Modern software systems require high availability and minimal downtime. Traditional update mechanisms require applications to restart after modifications, which can interrupt system operations. Runtime software modification techniques allow developers to update, monitor, or analyze software systems without restarting them. This paper presents a literature review of runtime modification techniques in Linux systems. The study covers dynamic software updating frameworks, binary instrumentation systems, kernel live patching mechanisms, and modern observability tools such as eBPF. Key research contributions including POLUS, Kitsune, Luci, Dyninst, Valgrind, Intel Pin, and Ksplice are analyzed. The advantages and limitations of each approach are discussed, followed by a comparative analysis of runtime modification techniques. The review highlights research gaps in existing systems and identifies the need for lightweight user-space runtime function interposition frameworks capable of modifying running programs safely and efficiently.
Keywords
Runtime Function Interposition, Dynamic Software Updating, Binary Instrumentation, Linux Systems, eBPF, Kernel Patching.
Conclusion
Runtime software modification techniques provide important capabilities for updating, analyzing, and monitoring software systems without interrupting program execution. This paper reviewed several major approaches in this area, including dynamic software updating frameworks, binary instrumentation systems, kernel live patching techniques, and modern observability tools.
Systems such as POLUS, Kitsune, and Luci demonstrate the feasibility of updating running programs, while instrumentation frameworks such as Valgrind, Intel Pin, and Dyninst enable detailed runtime analysis. Kernel patching systems such as Ksplice and tracing frameworks based on eBPF further extend the capabilities of runtime system management.
Despite significant advancements, many existing approaches introduce performance overhead, require source code modifications, or focus primarily on kernel-level updates. Future research should focus on developing lightweight user-space runtime interposition mechanisms capable of modifying program behavior safely and efficiently during execution.
References
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How to Cite This Paper
Parth Pawar, Krishna Chamarthy, Khushi Mittal, Kalpak Gupte, Dr. Ranjana Agarwal (2026). Runtime Function Interposition and Dynamic Software Updating in Linux: A Literature Review. International Journal of Computer Techniques, 13(2). ISSN: 2394-2231.
