[<prev] [next>] [<thread-prev] [thread-next>] [day] [month] [year] [list]
Message-ID: <20161111184744.GQ11945@leverpostej>
Date: Fri, 11 Nov 2016 18:47:44 +0000
From: Mark Rutland <mark.rutland@....com>
To: kernel-hardening@...ts.openwall.com
Cc: Kees Cook <keescook@...omium.org>, Will Deacon <will.deacon@....com>,
Greg KH <gregkh@...uxfoundation.org>,
David Windsor <dave@...gbits.org>,
Elena Reshetova <elena.reshetova@...el.com>,
Arnd Bergmann <arnd@...db.de>, Thomas Gleixner <tglx@...utronix.de>,
Ingo Molnar <mingo@...hat.com>,
"H. Peter Anvin" <h.peter.anvin@...el.com>
Subject: Re: Re: [RFC v4 PATCH 00/13] HARDENED_ATOMIC
On Fri, Nov 11, 2016 at 06:46:30PM +0100, Peter Zijlstra wrote:
> On Fri, Nov 11, 2016 at 09:43:00AM -0800, Kees Cook wrote:
> > > 1) kref: Used for honest-to-goodness reference counters that want
> > > overflow protection. Uses a new type: atomic_nowrap_t that has
> > > HARDENED_ATOMIC protection.
> >
> > Based on other feedback, it sounds like we're better off with
> > refcount_t (which kref could be implemented on top of). And refcount_t
> > would have a limited API: inc, dec_and_test (or whatever is determined
> > as sanely minimal).
> >
> > > 2) statistical counters: Atomic in all cases, but wraps.
> >
> > Yup. sequence_t seems to make the most sense on naming, I think. If we
> > want to get crazy, the type could be sequence_wrap_t.
>
> Why? atomic_t is still perfectly fine here, right?
Having a name that clearly highlights the intended use-case makes it
much more obvious what the expected semantics are, and when it is being
abused. If atomic_t were rarely used directly, bad uses are less likely
to get cargo-culted into new code.
That said, a plethora of use-case specific aliases for the same
underlying implementation is also problematic.
Thanks,
Mark.
Powered by blists - more mailing lists
Confused about mailing lists and their use?
Read about mailing lists on Wikipedia
and check out these
guidelines on proper formatting of your messages.
