t is implemented in the arch/x86_64/kernel/kprobes.c (More on this later) * When a return probe is registered using register_kretprobe(), kernel/kprobes.c will install a kprobe on the first instruction of the targeted function with the pre handler set to arch_prepare_kretprobe() which is implemented in arch/x86_64/kernel/kprobes.c. * arch_prepare_kretprobe() will prepare a kretprobe instance that stores: - nodes for hanging this instance in an empty or free list - a pointer to the return probe - the original return address - a pointer to the stack address With all this stowed away, arch_prepare_kretprobe() then sets the return address for the targeted function to a special trampoline function called kretprobe_trampoline() implemented in arch/x86_64/kernel/kprobes.c * The kprobe completes as normal, with control passing back to the target function that executes as normal, and eventually returns to our trampoline function. * Since a kprobe was installed on kretprobe_trampoline() during system initialization, control passes back to kprobes via the architecture specific function trampoline_probe_handler() which will lookup the instance in an hlist maintained by kernel/kprobes.c, and then call the handler function. * When trampoline_probe_handler() is done, the kprobes infrastructure single steps the original instruction (in this case just a top), and then calls trampoline_post_handler(). trampoline_post_handler() then looks up the instance again, puts the instance back on the free list, and then makes a long jump back to the original return instruction. So to recap, to instrument the exit path of a function this implementation will cause four interruptions: - A breakpoint at the very beginning of the function allowing us to switch out the return address - A single step interruption to execute the original instruction that we replaced with the break instruction (normal kprobe flow) - A breakpoint in the trampoline function where our instrumented function returned to - A single step interruption to execute the original instruction that we replaced with the break instruction (normal kprobe flow) Signed-off-by: Andrew Morton Signed-off-by: Linus Torvalds ¹öÙ¸“à