[Xen-devel] Xen hypercall API/ABI problems

[Andrew Cooper <andrew.cooper3@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Hello,

While attempting to teach a hypercall-aware valgrind about enough
hypercalls to allow it to introspect HVM domain migration I came across
some systemic problems with certain hypercalls, particularly with migrate.

Here is the example of XENMEM_maximum_ram_page, but it is not alone as
far as this goes.

In Xen, it is defined as

/*                                                                              
                                                                                
                   

 * Returns the maximum machine frame number of mapped RAM in this
system.                                                                         
                                 

 * This command always succeeds (it never returns an error
code).                                                                          
                                        

 * arg ==
NULL.                                                                           
                                                                                
         

 */

In memory.c, there is a possible unsigned->signed conversion error from
max_pages to rc.
In compat/memory.c, there is a long->int truncation error for compat
hypercalls, although newer versions of Xen cap this at INT_{MIN,MAX}

In the privcmd driver passes the hypercall rc through as the return from
the ioctl handler, containing a possible long->int truncation error.

From libxc, the do_memory_op() is expected -errno style error handling,
but does not enforce it.  There is however a possible int->long
extension issue with xc_maximum_ram_page().

The value from this is then stuffed into unsigned long minfo->max_mfn
and immediately used in try to map the M2P table.


From the work with XSA-55, we have already identified that the error
handling and propagation in libxc leaves a lot to be desired.  However,
the hypervisor side of things is just as problematic.

What policy do we have about deprecating hypercall interfaces and
introducing newer ones?  At a minimum, all hypercalls should be using
-errno style errors, with a possibility of returning 0 to LONG_MAX as well.

I realise that simply changing the hypercalls in place is not possible. 
Would it be acceptable to have a step change across a Xen version (say
early in 4.4) where consumers of the public interface would have to make
use of -DXEN_LEGACY_UNSAFE_HYPERCALLS (or equivalent) in an attempt to
move them forward with the API ?

~Andrew

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