Re: linux-security-module digest, Vol 1 #12 - 7 msgs

From: Kurt P. Hundeck (khundeckat_private)
Date: Sun Apr 15 2001 - 15:00:27 PDT

  • Next message: Douglas Kilpatrick: "Re: intercepting system calls"

    > > However, my main concern is to make sure that modules that don't
    > > want to mediate read()/write() won't have to pay the cost for
    > > those who do.  In other words, if your module doesn't care about
    > > read()/write(), then I'd like it to be the case that reads and
    > > writes execute at full speed, with no noticeable performance impact.
    > > Would this do the trick?
    > 
    > yes, we need the hooks, it is up to the module to implement them.  i'm
    > afraid it won't be zero overhead...but whatever it takes to follow
    > function pointer and immediately return success ;-)
    
    Hi, I am *REALLY* new here, and am reading this group to try and
    understand how the Kernel works a bit better by seeing how a security
    system would be implemented. So, anyway...
    
    As an idea for actually reducing "the overhead of following a function
    pointer and immediately returning success", is it possible to create some
    sort of lookup table which would determine whether a pointer needs to be
    followed in the first place??
    
    I was thinking (depending on the amount of hooks) you could create a byte
    value which would tell you which hooks were actually implemented in the
    loaded LSM, and after you do a simple bit shift you would know if you have
    to context switch, or just return the LSM_NO_HOOK_IMPLEMENTED const.  It
    is probably faster than calling a function, and could reduce the overhead
    to .0001%. (Of course I actually have no idea ;-))
    
    By the way:  Are these hooks going to be calling functions in userspace?
    
    Hmmm. I hope I was being clear.
    
    
    Kurt P. Hundeck - no not THAT Kurt :-)
    
    
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