From: Bill Wendling <morbo@google.com>
To: Kees Cook <kees@kernel.org>, ardb@kernel.org
Cc: gustavoars@kernel.org, nathan@kernel.org,
ndesaulniers@google.com, justinstitt@google.com,
broonie@kernel.org, elver@google.com, alan.maguire@oracle.com,
namjain@linux.microsoft.com, peterz@infradead.org,
linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org, linux-hardening@vger.kernel.org,
llvm@lists.linux.dev, Bill Wendling <morbo@google.com>
Subject: [PATCH] compiler_types: Allow opting out of __counted_by and __counted_by_ptr
Date: Mon, 5 Oct 2026 10:25:18 +0000 [thread overview]
Message-ID: <20261005102518.2400984-1-morbo@google.com> (raw)
Code that runs outside the kernel proper, such as the EFI stub, gets
nothing out of the counted_by annotations: the bounds checks they feed
(FORTIFY_SOURCE, UBSAN_BOUNDS) are already disabled there.
The annotations can also break the build. A __counted_by_ptr() that
names a member declared after the pointer needs Clang's
'-fexperimental-late-parse-attributes', which the top-level Makefile
adds to 'KBUILD_CFLAGS'. The x86 EFI stub builds its own cflags and does
not get that flag, so it fails as soon as such a struct is pulled in
through a common header.
Overriding the macros from a Makefile doesn't work:
'compiler_types.h' is pulled in with '-include', which is processed
after all -D/-U options, so it re-establishes the definitions. Follow
the '__NO_FORTIFY' precedent instead: let a build define
'__NO_COUNTED_BY' or '__NO_COUNTED_BY_PTR' to turn the corresponding
annotation into a no-op. The two are kept separate but parallel so they
can be folded together once all supported compilers handle
'__counted_by' on pointers.
Assisted-by: LLM
Signed-off-by: Bill Wendling <morbo@google.com>
---
include/linux/compiler_types.h | 15 +++++++++++++--
1 file changed, 13 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)
diff --git a/include/linux/compiler_types.h b/include/linux/compiler_types.h
index c5921f139007..916a946f623c 100644
--- a/include/linux/compiler_types.h
+++ b/include/linux/compiler_types.h
@@ -371,8 +371,14 @@ struct ftrace_likely_data {
*
* __bdos on clang < 19.1.3 can be off by 4:
* https://github.com/llvm/llvm-project/pull/112636
+ *
+ * Code that runs outside the kernel proper (e.g. the EFI stub) can define
+ * __NO_COUNTED_BY to drop the annotation, since it gains nothing from the
+ * bounds checks. Kept in step with __NO_COUNTED_BY_PTR below so the two can
+ * be folded together once __counted_by covers pointers on all supported
+ * compilers.
*/
-#ifdef CONFIG_CC_HAS_COUNTED_BY
+#if defined(CONFIG_CC_HAS_COUNTED_BY) && !defined(__NO_COUNTED_BY)
# define __counted_by(member) __attribute__((__counted_by__(member)))
#else
# define __counted_by(member)
@@ -387,8 +393,13 @@ struct ftrace_likely_data {
*
* gcc: https://gcc.gnu.org/pipermail/gcc-patches/2025-April/681727.html
* clang: https://clang.llvm.org/docs/AttributeReference.html#counted-by-counted-by-or-null-sized-by-sized-by-or-null
+ *
+ * Code that runs outside the kernel proper (e.g. the EFI stub) can define
+ * __NO_COUNTED_BY_PTR to drop the annotation, as with __NO_COUNTED_BY. Such
+ * code may also lack the flag Clang needs to parse a reference to a
+ * later-declared member (-fexperimental-late-parse-attributes).
*/
-#ifdef CONFIG_CC_HAS_COUNTED_BY_PTR
+#if defined(CONFIG_CC_HAS_COUNTED_BY_PTR) && !defined(__NO_COUNTED_BY_PTR)
#define __counted_by_ptr(member) __attribute__((__counted_by__(member)))
#else
#define __counted_by_ptr(member)
--
2.56.0.rc1.315.gc6ed9934b7-goog
next reply other threads:[~2026-10-05 10:25 UTC|newest]
Thread overview: 12+ messages / expand[flat|nested] mbox.gz Atom feed top
2026-10-05 10:25 Bill Wendling [this message]
2026-10-05 10:44 ` Justin Stitt
2026-10-05 10:53 ` Ard Biesheuvel
2026-10-05 15:52 ` Bill Wendling
2026-10-05 19:19 ` Bill Wendling
2026-10-05 19:20 ` [PATCH v3] " Bill Wendling
2026-10-05 21:25 ` Ard Biesheuvel
2026-10-06 7:30 ` Justin Stitt
2026-10-06 8:07 ` Ard Biesheuvel
2026-10-06 9:23 ` Bill Wendling
2026-10-06 9:43 ` [PATCH v4] " Bill Wendling
2026-10-06 10:08 ` Ard Biesheuvel
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