DepSurf

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Website for EuroSys’25 paper “Revealing the Unstable Foundations of eBPF-Based Kernel Extensions”

Shawn (Wanxiang) Zhong, Jing Liu, Andrea Arpaci-Dusseau, and Remzi Arpaci-Dusseau

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Abstract eBPF programs significantly enhance kernel capabilities, but encounter substantial compatibility challenges due to their deep integration with unstable kernel internals. We introduce DepSurf, a tool that identifies dependency mismatches between eBPF programs and kernel images. Our analysis of 25 kernel images spanning 8 years reveals that dependency mismatches are pervasive, stemming from kernel source code evolution, diverse configuration options, and intricate compilation processes. We apply DepSurf to 53 real-world eBPF programs, and find that 83% are impacted by dependency mismatches, underscoring the urgent need for systematic dependency analysis. By identifying these mismatches, DepSurf enables a more robust development and maintenance process for eBPF programs, enhancing their reliability across a wide range of kernels.
Citation 
@inproceedings{10.1145/3689031.3717497,
  author    = {Zhong, Shawn Wanxiang and Liu, Jing and Arpaci-Dusseau, Andrea and Arpaci-Dusseau, Remzi},
  title     = {Revealing the Unstable Foundations of eBPF-Based Kernel Extensions},
  year      = {2025},
  isbn      = {9798400711961},
  publisher = {Association for Computing Machinery},
  address   = {New York, NY, USA},
  url       = {https://doi.org/10.1145/3689031.3717497},
  doi       = {10.1145/3689031.3717497},
  abstract  = {eBPF programs significantly enhance kernel capabilities, but encounter substantial compatibility challenges due to their deep integration with unstable kernel internals. We introduce DepSurf, a tool that identifies dependency mismatches between eBPF programs and kernel images. Our analysis of 25 kernel images spanning 8 years reveals that dependency mismatches are pervasive, stemming from kernel source code evolution, diverse configuration options, and intricate compilation processes. We apply DepSurf to 53 real-world eBPF programs, and find that 83\% are impacted by dependency mismatches, underscoring the urgent need for systematic dependency analysis. By identifying these mismatches, DepSurf enables a more robust development and maintenance process for eBPF programs, enhancing their reliability across a wide range of kernels.},
  booktitle = {Proceedings of the Twentieth European Conference on Computer Systems},
  pages     = {21–41},
  numpages  = {21},
  location  = {Rotterdam, Netherlands},
  series    = {EuroSys '25}
}

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