linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH v5 2/2] mm, treewide: Rename kzfree() to kfree

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Date:   Tue, 16 Jun 2020 11:09:44 -0700
From:   Andrew Morton <akpm@...ux-foundation.org>
To:     Waiman Long <longman@...hat.com>
Cc:     David Howells <dhowells@...hat.com>,
        Jarkko Sakkinen <jarkko.sakkinen@...ux.intel.com>,
        James Morris <jmorris@...ei.org>,
        "Serge E. Hallyn" <serge@...lyn.com>,
        Linus Torvalds <torvalds@...ux-foundation.org>,
        Joe Perches <joe@...ches.com>,
        Matthew Wilcox <willy@...radead.org>,
        David Rientjes <rientjes@...gle.com>,
        Michal Hocko <mhocko@...e.com>,
        Johannes Weiner <hannes@...xchg.org>,
        Dan Carpenter <dan.carpenter@...cle.com>,
        "Jason A . Donenfeld" <Jason@...c4.com>, linux-mm@...ck.org,
        keyrings@...r.kernel.org, linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org,
        linux-crypto@...r.kernel.org, linux-pm@...r.kernel.org,
        linux-stm32@...md-mailman.stormreply.com,
        linux-amlogic@...ts.infradead.org,
        linux-mediatek@...ts.infradead.org, linuxppc-dev@...ts.ozlabs.org,
        virtualization@...ts.linux-foundation.org, netdev@...r.kernel.org,
        linux-ppp@...r.kernel.org, wireguard@...ts.zx2c4.com,
        linux-wireless@...r.kernel.org, devel@...verdev.osuosl.org,
        linux-scsi@...r.kernel.org, target-devel@...r.kernel.org,
        linux-cifs@...r.kernel.org, linux-fscrypt@...r.kernel.org,
        ecryptfs@...r.kernel.org, kasan-dev@...glegroups.com,
        linux-bluetooth@...r.kernel.org, linux-wpan@...r.kernel.org,
        linux-sctp@...r.kernel.org, linux-nfs@...r.kernel.org,
        tipc-discussion@...ts.sourceforge.net,
        linux-security-module@...r.kernel.org,
        linux-integrity@...r.kernel.org
Subject: Re: [PATCH v5 2/2] mm, treewide: Rename kzfree() to
 kfree_sensitive()

On Tue, 16 Jun 2020 11:43:11 -0400 Waiman Long <longman@...hat.com> wrote:

> As said by Linus:
> 
>   A symmetric naming is only helpful if it implies symmetries in use.
>   Otherwise it's actively misleading.
> 
>   In "kzalloc()", the z is meaningful and an important part of what the
>   caller wants.
> 
>   In "kzfree()", the z is actively detrimental, because maybe in the
>   future we really _might_ want to use that "memfill(0xdeadbeef)" or
>   something. The "zero" part of the interface isn't even _relevant_.
> 
> The main reason that kzfree() exists is to clear sensitive information
> that should not be leaked to other future users of the same memory
> objects.
> 
> Rename kzfree() to kfree_sensitive() to follow the example of the
> recently added kvfree_sensitive() and make the intention of the API
> more explicit. In addition, memzero_explicit() is used to clear the
> memory to make sure that it won't get optimized away by the compiler.
> 
> The renaming is done by using the command sequence:
> 
>   git grep -w --name-only kzfree |\
>   xargs sed -i 's/\bkzfree\b/kfree_sensitive/'
> 
> followed by some editing of the kfree_sensitive() kerneldoc and adding
> a kzfree backward compatibility macro in slab.h.
> 
> ...
>
> --- a/include/linux/slab.h
> +++ b/include/linux/slab.h
> @@ -186,10 +186,12 @@ void memcg_deactivate_kmem_caches(struct mem_cgroup *, struct mem_cgroup *);
>   */
>  void * __must_check krealloc(const void *, size_t, gfp_t);
>  void kfree(const void *);
> -void kzfree(const void *);
> +void kfree_sensitive(const void *);
>  size_t __ksize(const void *);
>  size_t ksize(const void *);
>  
> +#define kzfree(x)	kfree_sensitive(x)	/* For backward compatibility */
> +

What was the thinking here?  Is this really necessary?

I suppose we could keep this around for a while to ease migration.  But
not for too long, please.