Wait-Free Code Patching of Multi-Threaded Processes

Runtime Software Patching: Taxonomy, Survey and Future Directions

“…In contrast to function-level patching, updating the whole process might be easier in some cases as only OS dependencies and resources need to be tracked. For instance, files and network sockets need to be detached from the old Manuscript Submitted to the Journal of Systems and Software process and transferred to the new process [43]. The main complication in this area is maintaining the internal resource states such as current file pointers and network protocol state.…”

“…Table 3 shows the key studies that have considered runtime patching at the process level. Among the existing studies, Rommel et al [43] have proposed to move individual threads to new address space through predefined quiescent states. The proposed approach attempts to minimise waiting time by preparing the clone of the address space as opposed to stop-the-world approach .…”

“…Semi-automated Custom OS (Minix based) WaitFree [43] High performance, Multithreading support, Readonly memory segments Patch deployment Semi-automated Linux on AMD64 MVEDSUA [44] Updating software Patch deployment and testing and rollback…”

“…Flexibility, Robustness, Ease of Use, Effectiveness (low overhead) Kshot [3] X86 SMM, intel SGX ✓ ✓ --Effectiveness (low overhead), Trustworthiness Safestack [7] Linux ✓ -✓ ✓ Efficiency, Safely, Scalability Instaguard [8] Android ✓ -✓ ✓ Efficiency Replus [9] Linux ✓ -✓ ✓ Efficiency, Lightweight, DUSC [14] Java runtime system -✓ --Effectiveness (low overhead) Vulmet [15] Android --✓ -Correctness, Robustness, Efficiency Seamless [54] Linux -✓ ✓ -Effectiveness, Reliability Kup [23] Linux -✓ ✓ -Effectiveness, Reliability Cure [24] x86 -✓ ✓ -Effectiveness, Safety Piston [10] x86 ✓ --✓ Effectiveness, Persistence DynSec [28] x86 ✓ -✓ ✓ Correctness, Effectiveness (low overhead), Efficiency Gitar [39] Contiki, TinyOS ---✓ Efficiency, Sustainability, Maintainability HotAsap [29] Apache web server ✓ ---Correctness, Effectiveness (low overhead), Efficiency Karma [2] Android ✓ ---Adaptiveness, Safety, Effectiveness Multiverse [33] Linux, cPython, musl ✓ --✓ Efficiency, Ease of use, Flexibility, Portability C-Multiverse [38] Linux, cPython, musl ✓ --✓ Efficiency, Ease of use, Flexibility, Portability BinPatch [40] Linux, x86 ✓ ---Efficiency, Persistence ShawdowPatching [53] Virtual -✓ --Effectiveness Proteos [27] x86 Proteos ✓ ✓ ✓ -Effectiveness, Scalability, Reliability, Security Waitfree [43] x86, Linux --✓ ✓ Low overhead Vpatcher [13] Virtual ---✓ Correctness, Efficiency Orthus [12] Virtual -✓ --Efficiency, Effectiveness, Scalability HyperFresh [30] Virtual ✓ ✓ --Effectiveness, Low overhead ContainerECU [52] Electronic Control Unit (ECU) --✓ -Efficiency, Effectiveness (low overhead), Scalability Cetratus [11] x86, PowerPC ---✓ Stability MVEDSE [44] C program -✓ -✓ Availability, low latency, effectiveness Tedsuto [45] Java program -✓ ✓ -Effectiveness, Efficiency Kitsune [5,46] C-program -✓ ✓ -Effectiveness (no overhead), Efficiency Ginseng [47] C program -✓ ✓ -Scala...…”

“…Table 6 provides a mapping of various granularity with patch responsibility proposed in the literature review. DSU [1], Safestack [7], InstaGuard [8], Replus [9], Vulmet [15], Wordpatch [31] Function Multiverse [33], CompMultiver [38], Gitar [39] Ksplice [4], Piston [10], UpdateCalculus [41] Replus [9], Polus [25], Cure [24], Appwrapper [34], OSSPatcher [35], HotPatcher [36] Process Katana [42], Proteos [43], MVEDSUA [44], Ginseng [47] Cetratus [11], Proteos [27] Tedsuto [26], Kitsune [5,46] VM --ShadowPatching [53], Vpatcher [13] Hypervisor…”