Documentation/bpf/kfuncs.rst - third_party/kernel - Git at Google

 =============================
 BPF Kernel Functions (kfuncs)
 =============================

 1. Introduction
 ===============

 BPF Kernel Functions or more commonly known as kfuncs are functions in the Linux
 kernel which are exposed for use by BPF programs. Unlike normal BPF helpers,
 kfuncs do not have a stable interface and can change from one kernel release to
 another. Hence, BPF programs need to be updated in response to changes in the
 kernel.

 2. Defining a kfunc
 ===================

 There are two ways to expose a kernel function to BPF programs, either make an
 existing function in the kernel visible, or add a new wrapper for BPF. In both
 cases, care must be taken that BPF program can only call such function in a
 valid context. To enforce this, visibility of a kfunc can be per program type.

 If you are not creating a BPF wrapper for existing kernel function, skip ahead
 to :ref:`BPF_kfunc_nodef`.

 2.1 Creating a wrapper kfunc
 ----------------------------

 When defining a wrapper kfunc, the wrapper function should have extern linkage.
 This prevents the compiler from optimizing away dead code, as this wrapper kfunc
 is not invoked anywhere in the kernel itself. It is not necessary to provide a
 prototype in a header for the wrapper kfunc.

 An example is given below::

         /* Disables missing prototype warnings */
         __diag_push();
         __diag_ignore_all("-Wmissing-prototypes",
                           "Global kfuncs as their definitions will be in BTF");

         struct task_struct *bpf_find_get_task_by_vpid(pid_t nr)
         {
                 return find_get_task_by_vpid(nr);
         }

         __diag_pop();

 A wrapper kfunc is often needed when we need to annotate parameters of the
 kfunc. Otherwise one may directly make the kfunc visible to the BPF program by
 registering it with the BPF subsystem. See :ref:`BPF_kfunc_nodef`.

 2.2 Annotating kfunc parameters
 -------------------------------

 Similar to BPF helpers, there is sometime need for additional context required
 by the verifier to make the usage of kernel functions safer and more useful.
 Hence, we can annotate a parameter by suffixing the name of the argument of the
 kfunc with a __tag, where tag may be one of the supported annotations.

 2.2.1 __sz Annotation
 ---------------------

 This annotation is used to indicate a memory and size pair in the argument list.
 An example is given below::

         void bpf_memzero(void *mem, int mem__sz)
         {
         ...
         }

 Here, the verifier will treat first argument as a PTR_TO_MEM, and second
 argument as its size. By default, without __sz annotation, the size of the type
 of the pointer is used. Without __sz annotation, a kfunc cannot accept a void
 pointer.

 .. _BPF_kfunc_nodef:

 2.3 Using an existing kernel function
 -------------------------------------

 When an existing function in the kernel is fit for consumption by BPF programs,
 it can be directly registered with the BPF subsystem. However, care must still
 be taken to review the context in which it will be invoked by the BPF program
 and whether it is safe to do so.

 2.4 Annotating kfuncs
 ---------------------

 In addition to kfuncs' arguments, verifier may need more information about the
 type of kfunc(s) being registered with the BPF subsystem. To do so, we define
 flags on a set of kfuncs as follows::

         BTF_SET8_START(bpf_task_set)
         BTF_ID_FLAGS(func, bpf_get_task_pid, KF_ACQUIRE | KF_RET_NULL)
         BTF_ID_FLAGS(func, bpf_put_pid, KF_RELEASE)
         BTF_SET8_END(bpf_task_set)

 This set encodes the BTF ID of each kfunc listed above, and encodes the flags
 along with it. Ofcourse, it is also allowed to specify no flags.

 2.4.1 KF_ACQUIRE flag
 ---------------------

 The KF_ACQUIRE flag is used to indicate that the kfunc returns a pointer to a
 refcounted object. The verifier will then ensure that the pointer to the object
 is eventually released using a release kfunc, or transferred to a map using a
 referenced kptr (by invoking bpf_kptr_xchg). If not, the verifier fails the
 loading of the BPF program until no lingering references remain in all possible
 explored states of the program.

 2.4.2 KF_RET_NULL flag
 ----------------------

 The KF_RET_NULL flag is used to indicate that the pointer returned by the kfunc
 may be NULL. Hence, it forces the user to do a NULL check on the pointer
 returned from the kfunc before making use of it (dereferencing or passing to
 another helper). This flag is often used in pairing with KF_ACQUIRE flag, but
 both are orthogonal to each other.

 2.4.3 KF_RELEASE flag
 ---------------------

 The KF_RELEASE flag is used to indicate that the kfunc releases the pointer
 passed in to it. There can be only one referenced pointer that can be passed in.
 All copies of the pointer being released are invalidated as a result of invoking
 kfunc with this flag.

 2.4.4 KF_KPTR_GET flag
 ----------------------

 The KF_KPTR_GET flag is used to indicate that the kfunc takes the first argument
 as a pointer to kptr, safely increments the refcount of the object it points to,
 and returns a reference to the user. The rest of the arguments may be normal
 arguments of a kfunc. The KF_KPTR_GET flag should be used in conjunction with
 KF_ACQUIRE and KF_RET_NULL flags.

 2.4.5 KF_TRUSTED_ARGS flag
 --------------------------

 The KF_TRUSTED_ARGS flag is used for kfuncs taking pointer arguments. It
 indicates that the all pointer arguments will always have a guaranteed lifetime,
 and pointers to kernel objects are always passed to helpers in their unmodified
 form (as obtained from acquire kfuncs).

 It can be used to enforce that a pointer to a refcounted object acquired from a
 kfunc or BPF helper is passed as an argument to this kfunc without any
 modifications (e.g. pointer arithmetic) such that it is trusted and points to
 the original object.

 Meanwhile, it is also allowed pass pointers to normal memory to such kfuncs,
 but those can have a non-zero offset.

 This flag is often used for kfuncs that operate (change some property, perform
 some operation) on an object that was obtained using an acquire kfunc. Such
 kfuncs need an unchanged pointer to ensure the integrity of the operation being
 performed on the expected object.

 2.4.6 KF_SLEEPABLE flag
 -----------------------

 The KF_SLEEPABLE flag is used for kfuncs that may sleep. Such kfuncs can only
 be called by sleepable BPF programs (BPF_F_SLEEPABLE).

 2.4.7 KF_DESTRUCTIVE flag
 --------------------------

 The KF_DESTRUCTIVE flag is used to indicate functions calling which is
 destructive to the system. For example such a call can result in system
 rebooting or panicking. Due to this additional restrictions apply to these
 calls. At the moment they only require CAP_SYS_BOOT capability, but more can be
 added later.

 2.5 Registering the kfuncs
 --------------------------

 Once the kfunc is prepared for use, the final step to making it visible is
 registering it with the BPF subsystem. Registration is done per BPF program
 type. An example is shown below::

         BTF_SET8_START(bpf_task_set)
         BTF_ID_FLAGS(func, bpf_get_task_pid, KF_ACQUIRE | KF_RET_NULL)
         BTF_ID_FLAGS(func, bpf_put_pid, KF_RELEASE)
         BTF_SET8_END(bpf_task_set)

         static const struct btf_kfunc_id_set bpf_task_kfunc_set = {
                 .owner = THIS_MODULE,
                 .set   = &bpf_task_set,
         };

         static int init_subsystem(void)
         {
                 return register_btf_kfunc_id_set(BPF_PROG_TYPE_TRACING, &bpf_task_kfunc_set);
         }
         late_initcall(init_subsystem);
	=============================
	BPF Kernel Functions (kfuncs)
	=============================

	1. Introduction
	===============

	BPF Kernel Functions or more commonly known as kfuncs are functions in the Linux
	kernel which are exposed for use by BPF programs. Unlike normal BPF helpers,
	kfuncs do not have a stable interface and can change from one kernel release to
	another. Hence, BPF programs need to be updated in response to changes in the
	kernel.

	2. Defining a kfunc
	===================

	There are two ways to expose a kernel function to BPF programs, either make an
	existing function in the kernel visible, or add a new wrapper for BPF. In both
	cases, care must be taken that BPF program can only call such function in a
	valid context. To enforce this, visibility of a kfunc can be per program type.

	If you are not creating a BPF wrapper for existing kernel function, skip ahead
	to :ref:`BPF_kfunc_nodef`.

	2.1 Creating a wrapper kfunc
	----------------------------

	When defining a wrapper kfunc, the wrapper function should have extern linkage.
	This prevents the compiler from optimizing away dead code, as this wrapper kfunc
	is not invoked anywhere in the kernel itself. It is not necessary to provide a
	prototype in a header for the wrapper kfunc.

	An example is given below::

	/* Disables missing prototype warnings */
	__diag_push();
	__diag_ignore_all("-Wmissing-prototypes",
	"Global kfuncs as their definitions will be in BTF");

	struct task_struct *bpf_find_get_task_by_vpid(pid_t nr)
	{
	return find_get_task_by_vpid(nr);
	}

	__diag_pop();

	A wrapper kfunc is often needed when we need to annotate parameters of the
	kfunc. Otherwise one may directly make the kfunc visible to the BPF program by
	registering it with the BPF subsystem. See :ref:`BPF_kfunc_nodef`.

	2.2 Annotating kfunc parameters
	-------------------------------

	Similar to BPF helpers, there is sometime need for additional context required
	by the verifier to make the usage of kernel functions safer and more useful.
	Hence, we can annotate a parameter by suffixing the name of the argument of the
	kfunc with a __tag, where tag may be one of the supported annotations.

	2.2.1 __sz Annotation
	---------------------

	This annotation is used to indicate a memory and size pair in the argument list.
	An example is given below::

	void bpf_memzero(void *mem, int mem__sz)
	{
	...
	}

	Here, the verifier will treat first argument as a PTR_TO_MEM, and second
	argument as its size. By default, without __sz annotation, the size of the type
	of the pointer is used. Without __sz annotation, a kfunc cannot accept a void
	pointer.

	.. _BPF_kfunc_nodef:

	2.3 Using an existing kernel function
	-------------------------------------

	When an existing function in the kernel is fit for consumption by BPF programs,
	it can be directly registered with the BPF subsystem. However, care must still
	be taken to review the context in which it will be invoked by the BPF program
	and whether it is safe to do so.

	2.4 Annotating kfuncs
	---------------------

	In addition to kfuncs' arguments, verifier may need more information about the
	type of kfunc(s) being registered with the BPF subsystem. To do so, we define
	flags on a set of kfuncs as follows::

	BTF_SET8_START(bpf_task_set)
	BTF_ID_FLAGS(func, bpf_get_task_pid, KF_ACQUIRE \| KF_RET_NULL)
	BTF_ID_FLAGS(func, bpf_put_pid, KF_RELEASE)
	BTF_SET8_END(bpf_task_set)

	This set encodes the BTF ID of each kfunc listed above, and encodes the flags
	along with it. Ofcourse, it is also allowed to specify no flags.

	2.4.1 KF_ACQUIRE flag
	---------------------

	The KF_ACQUIRE flag is used to indicate that the kfunc returns a pointer to a
	refcounted object. The verifier will then ensure that the pointer to the object
	is eventually released using a release kfunc, or transferred to a map using a
	referenced kptr (by invoking bpf_kptr_xchg). If not, the verifier fails the
	loading of the BPF program until no lingering references remain in all possible
	explored states of the program.

	2.4.2 KF_RET_NULL flag
	----------------------

	The KF_RET_NULL flag is used to indicate that the pointer returned by the kfunc
	may be NULL. Hence, it forces the user to do a NULL check on the pointer
	returned from the kfunc before making use of it (dereferencing or passing to
	another helper). This flag is often used in pairing with KF_ACQUIRE flag, but
	both are orthogonal to each other.

	2.4.3 KF_RELEASE flag
	---------------------

	The KF_RELEASE flag is used to indicate that the kfunc releases the pointer
	passed in to it. There can be only one referenced pointer that can be passed in.
	All copies of the pointer being released are invalidated as a result of invoking
	kfunc with this flag.

	2.4.4 KF_KPTR_GET flag
	----------------------

	The KF_KPTR_GET flag is used to indicate that the kfunc takes the first argument
	as a pointer to kptr, safely increments the refcount of the object it points to,
	and returns a reference to the user. The rest of the arguments may be normal
	arguments of a kfunc. The KF_KPTR_GET flag should be used in conjunction with
	KF_ACQUIRE and KF_RET_NULL flags.

	2.4.5 KF_TRUSTED_ARGS flag
	--------------------------

	The KF_TRUSTED_ARGS flag is used for kfuncs taking pointer arguments. It
	indicates that the all pointer arguments will always have a guaranteed lifetime,
	and pointers to kernel objects are always passed to helpers in their unmodified
	form (as obtained from acquire kfuncs).

	It can be used to enforce that a pointer to a refcounted object acquired from a
	kfunc or BPF helper is passed as an argument to this kfunc without any
	modifications (e.g. pointer arithmetic) such that it is trusted and points to
	the original object.

	Meanwhile, it is also allowed pass pointers to normal memory to such kfuncs,
	but those can have a non-zero offset.

	This flag is often used for kfuncs that operate (change some property, perform
	some operation) on an object that was obtained using an acquire kfunc. Such
	kfuncs need an unchanged pointer to ensure the integrity of the operation being
	performed on the expected object.

	2.4.6 KF_SLEEPABLE flag
	-----------------------

	The KF_SLEEPABLE flag is used for kfuncs that may sleep. Such kfuncs can only
	be called by sleepable BPF programs (BPF_F_SLEEPABLE).

	2.4.7 KF_DESTRUCTIVE flag
	--------------------------

	The KF_DESTRUCTIVE flag is used to indicate functions calling which is
	destructive to the system. For example such a call can result in system
	rebooting or panicking. Due to this additional restrictions apply to these
	calls. At the moment they only require CAP_SYS_BOOT capability, but more can be
	added later.

	2.5 Registering the kfuncs
	--------------------------

	Once the kfunc is prepared for use, the final step to making it visible is
	registering it with the BPF subsystem. Registration is done per BPF program
	type. An example is shown below::

	BTF_SET8_START(bpf_task_set)
	BTF_ID_FLAGS(func, bpf_get_task_pid, KF_ACQUIRE \| KF_RET_NULL)
	BTF_ID_FLAGS(func, bpf_put_pid, KF_RELEASE)
	BTF_SET8_END(bpf_task_set)

	static const struct btf_kfunc_id_set bpf_task_kfunc_set = {
	.owner = THIS_MODULE,
	.set = &bpf_task_set,
	};

	static int init_subsystem(void)
	{
	return register_btf_kfunc_id_set(BPF_PROG_TYPE_TRACING, &bpf_task_kfunc_set);
	}
	late_initcall(init_subsystem);