Kernel

The PS Vita has a purely modular kernel. All components of the kernel are .skprx files found in the os0: partition and are listed in Modules.

System control type

CEX

The most common type installed on commercial vitas.

So nothing special is accessed unless there is a qaf or something. For example ★Debug settings.

Also cannot load self for DEX/Tool. (i.e. no CEX allowed bit)

Diag

Functionally it is 99% the same as CEX, but without the inability to update the system and rejection of self for DEX/Tool.

DEX

The Testing Kit.

It comes with minimal Debug stuff. (Debug store x2, ★Package Installer, ★Mini Debug Settings, ★Debug Settings in Settings, home ★Debug Utility)

Unlike CEX, you can downgrade system software. (SCE still calls it a system update)

UID

Class

Version	Module	Name	Superclass	Size (bytes)	Description
3.60	SceSysmem	SceUIDClass	None	0x8	For Group/Reserved UID.
3.60		SceUIDDLinkClass	SceUIDClass	0xC	For Group.
3.60		SceUIDHeapClass		0xC
3.60		SceUIDFixedHeapClass	SceUIDHeapClass	0xA4
3.60		SceUIDEntryHeapClass		0xB0
3.60		SceUIDKernelHeapClass		0x80
3.60		SceUIDSysrootClass	SceUIDClass	0x41C
3.60		SceUIDSimpleMemBlockClass	SceUIDDLinkClass	0x40
3.60		SceUIDMemBlockClass		0x40
3.60		SceUIDTinyPartitionClass	SceUIDClass	0x38
3.60		SceUIDPartitionClass	SceUIDTinyPartitionClass	0x80
3.60		SceUIDAddressSpaceClass	SceUIDClass	0x170
3.60		SceUIDPhyMemPartClass		0xAC
3.60		SceUIDSysEventClass		0x20
3.60		SceUIDProcEventClass		0x30
3.60-3.73	SceKernelModulemgr	SceUIDModuleClass	SceUIDClass	0xF4
3.60-3.73		SceUIDLibraryClass		0x10
3.60-3.73		SceUIDLibStubClass		0x10
3.60	SceKernelThreadMgr	SceUIDCacheClass	SceUIDClass	0x10
3.60		SceUIDWaitableClass	SceUIDCacheClass	0x28
3.60		SceUIDThreadClass	SceUIDWaitableClass	0x200
3.60		SceUIDFastMutexClass		0x80
3.60		SceUIDCallbackClass	SceUIDClass	0x80
3.60		SceUIDRegisterCallbackClass	SceUIDWaitableClass	0x30
3.60		SceUIDThreadEventClass	SceUIDClass	0x80
3.60		SceUIDEventFlagClass	SceUIDWaitableClass	0x80
3.60		SceUIDSemaphoreClass		0x80
3.60		SceUIDMutexClass		0x80
3.60		SceUIDCondClass		0x80
3.60		SceUIDEventClass	SceUIDRegisterCallbackClass	0x38
3.60		SceUIDMsgPipeClass	SceUIDEventClass	0x80
3.60		SceUIDLwMutexClass	SceUIDWaitableClass	0x80
3.60		SceUIDLwCondClass		0x80
3.60		SceUIDRWLockClass		0x80
3.60		SceUIDSimpleEventClass	SceUIDEventClass	0x80
3.60		SceUIDWorkQueueClass	SceUIDWaitableClass	0x80
3.60		SceUIDWorkTaskClass		0x80
3.60		SceUIDExceptionClass		0x80
3.60		SceUIDCpuTimerClass	SceUIDEventClass	0x58
3.60		SceUIDDelayClass	SceUIDCpuTimerClass	0x80
3.60		SceUIDAlarmClass		0x80
3.60		SceUIDTimerClass		0x80
3.60	SceProcessmgr	SceUIDProcBudgetClass	SceUIDClass	0x74
3.60		SceUIDProcessClass		0x4E0
3.60	Unknown	SceUIDVSlotClass	SceUIDDLinkClass	0x40
3.60	SceIofilemgr	SceUIDVfsFileClass	SceUIDClass	0x48
3.60		SceUIDIoMountEventClass	SceUIDEventClass	0x4C
3.60		SceUIDIoErrorEventClass		0x50
3.60		SceUIDIoAsyncEventClass		0xF8
3.60	SceDisplay	SceUIDVblankEventClass	SceUIDEventClass	0x38
3.60	SceCodecEngineWrapper	SceUIDCodecEngineMemoryClass	SceUIDClass	0x34
3.60	SceCoredump	SceUIDCafContextClass	SceUIDClass	0x4E0
3.60	SceDeci4pUserp	SceUIDDeci4pUserpClass	SceUIDClass	0x10

Temp

TODO: move these to the appropriate place

SceUIDKernelHeapObject

#define SCE_KERNEL_HEAP_ATTR_AUTO_EXTEND        0x00000001
#define SCE_KERNEL_HEAP_ATTR_UNKNOWN_0x02       0x00000002
#define SCE_KERNEL_HEAP_ATTR_HEAP_CORRUPT_CHECK 0x00000010
#define SCE_KERNEL_HEAP_ATTR_HEAP_AVAILABLE     0x00000020
#define SCE_KERNEL_HEAP_ATTR_EXTEND_LIMIT       0x00000100
#define SCE_KERNEL_HEAP_ATTR_WITH_BASE          0x00000200
#define SCE_KERNEL_HEAP_ATTR_WITH_MEMORY_TYPE   0x00000400
#define SCE_KERNEL_HEAP_ATTR_SOME_SIZE          0x00000800
#define SCE_KERNEL_HEAP_ATTR_IMPORT_FROM_OBJECT 0x00001000

typedef struct SceKernelHeap { // size is 0x78-bytes
    uintptr_t unk_0x00;
    int cpu_intr;
    uintptr_t unk_0x08[2];
    SceUInt32 attr;
    SceSize unk_0x14; // from opt.field_14
    SceUInt32 heap_memory_type;
    SceSize unk_0x1C; // from opt.field_8
    SceSize heapSize1;
    SceSize heapSize2;
    SceUInt32 currentHeapCount;
    SceUInt32 maximumHeapCount;
    SceSize currentHeapUsedSize;
    SceSize maximumHeapUsedSize;
    SceSize maximumRequestSize;
    void *pWorkingArea; // for internal
    char *name;
    void *data_0x44;
    SceUInt32 unk_0x48;
    SceUInt32 unk_0x4C[0xB]; // zeros
} SceKernelHeap;

typedef struct SceUIDKernelHeapObject { // size is 0x80-bytes
    union {
        uintptr_t sce_rsvd[2];
        struct {
            void *pUserdata;
            SceClass *pClass;
        };
    };
    SceKernelHeap kernelHeap;
} SceUIDKernelHeapObject;

SceUIDCacheObject

typedef struct SceUIDCacheObject { // size is 0x10-bytes
	SceUIDObject uid_obj;
	int unk_0x08;
	int unk_0x0C;
} SceUIDCacheObject;

SceUIDWaitableObject

typedef struct SceUIDWaitableObject { // size is 0x28-bytes
	SceUIDCacheObject cache;
	int unk_0x10;
	int unk_0x14;
	int unk_0x18;
	int unk_0x1C;
	int unk_0x20;
	int unk_0x24;
} SceUIDWaitableObject;

SceUIDProcEventObject

typedef struct SceKernelProcEvent { // size is 0x28-bytes
	struct SceKernelProcEvent *root;
	struct SceKernelProcEvent *next;
	SceUID procEventId;
	void *args;
	int (* create)(SceUID pid, SceProcEventInvokeParam2 *a2, int a3);
	int (* exit)(SceUID pid, SceProcEventInvokeParam1 *a2, int a3);                             // current process exit
	int (* kill)(SceUID pid, SceProcEventInvokeParam1 *a2, int a3);                             // by SceShell
	int (* stop)(SceUID pid, int event_type, SceProcEventInvokeParam1 *a3, int a4);
	int (* start)(SceUID pid, int event_type, SceProcEventInvokeParam1 *a3, int a4);
	int (* switch_process)(int event_id, int event_type, SceProcEventInvokeParam2 *a3, int a4); // switch display frame?
} SceKernelProcEvent;

typedef struct SceUIDProcEventObject { // size is 0x30-bytes
	uintptr_t sce_rsvd[2];
	SceKernelProcEvent procEvent;
} SceUIDProcEventObject;

SceUIDSysEventObject

typedef struct SceKernelSysEvent { // size is 0x18-bytes
	struct SceKernelProcEvent *root;
	struct SceKernelProcEvent *next;
	SceUID sysEventId;
	SceSysEventHandler handler;
	void *args;
	SceUInt32 unused;
} SceKernelSysEvent;

typedef struct SceUIDSysEventObject { // size is 0x20-bytes
	uintptr_t sce_rsvd[2];
	SceKernelSysEvent sysEvent;
} SceUIDSysEventObject;

UID Attr

     Mask   Description
  0x70000 |   vis_level
 0x300000 |   act entry

GUID

Global UID.

0 0 00 0000 0000 0001 0000 0000 0000 000 1

Error bit. should be 0.

PUID bit. should be 0.

Sub UID. 14-bits wide. Has no effect directly for core uid. Somewhat random values are used for security (With increase method).

Core UID. 15-bits wide. Value to identify the object.

UID bit. should be 1.

The Core UID is 15-bits so in theory the system can create to 0x8000 (32768) objects

Example : 0x10005, 0x10007, 0x10547, 0x2DF84A9

PUID

Process UID.

0 1 00 0000 0000 0001 0000 0000 0000 000 1

Error bit. should be 0.

PUID bit. should be 1.

Unknown. maybe sub UID. 14-bits wide.

Unknown. maybe core UID. 15-bits wide.

UID bit. should be 1.

Example : 0x40010001

Security

KASLR

Since PS Vita FW 1.80 or so, the kernel implements kernel address space layout randomization to discourage ROP attacks.

Canaries

Since PS Vita FW 1.80 or so, the kernel makes use of stack canaries to detect stack buffer overflows and halts the system when an overflow is detected.

Memory Domains

Memory domains is a feature in ARM MMU that provides an easy way of showing and hiding groups of addresses as well as their permissions. When a syscall is made, the handler disables all access to memory domains for user memory so kernel code cannot directly access user memory. This means if a user pointer is passed in and the kernel forgets to check it and dereferences it directly, it will abort. In order to access user memory, special functions are used that temporarily enables all domains and the access is implemented with the ARM unprivileged access instructions LDRT and STRT to make sure the access functions cannot read or write in kernel memory space. As long as the domain disable code in the syscall hander is secure and the user memory access functions are secure, there is no need for additional checks implemented per function. Additionally all non-code pages are marked as "execute never" (XN) in both kernel and usermode.

Syscall Randomization

The numbers assigned to syscalls change on each boot but the delta between the same functions exported by the same module will stay consistent.

NID Poisoning

Since PS Vita FW 2.10, SceKernelModulemgr replace the NIDs entries in the module import tables with junk data. This means that you can no longer map syscall numbers to NIDs.

Usermode stack pivoting protection

Since unknown PS Vita FW version (seen on 3.18) the kernel terminates an application if it notices that its stack pointer register (SP) is not pointing into the stack memory. This is commonly named "SMAP" on Linux where it crashes when Kernel stack pointer points to usermode memory.

User and kernel heap overflow protection

dlmalloc, used for heap allocations, is compiled with -DFOOTERS=1 to enable more heap overflow checks. Additionally, a custom SceNetPs malloc implementation also does some heap overflow checks on its own.

List of kernel modules

For a list of all kernel modules, check out Modules.