Subject: Re: bad effect of keeping page table mapped in user space ?
To: None <tech-kern@netbsd.org>
From: Joerg Sonnenberger <joerg@britannica.bec.de>
List: tech-kern
Date: 11/27/2007 07:50:31
On Tue, Nov 27, 2007 at 12:35:46AM +0100, Manuel Bouyer wrote:
> The current code (for Xen) fills in the L4 PTE entry on pmap_map_ptes()
> and clear it on pmap_unmap_ptes() though hypercalls. This makes pmap_extract()
> really, really slow (like 10x slower). So my question about keeping the L4 PTE
> entry valid on return to userspace, which makes it possible for a user process
> to read its PTE entries (not write: an active page table is always mapped
> read-only). I don't see a problem with it, but I may be missing somthing.

Can it also read the kernel page table? I don't see a problem with a
userland program reading the page mapping of itself. IIRC it can do that
using other means as well. What would be a possible issue is if it can
look at parts of the "kernel" map.

Joerg