// a.c __attribute__((visibility("protected"))) void *foo () { return (void *)foo; } // This roughly maps to: .globl foo .protected foo .type foo, @function foo: leaq foo(%rip), %rax % gcc -fpic -shared -fuse-ld=bfd a.s /usr/bin/ld.bfd: /tmp/ccWPJCLw.o: relocation R_X86_64_PC32 against protected symbol `foo' can not be used when making a shared object /usr/bin/ld.bfd: final link failed: bad value collect2: error: ld returned 1 exit status The diagnostic was probably added circa 2016/2017 to make copy relocations on protected data symbols work with glibc. It should not apply to function symbols. The "copy relocations on protected data symbols" scheme has some fragile support with GNU ld and glibc on x86 (acked by multiple glibc maintainers). It definitely did not work before circa 2016, and should not work in the future. This scheme does not work with gold or LLD. GNU ld for non-x86 architectures don't work. I think no software will break if we drop the fragile glibc support.
The master branch has been updated by H.J. Lu <hjl@sourceware.org>: https://sourceware.org/git/gitweb.cgi?p=binutils-gdb.git;h=b6b42983720c2d88f680ef7679f41c3ff95daae1 commit b6b42983720c2d88f680ef7679f41c3ff95daae1 Author: H.J. Lu <hjl.tools@gmail.com> Date: Thu Jun 17 10:19:29 2021 -0700 x86-64: Test protected function pointers On x86-64, function pointers in executable for external funtions may be resolved to their PLT entries in executable. If it happens, function pointers of protected funtions in shared libraries must be resolved to the PLT entries in executable, not addresses of protected funtions in shared libraries. PR ld/27973 * testsuite/ld-x86-64/x86-64.exp: Run protected function tests. * testsuite/ld-x86-64/protected-func-1.h: New file. * testsuite/ld-x86-64/protected-func-1a.s: Likewise. * testsuite/ld-x86-64/protected-func-1b.c: Likewise.
The master branch has been updated by H.J. Lu <hjl@sourceware.org>: https://sourceware.org/git/gitweb.cgi?p=binutils-gdb.git;h=e013d20dc73b40d4b70c4a366c9adc619503e66b commit e013d20dc73b40d4b70c4a366c9adc619503e66b Author: H.J. Lu <hjl.tools@gmail.com> Date: Thu Jun 17 10:32:27 2021 -0700 x86-64: Use $NOPIE_LDFLAGS/$NOPIE_CFLAGS on protected-func-1 PR ld/27973 * testsuite/ld-x86-64/x86-64.exp: Pass $NOPIE_LDFLAGS and $NOPIE_CFLAGS to protected-func-1 without PIE.
If you create a non-PIE run-time test, you will see the run-time failure with GCC 11.
In executable, without PIE, there is 0000000000401040 <protected_func_1a@plt>: 401040: ff 25 da 2f 00 00 jmp *0x2fda(%rip) # 404020 <pr otected_func_1a@Base> 401046: 68 01 00 00 00 push $0x1 40104b: e9 d0 ff ff ff jmp 401020 <_init+0x20> which is used as function pointer value.