linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH 04/10] x86: mce: fix error handling

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Message-ID: <20100729101604.GA26495@aftab>
Date:	Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:16:04 +0200
From:	Borislav Petkov <bp@...64.org>
To:	Andi Kleen <ak@...ux.intel.com>
Cc:	Vasiliy Kulikov <segooon@...il.com>,
	"kernel-janitors@...r.kernel.org" <kernel-janitors@...r.kernel.org>,
	Thomas Gleixner <tglx@...utronix.de>,
	Ingo Molnar <mingo@...hat.com>,
	"H. Peter Anvin" <hpa@...or.com>,
	"x86@...nel.org" <x86@...nel.org>,
	Hidetoshi Seto <seto.hidetoshi@...fujitsu.com>,
	"linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org" <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>
Subject: Re: [PATCH 04/10] x86: mce: fix error handling

From: Andi Kleen <ak@...ux.intel.com>
Date: Thu, Jul 29, 2010 at 05:51:00AM -0400

> 
> > IMO memmory allocation fails are dangerous in kernel mode. As it is
> > probably not exploitable because of boot time, it can destroy some
> > sensitive data like dirty disk caches those are going to be written on
> > disk.
> 
> It's true for runtime, but not for normal boot time.
> 
> Anyways if it happens on boot time the only thing you can do is panic, 
> but someone else
> will likely panic anyways for you. Just ignoring it like your patch 
> effectively does
> (because nothing will ever look at the ENOMEMs for an initcall)

Not true, initcall_debug will at least dump the -ENOMEM or the other
-E's if enabled on the cmdline. So even only for that case does the
patch make sense.

It's a whole different question whether it actually is prudent to turn
on error reporting of failed initcalls unconditionally.

-- 
Regards/Gruss,
Boris.

Advanced Micro Devices GmbH
Einsteinring 24, 85609 Dornach
General Managers: Alberto Bozzo, Andrew Bowd
Registration: Dornach, Gemeinde Aschheim, Landkreis Muenchen
Registergericht Muenchen, HRB Nr. 43632
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