Re: [PATCH] [RFC] brk randomization: compute RLIMIT_DATA properly(was Re: x86: randomize brk() and RLIMIT_DATA)

From: Hugh Dickins
Date: Fri Oct 26 2007 - 08:04:16 EST


On Fri, 26 Oct 2007, Jiri Kosina wrote:
> On Thu, 25 Oct 2007, Sami Farin wrote:
> > > > > Would be neat if randomized brk and setrlimit(RLIMIT_DATA, ...)
> > > > > worked in a predictable way:
> > > > this isn't a valid case afaics; even on "traditional x86" (before we
> > > > changed the address space layout, or even today if you have an
> > > > unlimited stack rlimit) this isn't going to work. applications
> > > > really shouldn't use (s)brk() but malloc(); you have to be able to
> > > > fall back to mmap regardless of what you do.
> > > I tend to agree here with Arjan. However it probably would make no
> > > harm to make at least a little bit consisten behavior of setrlimit(),
> > > though it has a little use in such cases.
> > > Sami, does the patch below work for you?
> > Thanks, Jiri, now RLIMIT_DATA works as expected. Using only RLIMIT_AS to
> > limit processes' memory usage is not very easy. It includes also
> > libraries mapped read-only, I have to check/modify the limits when I
> > update/add libraries,...
>
> This patch is [RFC] as I am not sure whether it is worth it (see Arjan's
> comment above).

It is worth it.

Arjan's right that RLIMIT_DATA has difficulty making sense, but
you shouldn't be randomizing its breakage further with your patch.

>
>
> From: Jiri Kosina <jkosina@xxxxxxx>
>
> brk randomization: compute RLIMIT_DATA properly
>
> In cases of heap area placed at randomly-generated offset from
> mm->end_data (arch_randomize_brk()), we need to subtract the value of the
> offset for setrlimit(RLIMIT_DATA) to work properly -- otherwise we count
> the unoccupied memory between mm->end_data and mm->start_brk as occupied.
>
> Signed-off-by: Jiri Kosina <jkosina@xxxxxxx>
>
> diff --git a/mm/mmap.c b/mm/mmap.c
> index facc1a7..c7ade18 100644
> --- a/mm/mmap.c
> +++ b/mm/mmap.c
> @@ -251,7 +251,8 @@ asmlinkage unsigned long sys_brk(unsigned long brk)
> * not page aligned -Ram Gupta
> */
> rlim = current->signal->rlim[RLIMIT_DATA].rlim_cur;
> - if (rlim < RLIM_INFINITY && brk - mm->start_data > rlim)
> + if (rlim < RLIM_INFINITY && brk - mm->start_data -
> + (mm->start_brk - mm->end_data) > rlim)
> goto out;
>
> newbrk = PAGE_ALIGN(brk);

I find the order in that test mysterious. Others might ask you to use
an intermediate variable, I don't care about that, but I would find

if (rlim < RLIM_INFINITY &&
(brk - mm->start_brk) + (mm->end_data - mm->start_data) > rlim)

much easier to understand.

Hugh
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