xref: /linux/Documentation/bpf/kfuncs.rst (revision 8157cc739ad301b7fb6dfc4cfc5497cedd33df4e)
1.. SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0
2
3.. _kfuncs-header-label:
4
5=============================
6BPF Kernel Functions (kfuncs)
7=============================
8
91. Introduction
10===============
11
12BPF Kernel Functions or more commonly known as kfuncs are functions in the Linux
13kernel which are exposed for use by BPF programs. Unlike normal BPF helpers,
14kfuncs do not have a stable interface and can change from one kernel release to
15another. Hence, BPF programs need to be updated in response to changes in the
16kernel. See :ref:`BPF_kfunc_lifecycle_expectations` for more information.
17
182. Defining a kfunc
19===================
20
21There are two ways to expose a kernel function to BPF programs, either make an
22existing function in the kernel visible, or add a new wrapper for BPF. In both
23cases, care must be taken that BPF program can only call such function in a
24valid context. To enforce this, visibility of a kfunc can be per program type.
25
26If you are not creating a BPF wrapper for existing kernel function, skip ahead
27to :ref:`BPF_kfunc_nodef`.
28
292.1 Creating a wrapper kfunc
30----------------------------
31
32When defining a wrapper kfunc, the wrapper function should have extern linkage.
33This prevents the compiler from optimizing away dead code, as this wrapper kfunc
34is not invoked anywhere in the kernel itself. It is not necessary to provide a
35prototype in a header for the wrapper kfunc.
36
37An example is given below::
38
39        /* Disables missing prototype warnings */
40        __bpf_kfunc_start_defs();
41
42        __bpf_kfunc struct task_struct *bpf_find_get_task_by_vpid(pid_t nr)
43        {
44                return find_get_task_by_vpid(nr);
45        }
46
47        __bpf_kfunc_end_defs();
48
49A wrapper kfunc is often needed when we need to annotate parameters of the
50kfunc. Otherwise one may directly make the kfunc visible to the BPF program by
51registering it with the BPF subsystem. See :ref:`BPF_kfunc_nodef`.
52
532.2 kfunc Parameters
54--------------------
55
56All kfuncs now require trusted arguments by default. This means that all
57pointer arguments must be valid, and all pointers to BTF objects must be
58passed in their unmodified form (at a zero offset, and without having been
59obtained from walking another pointer, with exceptions described below).
60
61There are two types of pointers to kernel objects which are considered "trusted":
62
631. Pointers which are passed as tracepoint or struct_ops callback arguments.
642. Pointers which were returned from a KF_ACQUIRE kfunc.
65
66Pointers to non-BTF objects (e.g. scalar pointers) may also be passed to
67kfuncs, and may have a non-zero offset.
68
69The definition of "valid" pointers is subject to change at any time, and has
70absolutely no ABI stability guarantees.
71
72As mentioned above, a nested pointer obtained from walking a trusted pointer is
73no longer trusted, with one exception. If a struct type has a field that is
74guaranteed to be valid (trusted or rcu, as in KF_RCU description below) as long
75as its parent pointer is valid, the following macros can be used to express
76that to the verifier:
77
78* ``BTF_TYPE_SAFE_TRUSTED``
79* ``BTF_TYPE_SAFE_RCU``
80* ``BTF_TYPE_SAFE_RCU_OR_NULL``
81
82For example,
83
84.. code-block:: c
85
86	BTF_TYPE_SAFE_TRUSTED(struct socket) {
87		struct sock *sk;
88	};
89
90or
91
92.. code-block:: c
93
94	BTF_TYPE_SAFE_RCU(struct task_struct) {
95		const cpumask_t *cpus_ptr;
96		struct css_set __rcu *cgroups;
97		struct task_struct __rcu *real_parent;
98		struct task_struct *group_leader;
99	};
100
101In other words, you must:
102
1031. Wrap the valid pointer type in a ``BTF_TYPE_SAFE_*`` macro.
104
1052. Specify the type and name of the valid nested field. This field must match
106   the field in the original type definition exactly.
107
108A new type declared by a ``BTF_TYPE_SAFE_*`` macro also needs to be emitted so
109that it appears in BTF. For example, ``BTF_TYPE_SAFE_TRUSTED(struct socket)``
110is emitted in the ``type_is_trusted()`` function as follows:
111
112.. code-block:: c
113
114	BTF_TYPE_EMIT(BTF_TYPE_SAFE_TRUSTED(struct socket));
115
1162.3 Annotating kfunc parameters
117-------------------------------
118
119Similar to BPF helpers, there is sometime need for additional context required
120by the verifier to make the usage of kernel functions safer and more useful.
121Hence, we can annotate a parameter by suffixing the name of the argument of the
122kfunc with a __tag, where tag may be one of the supported annotations.
123
1242.3.1 __sz Annotation
125---------------------
126
127This annotation is used to indicate a memory and size pair in the argument list.
128An example is given below::
129
130        __bpf_kfunc void bpf_memzero(void *mem, int mem__sz)
131        {
132        ...
133        }
134
135Here, the verifier will treat first argument as a PTR_TO_MEM, and second
136argument as its size. By default, without __sz annotation, the size of the type
137of the pointer is used. Without __sz annotation, a kfunc cannot accept a void
138pointer.
139
1402.3.2 __k Annotation
141--------------------
142
143This annotation is only understood for scalar arguments, where it indicates that
144the verifier must check the scalar argument to be a known constant, which does
145not indicate a size parameter, and the value of the constant is relevant to the
146safety of the program.
147
148An example is given below::
149
150        __bpf_kfunc void *bpf_obj_new(u32 local_type_id__k, ...)
151        {
152        ...
153        }
154
155Here, bpf_obj_new uses local_type_id argument to find out the size of that type
156ID in program's BTF and return a sized pointer to it. Each type ID will have a
157distinct size, hence it is crucial to treat each such call as distinct when
158values don't match during verifier state pruning checks.
159
160Hence, whenever a constant scalar argument is accepted by a kfunc which is not a
161size parameter, and the value of the constant matters for program safety, __k
162suffix should be used.
163
1642.3.3 __uninit Annotation
165-------------------------
166
167This annotation is used to indicate that the argument will be treated as
168uninitialized.
169
170An example is given below::
171
172        __bpf_kfunc int bpf_dynptr_from_skb(..., struct bpf_dynptr_kern *ptr__uninit)
173        {
174        ...
175        }
176
177Here, the dynptr will be treated as an uninitialized dynptr. Without this
178annotation, the verifier will reject the program if the dynptr passed in is
179not initialized.
180
1812.3.4 __nullable Annotation
182---------------------------
183
184This annotation is used to indicate that the pointer argument may be NULL.
185The verifier will allow passing NULL for such arguments.
186
187An example is given below::
188
189        __bpf_kfunc void bpf_task_release(struct task_struct *task__nullable)
190        {
191        ...
192        }
193
194Here, the task pointer may be NULL. The kfunc is responsible for checking if
195the pointer is NULL before dereferencing it.
196
197The __nullable annotation can be combined with other annotations. For example,
198when used with __sz or __szk annotations for memory and size pairs, the
199verifier will skip size validation when a NULL pointer is passed, but will
200still process the size argument to extract constant size information when
201needed::
202
203        __bpf_kfunc void *bpf_dynptr_slice(..., void *buffer__nullable,
204                                           u32 buffer__szk)
205
206Here, the buffer may be NULL. If the buffer is not NULL, it must be at least
207buffer__szk bytes in size. The kfunc is responsible for checking if the buffer
208is NULL before using it.
209
2102.3.5 __str Annotation
211----------------------------
212This annotation is used to indicate that the argument is a constant string.
213
214An example is given below::
215
216        __bpf_kfunc bpf_get_file_xattr(..., const char *name__str, ...)
217        {
218        ...
219        }
220
221In this case, ``bpf_get_file_xattr()`` can be called as::
222
223        bpf_get_file_xattr(..., "xattr_name", ...);
224
225Or::
226
227        const char name[] = "xattr_name";  /* This need to be global */
228        int BPF_PROG(...)
229        {
230                ...
231                bpf_get_file_xattr(..., name, ...);
232                ...
233        }
234
2352.3.6 __prog Annotation
236---------------------------
237This annotation is used to indicate that the argument needs to be fixed up to
238the bpf_prog_aux of the caller BPF program. Any value passed into this argument
239is ignored, and rewritten by the verifier.
240
241An example is given below::
242
243        __bpf_kfunc int bpf_wq_set_callback_impl(struct bpf_wq *wq,
244                                                 int (callback_fn)(void *map, int *key, void *value),
245                                                 unsigned int flags,
246                                                 void *aux__prog)
247         {
248                struct bpf_prog_aux *aux = aux__prog;
249                ...
250         }
251
252.. _BPF_kfunc_nodef:
253
2542.4 Using an existing kernel function
255-------------------------------------
256
257When an existing function in the kernel is fit for consumption by BPF programs,
258it can be directly registered with the BPF subsystem. However, care must still
259be taken to review the context in which it will be invoked by the BPF program
260and whether it is safe to do so.
261
2622.5 Annotating kfuncs
263---------------------
264
265In addition to kfuncs' arguments, verifier may need more information about the
266type of kfunc(s) being registered with the BPF subsystem. To do so, we define
267flags on a set of kfuncs as follows::
268
269        BTF_KFUNCS_START(bpf_task_set)
270        BTF_ID_FLAGS(func, bpf_get_task_pid, KF_ACQUIRE | KF_RET_NULL)
271        BTF_ID_FLAGS(func, bpf_put_pid, KF_RELEASE)
272        BTF_KFUNCS_END(bpf_task_set)
273
274This set encodes the BTF ID of each kfunc listed above, and encodes the flags
275along with it. Ofcourse, it is also allowed to specify no flags.
276
277kfunc definitions should also always be annotated with the ``__bpf_kfunc``
278macro. This prevents issues such as the compiler inlining the kfunc if it's a
279static kernel function, or the function being elided in an LTO build as it's
280not used in the rest of the kernel. Developers should not manually add
281annotations to their kfunc to prevent these issues. If an annotation is
282required to prevent such an issue with your kfunc, it is a bug and should be
283added to the definition of the macro so that other kfuncs are similarly
284protected. An example is given below::
285
286        __bpf_kfunc struct task_struct *bpf_get_task_pid(s32 pid)
287        {
288        ...
289        }
290
2912.5.1 KF_ACQUIRE flag
292---------------------
293
294The KF_ACQUIRE flag is used to indicate that the kfunc returns a pointer to a
295refcounted object. The verifier will then ensure that the pointer to the object
296is eventually released using a release kfunc, or transferred to a map using a
297referenced kptr (by invoking bpf_kptr_xchg). If not, the verifier fails the
298loading of the BPF program until no lingering references remain in all possible
299explored states of the program.
300
3012.5.2 KF_RET_NULL flag
302----------------------
303
304The KF_RET_NULL flag is used to indicate that the pointer returned by the kfunc
305may be NULL. Hence, it forces the user to do a NULL check on the pointer
306returned from the kfunc before making use of it (dereferencing or passing to
307another helper). This flag is often used in pairing with KF_ACQUIRE flag, but
308both are orthogonal to each other.
309
3102.5.3 KF_RELEASE flag
311---------------------
312
313The KF_RELEASE flag is used to indicate that the kfunc releases the pointer
314passed in to it. There can be only one referenced pointer that can be passed
315in. All copies of the pointer being released are invalidated as a result of
316invoking kfunc with this flag.
317
3182.5.4 KF_SLEEPABLE flag
319-----------------------
320
321The KF_SLEEPABLE flag is used for kfuncs that may sleep. Such kfuncs can only
322be called by sleepable BPF programs (BPF_F_SLEEPABLE).
323
3242.5.5 KF_DESTRUCTIVE flag
325--------------------------
326
327The KF_DESTRUCTIVE flag is used to indicate functions calling which is
328destructive to the system. For example such a call can result in system
329rebooting or panicking. Due to this additional restrictions apply to these
330calls. At the moment they only require CAP_SYS_BOOT capability, but more can be
331added later.
332
3332.5.6 KF_RCU flag
334-----------------
335
336The KF_RCU flag allows kfuncs to opt out of the default trusted args
337requirement and accept RCU pointers with weaker guarantees. The kfuncs marked
338with KF_RCU expect either PTR_TRUSTED or MEM_RCU arguments. The verifier
339guarantees that the objects are valid and there is no use-after-free. The
340pointers are not NULL, but the object's refcount could have reached zero. The
341kfuncs need to consider doing refcnt != 0 check, especially when returning a
342KF_ACQUIRE pointer. Note as well that a KF_ACQUIRE kfunc that is KF_RCU should
343very likely also be KF_RET_NULL.
344
3452.5.7 KF_RCU_PROTECTED flag
346---------------------------
347
348The KF_RCU_PROTECTED flag is used to indicate that the kfunc must be invoked in
349an RCU critical section. This is assumed by default in non-sleepable programs,
350and must be explicitly ensured by calling ``bpf_rcu_read_lock`` for sleepable
351ones.
352
353If the kfunc returns a pointer value, this flag also enforces that the returned
354pointer is RCU protected, and can only be used while the RCU critical section is
355active.
356
357The flag is distinct from the ``KF_RCU`` flag, which only ensures that its
358arguments are at least RCU protected pointers. This may transitively imply that
359RCU protection is ensured, but it does not work in cases of kfuncs which require
360RCU protection but do not take RCU protected arguments.
361
362.. _KF_deprecated_flag:
363
3642.5.8 KF_DEPRECATED flag
365------------------------
366
367The KF_DEPRECATED flag is used for kfuncs which are scheduled to be
368changed or removed in a subsequent kernel release. A kfunc that is
369marked with KF_DEPRECATED should also have any relevant information
370captured in its kernel doc. Such information typically includes the
371kfunc's expected remaining lifespan, a recommendation for new
372functionality that can replace it if any is available, and possibly a
373rationale for why it is being removed.
374
375Note that while on some occasions, a KF_DEPRECATED kfunc may continue to be
376supported and have its KF_DEPRECATED flag removed, it is likely to be far more
377difficult to remove a KF_DEPRECATED flag after it's been added than it is to
378prevent it from being added in the first place. As described in
379:ref:`BPF_kfunc_lifecycle_expectations`, users that rely on specific kfuncs are
380encouraged to make their use-cases known as early as possible, and participate
381in upstream discussions regarding whether to keep, change, deprecate, or remove
382those kfuncs if and when such discussions occur.
383
3842.6 Registering the kfuncs
385--------------------------
386
387Once the kfunc is prepared for use, the final step to making it visible is
388registering it with the BPF subsystem. Registration is done per BPF program
389type. An example is shown below::
390
391        BTF_KFUNCS_START(bpf_task_set)
392        BTF_ID_FLAGS(func, bpf_get_task_pid, KF_ACQUIRE | KF_RET_NULL)
393        BTF_ID_FLAGS(func, bpf_put_pid, KF_RELEASE)
394        BTF_KFUNCS_END(bpf_task_set)
395
396        static const struct btf_kfunc_id_set bpf_task_kfunc_set = {
397                .owner = THIS_MODULE,
398                .set   = &bpf_task_set,
399        };
400
401        static int init_subsystem(void)
402        {
403                return register_btf_kfunc_id_set(BPF_PROG_TYPE_TRACING, &bpf_task_kfunc_set);
404        }
405        late_initcall(init_subsystem);
406
4072.7  Specifying no-cast aliases with ___init
408--------------------------------------------
409
410The verifier will always enforce that the BTF type of a pointer passed to a
411kfunc by a BPF program, matches the type of pointer specified in the kfunc
412definition. The verifier, does, however, allow types that are equivalent
413according to the C standard to be passed to the same kfunc arg, even if their
414BTF_IDs differ.
415
416For example, for the following type definition:
417
418.. code-block:: c
419
420	struct bpf_cpumask {
421		cpumask_t cpumask;
422		refcount_t usage;
423	};
424
425The verifier would allow a ``struct bpf_cpumask *`` to be passed to a kfunc
426taking a ``cpumask_t *`` (which is a typedef of ``struct cpumask *``). For
427instance, both ``struct cpumask *`` and ``struct bpf_cpmuask *`` can be passed
428to bpf_cpumask_test_cpu().
429
430In some cases, this type-aliasing behavior is not desired. ``struct
431nf_conn___init`` is one such example:
432
433.. code-block:: c
434
435	struct nf_conn___init {
436		struct nf_conn ct;
437	};
438
439The C standard would consider these types to be equivalent, but it would not
440always be safe to pass either type to a trusted kfunc. ``struct
441nf_conn___init`` represents an allocated ``struct nf_conn`` object that has
442*not yet been initialized*, so it would therefore be unsafe to pass a ``struct
443nf_conn___init *`` to a kfunc that's expecting a fully initialized ``struct
444nf_conn *`` (e.g. ``bpf_ct_change_timeout()``).
445
446In order to accommodate such requirements, the verifier will enforce strict
447PTR_TO_BTF_ID type matching if two types have the exact same name, with one
448being suffixed with ``___init``.
449
450.. _BPF_kfunc_lifecycle_expectations:
451
4523. kfunc lifecycle expectations
453===============================
454
455kfuncs provide a kernel <-> kernel API, and thus are not bound by any of the
456strict stability restrictions associated with kernel <-> user UAPIs. This means
457they can be thought of as similar to EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL, and can therefore be
458modified or removed by a maintainer of the subsystem they're defined in when
459it's deemed necessary.
460
461Like any other change to the kernel, maintainers will not change or remove a
462kfunc without having a reasonable justification.  Whether or not they'll choose
463to change a kfunc will ultimately depend on a variety of factors, such as how
464widely used the kfunc is, how long the kfunc has been in the kernel, whether an
465alternative kfunc exists, what the norm is in terms of stability for the
466subsystem in question, and of course what the technical cost is of continuing
467to support the kfunc.
468
469There are several implications of this:
470
471a) kfuncs that are widely used or have been in the kernel for a long time will
472   be more difficult to justify being changed or removed by a maintainer. In
473   other words, kfuncs that are known to have a lot of users and provide
474   significant value provide stronger incentives for maintainers to invest the
475   time and complexity in supporting them. It is therefore important for
476   developers that are using kfuncs in their BPF programs to communicate and
477   explain how and why those kfuncs are being used, and to participate in
478   discussions regarding those kfuncs when they occur upstream.
479
480b) Unlike regular kernel symbols marked with EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL, BPF programs
481   that call kfuncs are generally not part of the kernel tree. This means that
482   refactoring cannot typically change callers in-place when a kfunc changes,
483   as is done for e.g. an upstreamed driver being updated in place when a
484   kernel symbol is changed.
485
486   Unlike with regular kernel symbols, this is expected behavior for BPF
487   symbols, and out-of-tree BPF programs that use kfuncs should be considered
488   relevant to discussions and decisions around modifying and removing those
489   kfuncs. The BPF community will take an active role in participating in
490   upstream discussions when necessary to ensure that the perspectives of such
491   users are taken into account.
492
493c) A kfunc will never have any hard stability guarantees. BPF APIs cannot and
494   will not ever hard-block a change in the kernel purely for stability
495   reasons. That being said, kfuncs are features that are meant to solve
496   problems and provide value to users. The decision of whether to change or
497   remove a kfunc is a multivariate technical decision that is made on a
498   case-by-case basis, and which is informed by data points such as those
499   mentioned above. It is expected that a kfunc being removed or changed with
500   no warning will not be a common occurrence or take place without sound
501   justification, but it is a possibility that must be accepted if one is to
502   use kfuncs.
503
5043.1 kfunc deprecation
505---------------------
506
507As described above, while sometimes a maintainer may find that a kfunc must be
508changed or removed immediately to accommodate some changes in their subsystem,
509usually kfuncs will be able to accommodate a longer and more measured
510deprecation process. For example, if a new kfunc comes along which provides
511superior functionality to an existing kfunc, the existing kfunc may be
512deprecated for some period of time to allow users to migrate their BPF programs
513to use the new one. Or, if a kfunc has no known users, a decision may be made
514to remove the kfunc (without providing an alternative API) after some
515deprecation period so as to provide users with a window to notify the kfunc
516maintainer if it turns out that the kfunc is actually being used.
517
518It's expected that the common case will be that kfuncs will go through a
519deprecation period rather than being changed or removed without warning. As
520described in :ref:`KF_deprecated_flag`, the kfunc framework provides the
521KF_DEPRECATED flag to kfunc developers to signal to users that a kfunc has been
522deprecated. Once a kfunc has been marked with KF_DEPRECATED, the following
523procedure is followed for removal:
524
5251. Any relevant information for deprecated kfuncs is documented in the kfunc's
526   kernel docs. This documentation will typically include the kfunc's expected
527   remaining lifespan, a recommendation for new functionality that can replace
528   the usage of the deprecated function (or an explanation as to why no such
529   replacement exists), etc.
530
5312. The deprecated kfunc is kept in the kernel for some period of time after it
532   was first marked as deprecated. This time period will be chosen on a
533   case-by-case basis, and will typically depend on how widespread the use of
534   the kfunc is, how long it has been in the kernel, and how hard it is to move
535   to alternatives. This deprecation time period is "best effort", and as
536   described :ref:`above<BPF_kfunc_lifecycle_expectations>`, circumstances may
537   sometimes dictate that the kfunc be removed before the full intended
538   deprecation period has elapsed.
539
5403. After the deprecation period the kfunc will be removed. At this point, BPF
541   programs calling the kfunc will be rejected by the verifier.
542
5434. Core kfuncs
544==============
545
546The BPF subsystem provides a number of "core" kfuncs that are potentially
547applicable to a wide variety of different possible use cases and programs.
548Those kfuncs are documented here.
549
5504.1 struct task_struct * kfuncs
551-------------------------------
552
553There are a number of kfuncs that allow ``struct task_struct *`` objects to be
554used as kptrs:
555
556.. kernel-doc:: kernel/bpf/helpers.c
557   :identifiers: bpf_task_acquire bpf_task_release
558
559These kfuncs are useful when you want to acquire or release a reference to a
560``struct task_struct *`` that was passed as e.g. a tracepoint arg, or a
561struct_ops callback arg. For example:
562
563.. code-block:: c
564
565	/**
566	 * A trivial example tracepoint program that shows how to
567	 * acquire and release a struct task_struct * pointer.
568	 */
569	SEC("tp_btf/task_newtask")
570	int BPF_PROG(task_acquire_release_example, struct task_struct *task, u64 clone_flags)
571	{
572		struct task_struct *acquired;
573
574		acquired = bpf_task_acquire(task);
575		if (acquired)
576			/*
577			 * In a typical program you'd do something like store
578			 * the task in a map, and the map will automatically
579			 * release it later. Here, we release it manually.
580			 */
581			bpf_task_release(acquired);
582		return 0;
583	}
584
585
586References acquired on ``struct task_struct *`` objects are RCU protected.
587Therefore, when in an RCU read region, you can obtain a pointer to a task
588embedded in a map value without having to acquire a reference:
589
590.. code-block:: c
591
592	#define private(name) SEC(".data." #name) __hidden __attribute__((aligned(8)))
593	private(TASK) static struct task_struct *global;
594
595	/**
596	 * A trivial example showing how to access a task stored
597	 * in a map using RCU.
598	 */
599	SEC("tp_btf/task_newtask")
600	int BPF_PROG(task_rcu_read_example, struct task_struct *task, u64 clone_flags)
601	{
602		struct task_struct *local_copy;
603
604		bpf_rcu_read_lock();
605		local_copy = global;
606		if (local_copy)
607			/*
608			 * We could also pass local_copy to kfuncs or helper functions here,
609			 * as we're guaranteed that local_copy will be valid until we exit
610			 * the RCU read region below.
611			 */
612			bpf_printk("Global task %s is valid", local_copy->comm);
613		else
614			bpf_printk("No global task found");
615		bpf_rcu_read_unlock();
616
617		/* At this point we can no longer reference local_copy. */
618
619		return 0;
620	}
621
622----
623
624A BPF program can also look up a task from a pid. This can be useful if the
625caller doesn't have a trusted pointer to a ``struct task_struct *`` object that
626it can acquire a reference on with bpf_task_acquire().
627
628.. kernel-doc:: kernel/bpf/helpers.c
629   :identifiers: bpf_task_from_pid
630
631Here is an example of it being used:
632
633.. code-block:: c
634
635	SEC("tp_btf/task_newtask")
636	int BPF_PROG(task_get_pid_example, struct task_struct *task, u64 clone_flags)
637	{
638		struct task_struct *lookup;
639
640		lookup = bpf_task_from_pid(task->pid);
641		if (!lookup)
642			/* A task should always be found, as %task is a tracepoint arg. */
643			return -ENOENT;
644
645		if (lookup->pid != task->pid) {
646			/* bpf_task_from_pid() looks up the task via its
647			 * globally-unique pid from the init_pid_ns. Thus,
648			 * the pid of the lookup task should always be the
649			 * same as the input task.
650			 */
651			bpf_task_release(lookup);
652			return -EINVAL;
653		}
654
655		/* bpf_task_from_pid() returns an acquired reference,
656		 * so it must be dropped before returning from the
657		 * tracepoint handler.
658		 */
659		bpf_task_release(lookup);
660		return 0;
661	}
662
6634.2 struct cgroup * kfuncs
664--------------------------
665
666``struct cgroup *`` objects also have acquire and release functions:
667
668.. kernel-doc:: kernel/bpf/helpers.c
669   :identifiers: bpf_cgroup_acquire bpf_cgroup_release
670
671These kfuncs are used in exactly the same manner as bpf_task_acquire() and
672bpf_task_release() respectively, so we won't provide examples for them.
673
674----
675
676Other kfuncs available for interacting with ``struct cgroup *`` objects are
677bpf_cgroup_ancestor() and bpf_cgroup_from_id(), allowing callers to access
678the ancestor of a cgroup and find a cgroup by its ID, respectively. Both
679return a cgroup kptr.
680
681.. kernel-doc:: kernel/bpf/helpers.c
682   :identifiers: bpf_cgroup_ancestor
683
684.. kernel-doc:: kernel/bpf/helpers.c
685   :identifiers: bpf_cgroup_from_id
686
687Eventually, BPF should be updated to allow this to happen with a normal memory
688load in the program itself. This is currently not possible without more work in
689the verifier. bpf_cgroup_ancestor() can be used as follows:
690
691.. code-block:: c
692
693	/**
694	 * Simple tracepoint example that illustrates how a cgroup's
695	 * ancestor can be accessed using bpf_cgroup_ancestor().
696	 */
697	SEC("tp_btf/cgroup_mkdir")
698	int BPF_PROG(cgrp_ancestor_example, struct cgroup *cgrp, const char *path)
699	{
700		struct cgroup *parent;
701
702		/* The parent cgroup resides at the level before the current cgroup's level. */
703		parent = bpf_cgroup_ancestor(cgrp, cgrp->level - 1);
704		if (!parent)
705			return -ENOENT;
706
707		bpf_printk("Parent id is %d", parent->self.id);
708
709		/* Return the parent cgroup that was acquired above. */
710		bpf_cgroup_release(parent);
711		return 0;
712	}
713
7144.3 struct cpumask * kfuncs
715---------------------------
716
717BPF provides a set of kfuncs that can be used to query, allocate, mutate, and
718destroy struct cpumask * objects. Please refer to :ref:`cpumasks-header-label`
719for more details.
720