Re: [PATCH v2] x86/syscall: make sys_call helpers static

[Peter Zijlstra <peterz@infradead.org>]

On Sat, Dec 20, 2025 at 08:50:31AM -0500, Brian Gerst wrote:
> On Thu, Dec 18, 2025 at 10:01 AM ellyndra <ellyesparza8@gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > Make 'x64_sys_call()' 'x32_sys_call()' and 'ia32_sys_call()' static to
> > prevent them from being resolved via kallsyms and by extension kprobes.
> >
> > These functions contain the final calls to the syscall handlers, having
> > access to their address can be used to hook this calls altering their
> > behavior. Preventing symbol visibility limits the area of such attacks.
> >
> > Suggested-by: Peter Zijlstra <peterz@infradead.org>
> > Signed-off-by: Elly I Esparza <ellyesparza8@gmail.com>
> > ---
> >  arch/x86/entry/syscall_32.c    |  6 ++++--
> >  arch/x86/entry/syscall_64.c    | 12 ++++++++----
> >  arch/x86/include/asm/syscall.h |  8 --------
> >  3 files changed, 12 insertions(+), 14 deletions(-)
> >
> > diff --git a/arch/x86/entry/syscall_32.c b/arch/x86/entry/syscall_32.c
> > index 2b15ea17bb7c..28c9a99fb2de 100644
> > --- a/arch/x86/entry/syscall_32.c
> > +++ b/arch/x86/entry/syscall_32.c
> > @@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ const sys_call_ptr_t sys_call_table[] = {
> >  #endif
> >
> >  #define __SYSCALL(nr, sym) case nr: return __ia32_##sym(regs);
> > -long ia32_sys_call(const struct pt_regs *regs, unsigned int nr)
> > +static __always_inline long ia32_sys_call(const struct pt_regs *regs, unsigned int nr)
> >  {
> >         switch (nr) {
> >         #include <asm/syscalls_32.h>
> > @@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ early_param("ia32_emulation", ia32_emulation_override_cmdline);
> >  /*
> >   * Invoke a 32-bit syscall.  Called with IRQs on in CT_STATE_KERNEL.
> >   */
> > -static __always_inline void do_syscall_32_irqs_on(struct pt_regs *regs, int nr)
> > +static noinstr void do_syscall_32_irqs_on(struct pt_regs *regs, int nr)
> >  {
> >         /*
> >          * Convert negative numbers to very high and thus out of range
> > @@ -78,12 +78,14 @@ static __always_inline void do_syscall_32_irqs_on(struct pt_regs *regs, int nr)
> >          */
> >         unsigned int unr = nr;
> >
> > +       instrumentation_begin();
> >         if (likely(unr < IA32_NR_syscalls)) {
> >                 unr = array_index_nospec(unr, IA32_NR_syscalls);
> >                 regs->ax = ia32_sys_call(regs, unr);
> >         } else if (nr != -1) {
> >                 regs->ax = __ia32_sys_ni_syscall(regs);
> >         }
> > +       instrumentation_end();
> >  }
> >
> >  #ifdef CONFIG_IA32_EMULATION
> > diff --git a/arch/x86/entry/syscall_64.c b/arch/x86/entry/syscall_64.c
> > index b6e68ea98b83..55ad274f57f5 100644
> > --- a/arch/x86/entry/syscall_64.c
> > +++ b/arch/x86/entry/syscall_64.c
> > @@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ const sys_call_ptr_t sys_call_table[] = {
> >  #undef  __SYSCALL
> >
> >  #define __SYSCALL(nr, sym) case nr: return __x64_##sym(regs);
> > -long x64_sys_call(const struct pt_regs *regs, unsigned int nr)
> > +static __always_inline long x64_sys_call(const struct pt_regs *regs, unsigned int nr)
> >  {
> >         switch (nr) {
> >         #include <asm/syscalls_64.h>
> > @@ -40,15 +40,17 @@ long x64_sys_call(const struct pt_regs *regs, unsigned int nr)
> >         }
> >  }
> >
> > -#ifdef CONFIG_X86_X32_ABI
> > -long x32_sys_call(const struct pt_regs *regs, unsigned int nr)
> > +static __always_inline long x32_sys_call(const struct pt_regs *regs, unsigned int nr)
> >  {
> > +#ifdef CONFIG_X86_X32_ABI
> >         switch (nr) {
> >         #include <asm/syscalls_x32.h>
> >         default: return __x64_sys_ni_syscall(regs);
> >         }
> > -}
> > +#else
> > +       return __x64_sys_ni_syscall(regs);
> >  #endif
> > +}
> >
> >  static __always_inline bool do_syscall_x64(struct pt_regs *regs, int nr)
> >  {
> > @@ -58,11 +60,13 @@ static __always_inline bool do_syscall_x64(struct pt_regs *regs, int nr)
> >          */
> >         unsigned int unr = nr;
> >
> > +       instrumentation_begin();
> >         if (likely(unr < NR_syscalls)) {
> >                 unr = array_index_nospec(unr, NR_syscalls);
> >                 regs->ax = x64_sys_call(regs, unr);
> >                 return true;
> >         }
> > +       instrumentation_end();
> >         return false;
> >  }
> >
> > diff --git a/arch/x86/include/asm/syscall.h b/arch/x86/include/asm/syscall.h
> > index c10dbb74cd00..59a406074dc0 100644
> > --- a/arch/x86/include/asm/syscall.h
> > +++ b/arch/x86/include/asm/syscall.h
> > @@ -20,14 +20,6 @@
> >  typedef long (*sys_call_ptr_t)(const struct pt_regs *);
> >  extern const sys_call_ptr_t sys_call_table[];
> >
> > -/*
> > - * These may not exist, but still put the prototypes in so we
> > - * can use IS_ENABLED().
> > - */
> > -extern long ia32_sys_call(const struct pt_regs *, unsigned int nr);
> > -extern long x32_sys_call(const struct pt_regs *, unsigned int nr);
> > -extern long x64_sys_call(const struct pt_regs *, unsigned int nr);
> > -
> >  /*
> >   * Only the low 32 bits of orig_ax are meaningful, so we return int.
> >   * This importantly ignores the high bits on 64-bit, so comparisons
> > --
> > 2.43.0
> >
> >
> 
> The main benefit of having the switch in a discrete function is that
> it allows the compiler to do tail-call optimizations, reducing text
> size.  Isn't it possible to blacklist functions from kprobes?

Ofcourse. But I'm not sure I understand your concern. Both
x{64,32}_sys_call() only have a single caller, inlining them avoids the
whole call, tail or otherwise, how is that a bad thing?