From: Thiago Jung Bauermann <thiago.bauermann@linaro.org>
To: "Schimpe, Christina" <christina.schimpe@intel.com>
Cc: "gdb-patches@sourceware.org" <gdb-patches@sourceware.org>,
"luis.machado@arm.com" <luis.machado@arm.com>,
Andrew Burgess <aburgess@redhat.com>
Subject: Re: [PATCH v5 06/12] gdb, gdbserver: Add support of Intel shadow stack pointer register.
Date: Thu, 07 Aug 2025 00:17:07 -0300 [thread overview]
Message-ID: <87v7mzizws.fsf@linaro.org> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <SN7PR11MB7638A911323A1CBF685814D5F92DA@SN7PR11MB7638.namprd11.prod.outlook.com> (Christina Schimpe's message of "Wed, 6 Aug 2025 19:54:54 +0000")
Hello Christina,
"Schimpe, Christina" <christina.schimpe@intel.com> writes:
>> > >> > + # Read PL3_SSP register.
>> > >> > + set ssp_main [get_hexadecimal_valueof "\$pl3_ssp" "read
>> > >> > + pl3_ssp value"]
>> > >> > +
>> > >> > + # Write PL3_SSP register.
>> > >> > + gdb_test "print /x \$pl3_ssp = 0x12345678" "= 0x12345678"
>> > >> > + "set pl3_ssp
>> > >> value"
>> > >> > + gdb_test "print /x \$pl3_ssp" "= 0x12345678" "read pl3_ssp
>> > >> > + value after
>> > >> setting"
>> > >> > +
>> > >> > + # Restore original value.
>> > >> > + gdb_test "print /x \$pl3_ssp = $ssp_main" "= $ssp_main"
>> > >> > + "restore
>> > >> original pl3_ssp"
>> > >> > +
>> > >> > + # Potential CET violations often only occur after resuming
>> > >> > + normal
>> > >> execution.
>> > >> > + # Therefore, it is important to test normal program
>> > >> > + continuation
>> > after
>> > >> > + # configuring the shadow stack pointer.
>> > >> > + gdb_continue_to_end
>> > >>
>> > >> I assume that if we continue with the bogus value in place the
>> > >> inferior would either give an error or terminate. Is it worth
>> > >> trying this and checking that the inferior behaves as expected?
>> > >
>> > > If we don't reset the shadow stack pointer to it's original value we
>> > > will see
>> > a SEGV.
>> > > Dependent on the address of the wrong shadow stack pointer it's
>> > > either a SEGV with si code that points to a control flow protection
>> > > fault or a
>> > different si code.
>> > >
>> > > So if I stay in a valid address range for configuring pl3_ssp but
>> > > don't restore the original value I'll see a control flow protection
>> exception:
>> > >
>> > > [...]
>> > > breakpoint 1, 0x0000555555555148 in main ()^M
>> > > (gdb) print /x $pl3_ssp^M
>> > > $1 = 0x7ffff7bfffe8^M
>> > > (gdb) PASS: gdb.arch/amd64-ssp.exp: get hexadecimal valueof
>> "$pl3_ssp"
>> > > print /x $pl3_ssp = 0x7ffff7bfffe0^M
>> > > $2 = 0x7ffff7bfffe0^M
>> > > (gdb) PASS: gdb.arch/amd64-ssp.exp: set pl3_ssp value print /x
>> > > $pl3_ssp^M
>> > > $3 = 0x7ffff7bfffe0^M
>> > > (gdb) PASS: gdb.arch/amd64-ssp.exp: read pl3_ssp value after setting
>> > > continue^M Continuing.^M ^M Program received signal SIGSEGV,
>> > > Segmentation fault.^M
>> > > 0x0000555555555158 in main ()^M
>> > > (gdb) FAIL: gdb.arch/amd64-ssp.exp: continue until exit
>> > >
>> > > Siginfo shows si_code = 10, which indicates a control protection fault.
>> > >
>> > > p $_siginfo^M
>> > > $4 = {si_signo = 11, si_errno = 0, si_code = 10, [...]
>> > >
>> > > If I set the value of pl3_ssp as in the current test (0x12345678)
>> > > I'll see a different SEGV actually
>> > >
>> > > p $_siginfo
>> > > $4 = {si_signo = 11, si_errno = 0, si_code = 1, [...]
>> > >
>> > >>
>> > >> What if, say, the $pl3_ssp value only ever made it as far as the
>> > >> register cache, and was never actually written back to the inferior?
>> > >> I don't think the above test would actually spot this bug, right?
>> > >
>> > > Hm, if I understand you correctly here and you mean the scenario as
>> > > shown above the above test would spot this bug I think (as we saw a
>> fail).
>> > >
>> > > Does my example above show what you described or do you mean a
>> > > different scenario?
>> >
>> > Yes, something like the above would check that the register is
>> > actually being written back to the hardware, and is written to the expected
>> location.
>> >
>> > The current test, as written in the patch, writes a bad value to the
>> > shadow stack, then restores the correct value. What if the bad value
>> > never actually got written back to the hardware at all, and was just
>> > being held in the register cache?
>> >
>> > Having a test that writes a bad value, then does 'continue', and
>> > expects to see something like 'Program received signal ...' would be a
>> > reasonable indication that the write to the shadow stack actually made it
>> to the h/w.
>> >
>> > Thanks,
>> > Andrew
>>
>>
>> Yes, I agree, I'll add:
>>
>> ~~~
>> with_test_prefix "invalid ssp" {
>> write_invalid_ssp
>>
>> # Continue until SIGSEV to test that the value is written back to HW.
>> gdb_test "continue" \
>> [multi_line \
>> "Continuing\\." \
>> "" \
>> "Program received signal SIGSEGV, Segmentation fault\\." \
>> "$hex in main \\(\\)"] \
>> "continue to SIGSEGV"
>> }
>>
>> clean_restart ${binfile}
>> if { ![runto_main] } {
>> return -1
>> }
>>
>> with_test_prefix "restore original ssp" {
>> # Read PL3_SSP register.
>> set ssp_main [get_hexadecimal_valueof "\$pl3_ssp" "read pl3_ssp
>> value"]
>>
>> write_invalid_ssp
>>
>> # Restore original value.
>> gdb_test "print /x \$pl3_ssp = $ssp_main" "= $ssp_main" "restore
>> original value"
>>
>> # Now we should not see a SIGSEV, since the original value is
>> restored.
>> gdb_continue_to_end
>> }
>>
>> ~~~
>>
>> Regards,
>> Christina
>
> Do you have a test for actual write back to HW (as above). If not, it
> might make sense to add it also for GCS?
I don't have a test for it, but I agree it's worth adding one. Will
do. Thanks for pointing out.
--
Thiago
next prev parent reply other threads:[~2025-08-07 3:17 UTC|newest]
Thread overview: 67+ messages / expand[flat|nested] mbox.gz Atom feed top
2025-06-28 8:27 [PATCH v5 00/12] Add CET shadow stack support Christina Schimpe
2025-06-28 8:27 ` [PATCH v5 01/12] gdb, testsuite: Extend core_find procedure to save program output Christina Schimpe
2025-07-14 12:21 ` Andrew Burgess
2025-07-17 13:37 ` Schimpe, Christina
2025-06-28 8:28 ` [PATCH v5 02/12] gdbserver: Add optional runtime register set type Christina Schimpe
2025-06-28 8:28 ` [PATCH v5 03/12] gdbserver: Add assert in x86_linux_read_description Christina Schimpe
2025-06-28 8:28 ` [PATCH v5 04/12] gdb: Sync up x86-gcc-cpuid.h with cpuid.h from gcc 14 branch Christina Schimpe
2025-06-28 8:28 ` [PATCH v5 05/12] gdb, gdbserver: Use xstate_bv for target description creation on x86 Christina Schimpe
2025-07-14 13:52 ` Andrew Burgess
2025-07-15 10:28 ` Schimpe, Christina
2025-07-23 12:47 ` Schimpe, Christina
2025-08-05 13:47 ` Andrew Burgess
2025-06-28 8:28 ` [PATCH v5 06/12] gdb, gdbserver: Add support of Intel shadow stack pointer register Christina Schimpe
2025-07-25 12:49 ` Andrew Burgess
2025-07-25 15:03 ` Schimpe, Christina
2025-08-01 12:54 ` Schimpe, Christina
2025-08-05 13:57 ` Andrew Burgess
2025-08-06 19:53 ` Schimpe, Christina
2025-08-06 19:54 ` Schimpe, Christina
2025-08-07 3:17 ` Thiago Jung Bauermann [this message]
2025-08-14 11:39 ` Andrew Burgess
2025-07-29 13:51 ` Andrew Burgess
2025-08-01 12:40 ` Schimpe, Christina
2025-08-10 19:01 ` H.J. Lu
2025-08-10 20:07 ` Schimpe, Christina
2025-06-28 8:28 ` [PATCH v5 07/12] gdb: amd64 linux coredump support with shadow stack Christina Schimpe
2025-07-29 14:46 ` Andrew Burgess
2025-07-30 1:55 ` Thiago Jung Bauermann
2025-07-30 11:42 ` Schimpe, Christina
2025-08-04 15:28 ` Schimpe, Christina
2025-08-05 4:29 ` Thiago Jung Bauermann
2025-08-05 15:29 ` Schimpe, Christina
2025-08-06 20:52 ` Luis
2025-08-11 11:52 ` Schimpe, Christina
2025-08-04 12:45 ` Schimpe, Christina
2025-06-28 8:28 ` [PATCH v5 08/12] gdb: Handle shadow stack pointer register unwinding for amd64 linux Christina Schimpe
2025-07-30 9:58 ` Andrew Burgess
2025-07-30 12:06 ` Schimpe, Christina
2025-06-28 8:28 ` [PATCH v5 09/12] gdb, gdbarch: Enable inferior calls for shadow stack support Christina Schimpe
2025-07-30 10:42 ` Andrew Burgess
2025-06-28 8:28 ` [PATCH v5 10/12] gdb: Implement amd64 linux shadow stack support for inferior calls Christina Schimpe
2025-07-30 11:58 ` Andrew Burgess
2025-07-31 12:32 ` Schimpe, Christina
2025-06-28 8:28 ` [PATCH v5 11/12] gdb, gdbarch: Introduce gdbarch method to get the shadow stack pointer Christina Schimpe
2025-07-30 12:22 ` Andrew Burgess
2025-08-04 13:01 ` Schimpe, Christina
2025-08-14 15:50 ` Andrew Burgess
2025-08-19 15:37 ` Schimpe, Christina
2025-06-28 8:28 ` [PATCH v5 12/12] gdb: Enable displaced stepping with shadow stack on amd64 linux Christina Schimpe
2025-07-30 13:59 ` Andrew Burgess
2025-07-31 17:29 ` Schimpe, Christina
2025-07-08 15:18 ` [PATCH v5 00/12] Add CET shadow stack support Schimpe, Christina
2025-08-14 7:52 ` Schimpe, Christina
2025-07-11 10:36 ` Luis Machado
2025-07-11 13:54 ` Schimpe, Christina
2025-07-11 15:54 ` Luis Machado
2025-07-13 14:01 ` Schimpe, Christina
2025-07-13 19:05 ` Luis Machado
2025-07-13 19:57 ` Schimpe, Christina
2025-07-14 7:13 ` Luis Machado
2025-07-17 12:01 ` Schimpe, Christina
2025-07-17 14:59 ` Luis Machado
2025-07-23 12:45 ` Schimpe, Christina
2025-07-28 17:05 ` Luis Machado
2025-07-28 17:20 ` Schimpe, Christina
2025-08-20 9:16 ` Schimpe, Christina
2025-08-20 15:21 ` Schimpe, Christina
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