, it should be
+ * compiled with -fPIE, instead of -fPIC, if possible and should be built as
+ * Position Independent Executable (PIE) so that linker won't optimize
+ * R_386_GOT32X relocation to its fixed symbol address.  Older
+ * linkers generate R_386_32 relocations against locally defined symbols,
+ * _bss, _ebss, _got and _egot, in PIE.  It isn't wrong, just less
+ * optimal than R_386_RELATIVE.  But the x86 kernel fails to properly handle
+ * R_386_32 relocations when relocating the kernel.  To generate
+ * R_386_RELATIVE relocations, we mark _bss, _ebss, _got and _egot as
+ * hidden:
+ */
+	.hidden _bss
+	.hidden _ebss
+	.hidden _got
+	.hidden _egot
+
 	__HEAD
 ENTRY(startup_32)
 #ifdef CONFIG_EFI_STUB

@@ -33,6 +33,14 @@
 #include <asm/asm-offsets.h>
 #include <asm/bootparam.h>
 
+/*
+ * Locally defined symbols should be marked hidden:
+ */
+	.hidden _bss
+	.hidden _ebss
+	.hidden _got
+	.hidden _egot
+
 	__HEAD
 	.code32
 ENTRY(startup_32)

Patches currently in stable-queue which might be from [email protected] are

queue-4.4/x86-build-build-compressed-x86-kernels-as-pie.patch