linux-kernel - Re: [patch 0/8] kzfree()

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Date:	Mon, 16 Feb 2009 12:19:25 -0800
From:	Andrew Morton <akpm@...ux-foundation.org>
To:	Pekka Enberg <penberg@...helsinki.fi>
Cc:	Johannes Weiner <hannes@...xchg.org>, linux-mm@...ck.org,
	linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org
Subject: Re: [patch 0/8] kzfree()

On Mon, 16 Feb 2009 21:58:14 +0200 Pekka Enberg <penberg@...helsinki.fi> wrote:

> Hi Andrew,
> 
> Andrew Morton wrote:
> > On Mon, 16 Feb 2009 15:29:26 +0100 Johannes Weiner <hannes@...xchg.org> wrote:
> > 
> >> This series introduces kzfree() and converts callsites which do
> >> memset() + kfree() explicitely.
> > 
> > I dunno, this looks like putting lipstick on a pig.
> > 
> > What is the point in zeroing memory just before freeing it?  afacit
> > this is always done as a poor-man's poisoning operation.
> 
> I think they do it as security paranoia to make sure other callers don't 
> accidentally see parts of crypto keys, passwords, and such. So I don't 
> think we can just get rid of the memsets.

Ok, you're right - I thought only a couple were doing that but it looks like
all of them except for perhaps ATM are being non-stupid.
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