netdev - Re: [PATCH v5 0/2] Remove false-positive VLAs when using max()

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Date:   Sat, 17 Mar 2018 13:07:32 -0700
From:   Kees Cook <keescook@...omium.org>
To:     Linus Torvalds <torvalds@...ux-foundation.org>
Cc:     Al Viro <viro@...iv.linux.org.uk>,
        Florian Weimer <fweimer@...hat.com>,
        Andrew Morton <akpm@...ux-foundation.org>,
        Josh Poimboeuf <jpoimboe@...hat.com>,
        Rasmus Villemoes <linux@...musvillemoes.dk>,
        Randy Dunlap <rdunlap@...radead.org>,
        Miguel Ojeda <miguel.ojeda.sandonis@...il.com>,
        Ingo Molnar <mingo@...nel.org>,
        David Laight <David.Laight@...lab.com>,
        Ian Abbott <abbotti@....co.uk>,
        linux-input <linux-input@...r.kernel.org>,
        linux-btrfs <linux-btrfs@...r.kernel.org>,
        Network Development <netdev@...r.kernel.org>,
        Linux Kernel Mailing List <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>,
        Kernel Hardening <kernel-hardening@...ts.openwall.com>
Subject: Re: [PATCH v5 0/2] Remove false-positive VLAs when using max()

On Sat, Mar 17, 2018 at 11:52 AM, Linus Torvalds
<torvalds@...ux-foundation.org> wrote:
> So the above is completely insane, bit there is actually a chance that
> using that completely crazy "x -> sizeof(char[x])" conversion actually
> helps, because it really does have a (very odd) evaluation-time
> change.  sizeof() has to be evaluated as part of the constant
> expression evaluation, in ways that "__builtin_constant_p()" isn't
> specified to be done.
>
> But it is also definitely me grasping at straws. If that doesn't work
> for 4.4, there's nothing else I can possibly see.

No luck! :( gcc 4.4 refuses to play along. And, hilariously, not only
does it not change the complaint about __builtin_choose_expr(), it
also thinks that's a VLA now.

./include/linux/mm.h: In function ‘get_mm_hiwater_rss’:
./include/linux/mm.h:1567: warning: variable length array is used
./include/linux/mm.h:1567: error: first argument to
‘__builtin_choose_expr’ not a constant

6.8 is happy with it (of course).

I do think the earlier version (without the
sizeof-hiding-builting_constant_p) provides a template for a
const_max() that both you and Rasmus would be happy with, though!

-Kees

-- 
Kees Cook
Pixel Security