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* [RFC][PATCH 0/2] x86: Unify/extend insn_is_nop()
@ 2025-09-29  8:18 Peter Zijlstra
  2025-09-29  8:18 ` [RFC][PATCH 1/2] x86/insn,uprobes,alternative: Unify insn_is_nop() Peter Zijlstra
  2025-09-29  8:18 ` [RFC][PATCH 2/2] x86/insn: Simplify for_each_insn_prefix() Peter Zijlstra
  0 siblings, 2 replies; 3+ messages in thread
From: Peter Zijlstra @ 2025-09-29  8:18 UTC (permalink / raw)
  To: x86, hpa, ludloff, andrew.cooper3, mhiramat
  Cc: linux-kernel, peterz, andrii, olsajiri, jpoimboe

Hi all, welcome to an x86 instruction encoding quest.

I realized I implemented insn_is_nop() twice, obviously they have different bugs.
Additionally, I was made aware of another uprobe use-case.

As such, unify and extend insn_is_nop().

While doing this, I went down the rabbit hole of REX2/*VEX* encoded
instructions (because REX2.b4 NOP). The Intel APX document is clear as mud on
what exactly VEX/EVEX Map0 is, but the way I read it, it is the normal single
byte opcode map, no exceptions. Similarly Map1 is the 0f second byte opcode
map. So VEX prefixed NOPs should just work.

REX2 has a similar Map0/Map1 scheme, except it excludes a number of opcode
ranges -- notable not including NOP/NOPL. So REX2 prefixed NOPs are fine too.

Because I had to figure it all out anyway, I've made the function deal with
them, but perhaps the more prudent option is to simply reject all REX2/VEX
prefixed instructions entirely.

(although EVEX NOPL can hit 11 bytes without additional prefixes, so maybe
someone will start using them at some point).



^ permalink raw reply	[flat|nested] 3+ messages in thread

end of thread, other threads:[~2025-09-29  8:39 UTC | newest]

Thread overview: 3+ messages (download: mbox.gz / follow: Atom feed)
-- links below jump to the message on this page --
2025-09-29  8:18 [RFC][PATCH 0/2] x86: Unify/extend insn_is_nop() Peter Zijlstra
2025-09-29  8:18 ` [RFC][PATCH 1/2] x86/insn,uprobes,alternative: Unify insn_is_nop() Peter Zijlstra
2025-09-29  8:18 ` [RFC][PATCH 2/2] x86/insn: Simplify for_each_insn_prefix() Peter Zijlstra

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