linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH v3] mm: Add kvfree_sensitive() for freeing sensitive data objects

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Date:   Tue, 5 May 2020 13:35:21 -0700
From:   Andrew Morton <akpm@...ux-foundation.org>
To:     David Howells <dhowells@...hat.com>
Cc:     Waiman Long <longman@...hat.com>,
        Jarkko Sakkinen <jarkko.sakkinen@...ux.intel.com>,
        James Morris <jmorris@...ei.org>,
        "Serge E. Hallyn" <serge@...lyn.com>, linux-mm@...ck.org,
        keyrings@...r.kernel.org, linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org,
        Linus Torvalds <torvalds@...ux-foundation.org>,
        Joe Perches <joe@...ches.com>,
        Matthew Wilcox <willy@...radead.org>,
        David Rientjes <rientjes@...gle.com>
Subject: Re: [PATCH v3] mm: Add kvfree_sensitive() for freeing sensitive
 data objects

On Tue, 07 Apr 2020 21:21:57 +0100 David Howells <dhowells@...hat.com> wrote:

> David Howells <dhowells@...hat.com> wrote:
> 
> > >  			if (unlikely(key_data))
> > > -				__kvzfree(key_data, key_data_len);
> > > +				kvfree_sensitive(key_data, key_data_len);
> > 
> > I think the if-statement is redundant.
> 
> Ah - I see that you explicitly wanted to keep it.

Why's that?

> There's a good chance it'll get janitored at some point.

Indeed.  Perhaps add a few little comments to explain the reasoning and
to keep the janitorial fingers away?