[PATCH 14/14] objtool/klp: Allow new references to module exports

Josh Poimboeuf <[email protected]> Sun, 2 Aug 2026 20:24:36 -0700
Newsgroups org.kernel.vger.linux-modules,org.kernel.vger.linux-kernel,org.kernel.vger.live-patching
Message-ID <e48a822b6a3dcdf56835ab047926e437e7119b73.1785727106.git.jpoimboe@kernel.org>
From: Joe Lawrence <[email protected]>

klp_reloc_needed() returns true for module exports to support
late-module patching.  However, clone_reloc_klp() unconditionally
rejects symbols without a twin (i.e., new references added by the
patch), even when the symbol is a known export from Module.symvers.

Relax the check: allow new references to exported symbols by only
erroring on !twin when there is no export.  The export metadata from
Module.symvers provides sufficient context to emit the klp-relocation
without a twin.

For a module export that isn't sufficient on its own though, as the
resulting klp relocation will only be resolved at patch-enable time if
the exporting module is loaded.

If the original (unpatched) module already depends on the exporting
module, the dependency is safe: the module loader ensures the dependency
is satisfied before the patched module can be loaded, so the
klp relocation target will exist.

However, if the patch introduces a reference to a module that the
original doesn't depend on, there is no such guarantee.  The exporting
module could be absent or could be unloaded at any time, leading to a
relocation failure or use-after-free.

So also add a build-time check: when a new symbol reference (no twin)
targets a module export, verify that the original module already has at
least one UNDEF symbol resolving to that same exporting module.  If not,
error out with a diagnostic message.

Signed-off-by: Joe Lawrence <[email protected]>
Signed-off-by: Josh Poimboeuf <[email protected]>
---
 tools/objtool/klp-diff.c | 35 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++--
 1 file changed, 33 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)

diff --git a/tools/objtool/klp-diff.c b/tools/objtool/klp-diff.c
index e0dc22cef2c3..abda2e5c17f7 100644
--- a/tools/objtool/klp-diff.c
+++ b/tools/objtool/klp-diff.c
@@ -1295,6 +1295,28 @@ static int convert_reloc_sym(struct elf *elf, struct reloc *reloc)
 	return convert_reloc_secsym_to_sym(elf, reloc);
 }
 
+/*
+ * Check if the original module already has a dependency on dep_mod, i.e. it
+ * already references at least one export from that module.
+ */
+static bool has_module_dep(struct elfs *e, const char *dep_mod)
+{
+	struct symbol *sym;
+
+	for_each_sym(e->orig, sym) {
+		struct export *exp;
+
+		if (!is_undef_sym(sym) || is_weak_sym(sym))
+			continue;
+
+		exp = find_export(sym);
+		if (exp && !strcmp(exp->mod, dep_mod))
+			return true;
+	}
+
+	return false;
+}
+
 /*
  * Convert a regular relocation to a klp relocation (sort of).
  */
@@ -1314,8 +1336,17 @@ static int clone_reloc_klp(struct elfs *e, struct reloc *patched_reloc,
 	unsigned long sympos;
 
 	if (!patched_sym->twin) {
-		ERROR("unexpected klp reloc for new symbol %s", patched_sym->name);
-		return -1;
+		if (!export) {
+			ERROR("unexpected klp reloc for new symbol %s", patched_sym->name);
+			return -1;
+		}
+
+		if (strcmp(export->mod, "vmlinux") &&
+		    !has_module_dep(e, export->mod)) {
+			ERROR("%s: new reference to %s (exported by %s) would create an undeclared module dependency",
+			      patched_sym->name, export->sym, export->mod);
+			return -1;
+		}
 	}
 
 	/*
-- 
2.54.0