linux-kernel - Re: [char-misc] mei: trace: treat reg parameter as string

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Message-ID: <2026010603-wing-widget-232e@gregkh>
Date: Tue, 6 Jan 2026 15:46:48 +0100
From: Greg Kroah-Hartman <gregkh@...uxfoundation.org>
To: "Usyskin, Alexander" <alexander.usyskin@...el.com>
Cc: "Abliyev, Reuven" <reuven.abliyev@...el.com>,
	"linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org" <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>
Subject: Re: [char-misc] mei: trace: treat reg parameter as string

On Tue, Jan 06, 2026 at 10:59:26AM +0000, Usyskin, Alexander wrote:
> > Subject: Re: [char-misc] mei: trace: treat reg parameter as string
> > 
> > On Sun, Jan 04, 2026 at 10:20:44AM +0200, Alexander Usyskin wrote:
> > > Process the reg string parameter in secure way.
> > >
> > 
> > I'm sorry, but I don't understand this changelog text.  What exactly is
> > this doing?  Why is a string "better" than a char *?
> > 
> > thanks,
> > 
> > greg k-h
> 
> Sorry, I'm bad in changelogs, trying to improve...

It is usually the hardest part of making a code change.

> The string wrapper checks sanity of parameters and prevents internal kernel data leaks.
> Newer kernels refuse to emit event with plain char*, without the wrapper.
> See https://elixir.bootlin.com/linux/v6.19-rc3/source/kernel/trace/trace.c#L3785

Great, please take this information and rewrite this to explain the need
here and what this change is doing.

thanks,

greg k-h