coredump: remove VM_ALWAYSDUMP flag

The motivation for this patchset was that I was looking at a way for a
qemu-kvm process, to exclude the guest memory from its core dump, which
can be quite large.  There are already a number of filter flags in
/proc/<pid>/coredump_filter, however, these allow one to specify 'types'
of kernel memory, not specific address ranges (which is needed in this
case).

Since there are no more vma flags available, the first patch eliminates
the need for the 'VM_ALWAYSDUMP' flag.  The flag is used internally by
the kernel to mark vdso and vsyscall pages.  However, it is simple
enough to check if a vma covers a vdso or vsyscall page without the need
for this flag.

The second patch then replaces the 'VM_ALWAYSDUMP' flag with a new
'VM_NODUMP' flag, which can be set by userspace using new madvise flags:
'MADV_DONTDUMP', and unset via 'MADV_DODUMP'.  The core dump filters
continue to work the same as before unless 'MADV_DONTDUMP' is set on the
region.

The qemu code which implements this features is at:

  http://people.redhat.com/~jbaron/qemu-dump/qemu-dump.patch

In my testing the qemu core dump shrunk from 383MB -> 13MB with this
patch.

I also believe that the 'MADV_DONTDUMP' flag might be useful for
security sensitive apps, which might want to select which areas are
dumped.

This patch:

The VM_ALWAYSDUMP flag is currently used by the coredump code to
indicate that a vma is part of a vsyscall or vdso section.  However, we
can determine if a vma is in one these sections by checking it against
the gate_vma and checking for a non-NULL return value from
arch_vma_name().  Thus, freeing a valuable vma bit.

Signed-off-by: Jason Baron <jbaron@redhat.com>
Acked-by: Roland McGrath <roland@hack.frob.com>
Cc: Chris Metcalf <cmetcalf@tilera.com>
Cc: Avi Kivity <avi@redhat.com>
Signed-off-by: Andrew Morton <akpm@linux-foundation.org>
Signed-off-by: Linus Torvalds <torvalds@linux-foundation.org>

12 files changed, 14 insertions, 59 deletions

diff --git a/arch/arm/kernel/process.c b/arch/arm/kernel/process.c
index c2ae3cd..219e4ef 100644
--- a/arch/arm/kernel/process.c
+++ b/arch/arm/kernel/process.c
@@ -533,8 +533,7 @@ int vectors_user_mapping(void)
 	struct mm_struct *mm = current->mm;
 	return install_special_mapping(mm, 0xffff0000, PAGE_SIZE,
 				       VM_READ | VM_EXEC |
-				       VM_MAYREAD | VM_MAYEXEC |
-				       VM_ALWAYSDUMP | VM_RESERVED,
+				       VM_MAYREAD | VM_MAYEXEC | VM_RESERVED,
 				       NULL);
 }
 
diff --git a/arch/hexagon/kernel/vdso.c b/arch/hexagon/kernel/vdso.c
index 16277c3..f212a45 100644
--- a/arch/hexagon/kernel/vdso.c
+++ b/arch/hexagon/kernel/vdso.c
@@ -78,8 +78,7 @@ int arch_setup_additional_pages(struct linux_binprm *bprm, int uses_interp)
 	/* MAYWRITE to allow gdb to COW and set breakpoints. */
 	ret = install_special_mapping(mm, vdso_base, PAGE_SIZE,
 				      VM_READ|VM_EXEC|
-				      VM_MAYREAD|VM_MAYWRITE|VM_MAYEXEC|
-				      VM_ALWAYSDUMP,
+				      VM_MAYREAD|VM_MAYWRITE|VM_MAYEXEC,
 				      &vdso_page);
 
 	if (ret)
diff --git a/arch/mips/kernel/vdso.c b/arch/mips/kernel/vdso.c
index e5cdfd6..0f1af58 100644
--- a/arch/mips/kernel/vdso.c
+++ b/arch/mips/kernel/vdso.c
@@ -88,8 +88,7 @@ int arch_setup_additional_pages(struct linux_binprm *bprm, int uses_interp)
 
 	ret = install_special_mapping(mm, addr, PAGE_SIZE,
 				      VM_READ|VM_EXEC|
-				      VM_MAYREAD|VM_MAYWRITE|VM_MAYEXEC|
-				      VM_ALWAYSDUMP,
+				      VM_MAYREAD|VM_MAYWRITE|VM_MAYEXEC,
 				      &vdso_page);
 
 	if (ret)
diff --git a/arch/powerpc/kernel/vdso.c b/arch/powerpc/kernel/vdso.c
index 7d14bb69..d36ee10 100644
--- a/arch/powerpc/kernel/vdso.c
+++ b/arch/powerpc/kernel/vdso.c
@@ -263,17 +263,11 @@ int arch_setup_additional_pages(struct linux_binprm *bprm, int uses_interp)
 	 * the "data" page of the vDSO or you'll stop getting kernel updates
 	 * and your nice userland gettimeofday will be totally dead.
 	 * It's fine to use that for setting breakpoints in the vDSO code
-	 * pages though
-	 *
-	 * Make sure the vDSO gets into every core dump.
-	 * Dumping its contents makes post-mortem fully interpretable later
-	 * without matching up the same kernel and hardware config to see
-	 * what PC values meant.
+	 * pages though.
 	 */
 	rc = install_special_mapping(mm, vdso_base, vdso_pages << PAGE_SHIFT,
 				     VM_READ|VM_EXEC|
-				     VM_MAYREAD|VM_MAYWRITE|VM_MAYEXEC|
-				     VM_ALWAYSDUMP,
+				     VM_MAYREAD|VM_MAYWRITE|VM_MAYEXEC,
 				     vdso_pagelist);
 	if (rc) {
 		current->mm->context.vdso_base = 0;
diff --git a/arch/s390/kernel/vdso.c b/arch/s390/kernel/vdso.c
index e704a99..9c80138 100644
--- a/arch/s390/kernel/vdso.c
+++ b/arch/s390/kernel/vdso.c
@@ -241,17 +241,11 @@ int arch_setup_additional_pages(struct linux_binprm *bprm, int uses_interp)
 	 * on the "data" page of the vDSO or you'll stop getting kernel
 	 * updates and your nice userland gettimeofday will be totally dead.
 	 * It's fine to use that for setting breakpoints in the vDSO code
-	 * pages though
-	 *
-	 * Make sure the vDSO gets into every core dump.
-	 * Dumping its contents makes post-mortem fully interpretable later
-	 * without matching up the same kernel and hardware config to see
-	 * what PC values meant.
+	 * pages though.
 	 */
 	rc = install_special_mapping(mm, vdso_base, vdso_pages << PAGE_SHIFT,
 				     VM_READ|VM_EXEC|
-				     VM_MAYREAD|VM_MAYWRITE|VM_MAYEXEC|
-				     VM_ALWAYSDUMP,
+				     VM_MAYREAD|VM_MAYWRITE|VM_MAYEXEC,
 				     vdso_pagelist);
 	if (rc)
 		current->mm->context.vdso_base = 0;
diff --git a/arch/sh/kernel/vsyscall/vsyscall.c b/arch/sh/kernel/vsyscall/vsyscall.c
index 1d6d51a..5ca5797 100644
--- a/arch/sh/kernel/vsyscall/vsyscall.c
+++ b/arch/sh/kernel/vsyscall/vsyscall.c
@@ -73,8 +73,7 @@ int arch_setup_additional_pages(struct linux_binprm *bprm, int uses_interp)
 
 	ret = install_special_mapping(mm, addr, PAGE_SIZE,
 				      VM_READ | VM_EXEC |
-				      VM_MAYREAD | VM_MAYWRITE | VM_MAYEXEC |
-				      VM_ALWAYSDUMP,
+				      VM_MAYREAD | VM_MAYWRITE | VM_MAYEXEC,
 				      syscall_pages);
 	if (unlikely(ret))
 		goto up_fail;
diff --git a/arch/tile/mm/elf.c b/arch/tile/mm/elf.c
index 55e58e9..1a00fb6 100644
--- a/arch/tile/mm/elf.c
+++ b/arch/tile/mm/elf.c
@@ -117,17 +117,11 @@ int arch_setup_additional_pages(struct linux_binprm *bprm,
 
 	/*
 	 * MAYWRITE to allow gdb to COW and set breakpoints
-	 *
-	 * Make sure the vDSO gets into every core dump.  Dumping its
-	 * contents makes post-mortem fully interpretable later
-	 * without matching up the same kernel and hardware config to
-	 * see what PC values meant.
 	 */
 	vdso_base = VDSO_BASE;
 	retval = install_special_mapping(mm, vdso_base, PAGE_SIZE,
 					 VM_READ|VM_EXEC|
-					 VM_MAYREAD|VM_MAYWRITE|VM_MAYEXEC|
-					 VM_ALWAYSDUMP,
+					 VM_MAYREAD|VM_MAYWRITE|VM_MAYEXEC,
 					 vdso_pages);
 
 #ifndef __tilegx__
diff --git a/arch/unicore32/kernel/process.c b/arch/unicore32/kernel/process.c
index 52edc2b..432b429 100644
--- a/arch/unicore32/kernel/process.c
+++ b/arch/unicore32/kernel/process.c
@@ -381,7 +381,7 @@ int vectors_user_mapping(void)
 	return install_special_mapping(mm, 0xffff0000, PAGE_SIZE,
 				       VM_READ | VM_EXEC |
 				       VM_MAYREAD | VM_MAYEXEC |
-				       VM_ALWAYSDUMP | VM_RESERVED,
+				       VM_RESERVED,
 				       NULL);
 }
 
diff --git a/arch/x86/um/mem_32.c b/arch/x86/um/mem_32.c
index 639900a..f40281e 100644
--- a/arch/x86/um/mem_32.c
+++ b/arch/x86/um/mem_32.c
@@ -23,14 +23,6 @@ static int __init gate_vma_init(void)
 	gate_vma.vm_flags = VM_READ | VM_MAYREAD | VM_EXEC | VM_MAYEXEC;
 	gate_vma.vm_page_prot = __P101;
 
-	/*
-	 * Make sure the vDSO gets into every core dump.
-	 * Dumping its contents makes post-mortem fully interpretable later
-	 * without matching up the same kernel and hardware config to see
-	 * what PC values meant.
-	 */
-	gate_vma.vm_flags |= VM_ALWAYSDUMP;
-
 	return 0;
 }
 __initcall(gate_vma_init);
diff --git a/arch/x86/um/vdso/vma.c b/arch/x86/um/vdso/vma.c
index 91f4ec9..af91901 100644
--- a/arch/x86/um/vdso/vma.c
+++ b/arch/x86/um/vdso/vma.c
@@ -64,8 +64,7 @@ int arch_setup_additional_pages(struct linux_binprm *bprm, int uses_interp)
 
 	err = install_special_mapping(mm, um_vdso_addr, PAGE_SIZE,
 		VM_READ|VM_EXEC|
-		VM_MAYREAD|VM_MAYWRITE|VM_MAYEXEC|
-		VM_ALWAYSDUMP,
+		VM_MAYREAD|VM_MAYWRITE|VM_MAYEXEC,
 		vdsop);
 
 	up_write(&mm->mmap_sem);
diff --git a/arch/x86/vdso/vdso32-setup.c b/arch/x86/vdso/vdso32-setup.c
index 468d591..a944020 100644
--- a/arch/x86/vdso/vdso32-setup.c
+++ b/arch/x86/vdso/vdso32-setup.c
@@ -250,13 +250,7 @@ static int __init gate_vma_init(void)
 	gate_vma.vm_end = FIXADDR_USER_END;
 	gate_vma.vm_flags = VM_READ | VM_MAYREAD | VM_EXEC | VM_MAYEXEC;
 	gate_vma.vm_page_prot = __P101;
-	/*
-	 * Make sure the vDSO gets into every core dump.
-	 * Dumping its contents makes post-mortem fully interpretable later
-	 * without matching up the same kernel and hardware config to see
-	 * what PC values meant.
-	 */
-	gate_vma.vm_flags |= VM_ALWAYSDUMP;
+
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -343,17 +337,10 @@ int arch_setup_additional_pages(struct linux_binprm *bprm, int uses_interp)
 	if (compat_uses_vma || !compat) {
 		/*
 		 * MAYWRITE to allow gdb to COW and set breakpoints
-		 *
-		 * Make sure the vDSO gets into every core dump.
-		 * Dumping its contents makes post-mortem fully
-		 * interpretable later without matching up the same
-		 * kernel and hardware config to see what PC values
-		 * meant.
 		 */
 		ret = install_special_mapping(mm, addr, PAGE_SIZE,
 					      VM_READ|VM_EXEC|
-					      VM_MAYREAD|VM_MAYWRITE|VM_MAYEXEC|
-					      VM_ALWAYSDUMP,
+					      VM_MAYREAD|VM_MAYWRITE|VM_MAYEXEC,
 					      vdso32_pages);
 
 		if (ret)
diff --git a/arch/x86/vdso/vma.c b/arch/x86/vdso/vma.c
index 153407c..17e1827 100644
--- a/arch/x86/vdso/vma.c
+++ b/arch/x86/vdso/vma.c
@@ -124,8 +124,7 @@ int arch_setup_additional_pages(struct linux_binprm *bprm, int uses_interp)
 
 	ret = install_special_mapping(mm, addr, vdso_size,
 				      VM_READ|VM_EXEC|
-				      VM_MAYREAD|VM_MAYWRITE|VM_MAYEXEC|
-				      VM_ALWAYSDUMP,
+				      VM_MAYREAD|VM_MAYWRITE|VM_MAYEXEC,
 				      vdso_pages);
 	if (ret) {
 		current->mm->context.vdso = NULL;