linux-kernel - [PATCH libcrypto v2 2/3] compiler: introduce at_least parameter decoration pseudo keyword

lists.openwall.net		lists / announce owl-users owl-dev john-users john-dev passwdqc-users yescrypt popa3d-users / oss-security kernel-hardening musl sabotage tlsify passwords / crypt-dev xvendor / Bugtraq Full-Disclosure linux-kernel linux-netdev linux-ext4 linux-hardening linux-cve-announce PHC
Open Source and information security mailing list archives

Hash Suite for Android: free password hash cracker in your pocket

[<prev] [next>] [<thread-prev] [thread-next>] [day] [month] [year] [list]

Message-ID: <20251120011022.1558674-2-Jason@zx2c4.com>
Date: Thu, 20 Nov 2025 02:10:21 +0100
From: "Jason A. Donenfeld" <Jason@...c4.com>
To: Linus Torvalds <torvalds@...ux-foundation.org>,
	Eric Biggers <ebiggers@...nel.org>,
	Ard Biesheuvel <ardb@...nel.org>,
	Kees Cook <kees@...nel.org>,
	linux-crypto@...r.kernel.org,
	linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org
Cc: "Jason A. Donenfeld" <Jason@...c4.com>
Subject: [PATCH libcrypto v2 2/3] compiler: introduce at_least parameter decoration pseudo keyword

Clang and recent gcc support warning if they are able to prove that the
user is passing to a function an array that is too short in size. For
example:

    void blah(unsigned char herp[at_least 7]);
    static void schma(void)
    {
        unsigned char good[] = { 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 };
        unsigned char bad[] = { 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 };
        blah(good);
        blah(bad);
    }

The notation here, `static 7`, which this commit makes explicit by
allowing us to write it as `at_least 7`, means that it's incorrect to
pass anything less than 7 elements. This is section 6.7.5.3 of C99:

    If the keyword static also appears within the [ and ] of the array
    type derivation, then for each call to the function, the value of
    the corresponding actual argument shall provide access to the first
    element of an array with at least as many elements as specified by
    the size expression.

Here is the output from gcc 15:

    zx2c4@...nkpad /tmp $ gcc -c a.c
    a.c: In function ‘schma’:
    a.c:9:9: warning: ‘blah’ accessing 7 bytes in a region of size 6 [-Wstringop-overflow=]
        9 |         blah(bad);
          |         ^~~~~~~~~
    a.c:9:9: note: referencing argument 1 of type ‘unsigned char[7]’
    a.c:2:6: note: in a call to function ‘blah’
        2 | void blah(unsigned char herp[at_least 7]);
          |      ^~~~

And from clang 21:

    zx2c4@...nkpad /tmp $ clang -c a.c
    a.c:9:2: warning: array argument is too small; contains 6 elements, callee requires at least 7
          [-Warray-bounds]
        9 |         blah(bad);
          |         ^    ~~~
    a.c:2:25: note: callee declares array parameter as static here
        2 | void blah(unsigned char herp[at_least 7]);
          |                         ^   ~~~~~~~~~~
    1 warning generated.

So these are covered by, variously, -Wstringop-overflow and
-Warray-bounds.

Signed-off-by: Jason A. Donenfeld <Jason@...c4.com>
---
 include/linux/compiler.h | 11 +++++++++++
 1 file changed, 11 insertions(+)

diff --git a/include/linux/compiler.h b/include/linux/compiler.h
index 5b45ea7dff3e..cbd3b466fdb9 100644
--- a/include/linux/compiler.h
+++ b/include/linux/compiler.h
@@ -379,6 +379,17 @@ static inline void *offset_to_ptr(const int *off)
  */
 #define prevent_tail_call_optimization()	mb()
 
+/*
+ * This designates the minimum number of elements a passed array parameter must
+ * have. For example:
+ *
+ *     void some_function(u8 param[at_least 7]);
+ * 
+ * If a caller passes an array with fewer than 7 elements, the compiler will
+ * emit a warning.
+ */
+#define at_least static
+
 #include <asm/rwonce.h>
 
 #endif /* __LINUX_COMPILER_H */
-- 
2.52.0