Add a new clone3() flag CLONE_PIDFD_AUTOKILL that ties a child's lifetime to the pidfd returned from clone3(). When the last reference to the struct file created by clone3() is closed the kernel sends SIGKILL to the child. A pidfd obtained via pidfd_open() for the same process does not keep the child alive and does not trigger autokill - only the specific struct file from clone3() has this property. This is useful for container runtimes, service managers, and sandboxed subprocess execution - any scenario where the child must die if the parent crashes or abandons the pidfd. CLONE_PIDFD_AUTOKILL requires both CLONE_PIDFD (the whole point is tying lifetime to the pidfd file) and CLONE_AUTOREAP (a killed child with no one to reap it would become a zombie). CLONE_THREAD is rejected because autokill targets a process not a thread. The clone3 pidfd is identified by storing a pointer to the struct file in signal_struct.autokill_pidfd. The pidfs .release handler compares the file being closed against this pointer and sends SIGKILL via group_send_sig_info(SIGKILL, SEND_SIG_PRIV, ...) only on match. Files from pidfd_open() or open_by_handle_at() are distinct struct files and will never match. dup()/fork() share the same struct file so they extend the child's lifetime until the last reference drops. Unlike pdeath_signal autokill isn't disarmed on exec and on credential changes that cross privilege boundaries. It would defeat the purpose of this whole endeavour. Signed-off-by: Christian Brauner --- fs/pidfs.c | 16 ++++++++++++++++ include/linux/sched/signal.h | 3 +++ include/uapi/linux/sched.h | 1 + kernel/fork.c | 16 ++++++++++++++-- 4 files changed, 34 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-) diff --git a/fs/pidfs.c b/fs/pidfs.c index 318253344b5c..b3891b2097eb 100644 --- a/fs/pidfs.c +++ b/fs/pidfs.c @@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ #include #include #include +#include +#include #include #include #include @@ -637,7 +639,21 @@ static long pidfd_ioctl(struct file *file, unsigned int cmd, unsigned long arg) return open_namespace(ns_common); } +static int pidfs_file_release(struct inode *inode, struct file *file) +{ + struct pid *pid = inode->i_private; + struct task_struct *task; + + guard(rcu)(); + task = pid_task(pid, PIDTYPE_TGID); + if (task && READ_ONCE(task->signal->autokill_pidfd) == file) + do_send_sig_info(SIGKILL, SEND_SIG_PRIV, task, PIDTYPE_TGID); + + return 0; +} + static const struct file_operations pidfs_file_operations = { + .release = pidfs_file_release, .poll = pidfd_poll, #ifdef CONFIG_PROC_FS .show_fdinfo = pidfd_show_fdinfo, diff --git a/include/linux/sched/signal.h b/include/linux/sched/signal.h index f842c86b806f..85a3de5c4030 100644 --- a/include/linux/sched/signal.h +++ b/include/linux/sched/signal.h @@ -134,6 +134,9 @@ struct signal_struct { unsigned int has_child_subreaper:1; unsigned int autoreap:1; + /* pidfd that triggers SIGKILL on close, or NULL */ + const struct file *autokill_pidfd; + #ifdef CONFIG_POSIX_TIMERS /* POSIX.1b Interval Timers */ diff --git a/include/uapi/linux/sched.h b/include/uapi/linux/sched.h index 8a22ea640817..b1aea8a86e2f 100644 --- a/include/uapi/linux/sched.h +++ b/include/uapi/linux/sched.h @@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ #define CLONE_CLEAR_SIGHAND 0x100000000ULL /* Clear any signal handler and reset to SIG_DFL. */ #define CLONE_INTO_CGROUP 0x200000000ULL /* Clone into a specific cgroup given the right permissions. */ #define CLONE_AUTOREAP 0x400000000ULL /* Auto-reap child on exit. */ +#define CLONE_PIDFD_AUTOKILL 0x800000000ULL /* Kill child when clone pidfd closes. */ /* * cloning flags intersect with CSIGNAL so can be used with unshare and clone3 diff --git a/kernel/fork.c b/kernel/fork.c index bc27dc10c309..7bcdba54c9a0 100644 --- a/kernel/fork.c +++ b/kernel/fork.c @@ -2035,6 +2035,15 @@ __latent_entropy struct task_struct *copy_process( return ERR_PTR(-EINVAL); } + if (clone_flags & CLONE_PIDFD_AUTOKILL) { + if (!(clone_flags & CLONE_PIDFD)) + return ERR_PTR(-EINVAL); + if (!(clone_flags & CLONE_AUTOREAP)) + return ERR_PTR(-EINVAL); + if (clone_flags & CLONE_THREAD) + return ERR_PTR(-EINVAL); + } + /* * Force any signals received before this point to be delivered * before the fork happens. Collect up signals sent to multiple @@ -2470,8 +2479,11 @@ __latent_entropy struct task_struct *copy_process( syscall_tracepoint_update(p); write_unlock_irq(&tasklist_lock); - if (pidfile) + if (pidfile) { + if (clone_flags & CLONE_PIDFD_AUTOKILL) + p->signal->autokill_pidfd = pidfile; fd_install(pidfd, pidfile); + } proc_fork_connector(p); sched_post_fork(p); @@ -2909,7 +2921,7 @@ static bool clone3_args_valid(struct kernel_clone_args *kargs) /* Verify that no unknown flags are passed along. */ if (kargs->flags & ~(CLONE_LEGACY_FLAGS | CLONE_CLEAR_SIGHAND | CLONE_INTO_CGROUP | - CLONE_AUTOREAP)) + CLONE_AUTOREAP | CLONE_PIDFD_AUTOKILL)) return false; /* -- 2.47.3