Re: [PATCH] ia32: strncpy does not null terminate string

From: H. Peter Anvin
Date: Tue Jul 21 2009 - 14:28:37 EST


Roel Kluin wrote:
>
> diff --git a/arch/x86/ia32/sys_ia32.c b/arch/x86/ia32/sys_ia32.c
> index 085a8c3..b114f57 100644
> --- a/arch/x86/ia32/sys_ia32.c
> +++ b/arch/x86/ia32/sys_ia32.c
> @@ -687,7 +687,7 @@ long sys32_vm86_warning(void)
> compat_printk(KERN_INFO
> "%s: vm86 mode not supported on 64 bit kernel\n",
> me->comm);
> - strncpy(lastcomm, me->comm, sizeof(lastcomm));
> + strncpy(lastcomm, me->comm, sizeof(lastcomm) - 1);
> }
> return -ENOSYS;
> }

I don't see any problem with the code as written. It is of course
correct that strncpy() doesn't null-terminate (it null-pads, which is
somewhat inefficient, but has info leak advantages), *however*, the only
user (it's a local static variable) uses strncpy(), so that's fine.

It probably could be done cleaner, but there is no actual bug, so I
personally don't see any reason to change it just in the interest of
avoiding churn.

-hpa

--
H. Peter Anvin, Intel Open Source Technology Center
I work for Intel. I don't speak on their behalf.

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