linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH 5/5] debugfs: Add debugfs_create_const

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Message-ID: <2023051651-pebble-simmering-58b8@gregkh>
Date:   Tue, 16 May 2023 18:37:02 +0200
From:   Greg KH <gregkh@...uxfoundation.org>
To:     Richard Fitzgerald <rf@...nsource.cirrus.com>
Cc:     rafael@...nel.org, linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org,
        patches@...nsource.cirrus.com
Subject: Re: [PATCH 5/5] debugfs: Add debugfs_create_const_str()

On Tue, May 16, 2023 at 05:07:53PM +0100, Richard Fitzgerald wrote:
> Add a wrapper for debugfs_create_str() that takes a const char **.
> 
> It's never nice to have to cast a const pointer to a non-const to be
> able to pass it to an API. It always looks suspicious and it is relying
> on "knowing" that it's safe. A function that explicitly takes a const
> pointer is creating a contract that a const pointer is safe.
> 
> Signed-off-by: Richard Fitzgerald <rf@...nsource.cirrus.com>
> ---
>  include/linux/debugfs.h | 27 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>  1 file changed, 27 insertions(+)
> 
> diff --git a/include/linux/debugfs.h b/include/linux/debugfs.h
> index ea2d919fd9c7..2723690aedd1 100644
> --- a/include/linux/debugfs.h
> +++ b/include/linux/debugfs.h
> @@ -401,4 +401,31 @@ static inline void debugfs_create_xul(const char *name, umode_t mode,
>  		debugfs_create_x64(name, mode, parent, (u64 *)value);
>  }
>  
> +/**
> + * debugfs_create_const_str - create a debugfs file that is used to read a string value
> + * @name: a pointer to a string containing the name of the file to create.
> + * @mode: the permission that the file should have
> + * @parent: a pointer to the parent dentry for this file.  This should be a
> + *          directory dentry if set.  If this parameter is %NULL, then the
> + *          file will be created in the root of the debugfs filesystem.
> + * @value: a pointer to the variable that the file should read from.
> + *         The const char* pointer must not change, except from NULL to
> + *         non-NULL.
> + *
> + * This function creates a file in debugfs with the given name that
> + * contains the value of the variable @value.
> + *
> + * The const char* pointed to by @value must not change after calling this
> + * function EXCEPT that it may change from NULL to non-NULL. This is to
> + * prevent the file read from accessing a stale pointer. A change from
> + * NULL to non-NULL is the only safe change, because the read will
> + * instantaneously see either NULL or the valid pointer.
> + */
> +static inline void debugfs_create_const_str(const char *name, umode_t mode,
> +					    struct dentry *parent,
> +					    const char **value)
> +{
> +	debugfs_create_str(name, mode & ~0222, parent, (char **)value);

You just "know" it's safe to do this?  There is nothing in
debugfs_create_str() that would prevent future changes from violating
the "const" here, which makes this very unsafe to maintain over time.

This feels backwards, why not make debugfs_create_str() take the const
pointer instead?

thanks,

greg k-h