RE: [PATCH v2] riscv: fix incorrect use of __user pointer

From: David Laight
Date: Mon Nov 27 2023 - 05:35:42 EST


From: Clément Léger
> Sent: 27 November 2023 10:24
>
> On 25/11/2023 16:37, David Laight wrote:
> > ...
> >> @@ -491,7 +486,7 @@ int handle_misaligned_load(struct pt_regs *regs)
> >>
> >> val.data_u64 = 0;
> >> for (i = 0; i < len; i++) {
> >> - if (load_u8(regs, (void *)(addr + i), &val.data_bytes[i]))
> >> + if (load_u8(regs, addr + i, &val.data_bytes[i]))
> >> return -1;
> >> }
> >
> > I'd really have thought that you'd want to pull the kernel/user
> > check way outside the loop?
>
> Hi David,
>
> I hope the compiler is able to extract that 'if' out of the loop since
> regs isn't modified in the loop. Nevertheless, that could be more
> "clear" if put outside indeed.

If has access regs->xxx then the compiler can't do so because it
will must assume that the assignment might alias into 'regs'.
That is even true for byte writes if 'strict-aliasing' is enabled
- which it isn't for linux kernel builds.

It might do so if 'regs' were 'const'; it tends to assume that if
it can't change something nothing can - although that isn't true.

David

-
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