[PATCH bpf-next v3 16/18] bpf: Tag nullable kfunc pointer args with PTR_MAYBE_NULL

Amery Hung <[email protected]> Sat, 1 Aug 2026 00:46:31 -0700
Newsgroups org.kernel.vger.bpf
Message-ID <[email protected]>
Now that get_kfunc_ptr_arg_type() classifies a kfunc pointer argument
from its BTF alone, express a nullable argument by OR-ing PTR_MAYBE_NULL
into the classified type, and resolve a NULL register after
classification instead of before it.

Previously check_kfunc_args() short-circuited a nullable argument passed
a NULL register with a continue placed before get_kfunc_ptr_arg_type(),
so the NULL never reached classification. That kept a register-state
decision (bpf_register_is_null()) ahead of the BTF-based classification.

This mirrors how helper arguments carry PTR_MAYBE_NULL in their
bpf_arg_type and is a step toward describing kfuncs with a bpf_func_proto:
the nullability now travels with the per-argument classification, so it is
captured when the prototype is generated at add-call time.

Acked-by: Eduard Zingerman <[email protected]>
Signed-off-by: Amery Hung <[email protected]>
---
 kernel/bpf/verifier.c | 147 +++++++++++++++++++-----------------------
 1 file changed, 67 insertions(+), 80 deletions(-)

diff --git a/kernel/bpf/verifier.c b/kernel/bpf/verifier.c
index ac117edc118c..4e3759f7ba68 100644
--- a/kernel/bpf/verifier.c
+++ b/kernel/bpf/verifier.c
@@ -11353,98 +11353,85 @@ get_kfunc_ptr_arg_type(struct bpf_verifier_env *env, struct bpf_call_arg_meta *m
 		       const char *ref_tname, const struct btf_param *args,
 		       int arg, int nargs, argno_t argno)
 {
-	if (meta->func_id == special_kfunc_list[KF_bpf_cast_to_kern_ctx] ||
-	    meta->func_id == special_kfunc_list[KF_bpf_session_is_return] ||
-	    meta->func_id == special_kfunc_list[KF_bpf_session_cookie])
-		return KF_ARG_PTR_TO_CTX;
+	int arg_type;
 
 	/* In this function, we verify the kfunc's BTF as per the argument type,
 	 * leaving the rest of the verification with respect to the register
 	 * type to our caller. When a set of conditions hold in the BTF type of
 	 * arguments, we resolve it to a known kfunc_ptr_arg_type.
 	 */
-	if (btf_is_prog_ctx_type(&env->log, meta->btf, t, resolve_prog_type(env->prog), arg))
-		return KF_ARG_PTR_TO_CTX;
-
-	if (is_kfunc_arg_alloc_obj(meta->btf, &args[arg]))
-		return KF_ARG_PTR_TO_ALLOC_BTF_ID;
-
-	if (is_kfunc_arg_refcounted_kptr(meta->btf, &args[arg]))
-		return KF_ARG_PTR_TO_REFCOUNTED_KPTR;
-
-	if (is_kfunc_arg_dynptr(meta->btf, &args[arg]))
-		return KF_ARG_PTR_TO_DYNPTR;
-
-	if (is_kfunc_arg_iter(meta, arg, &args[arg]))
-		return KF_ARG_PTR_TO_ITER;
-
-	if (is_kfunc_arg_list_head(meta->btf, &args[arg]))
-		return KF_ARG_PTR_TO_LIST_HEAD;
-
-	if (is_kfunc_arg_list_node(meta->btf, &args[arg]))
-		return KF_ARG_PTR_TO_LIST_NODE;
-
-	if (is_kfunc_arg_rbtree_root(meta->btf, &args[arg]))
-		return KF_ARG_PTR_TO_RB_ROOT;
-
-	if (is_kfunc_arg_rbtree_node(meta->btf, &args[arg]))
-		return KF_ARG_PTR_TO_RB_NODE;
-
-	if (is_kfunc_arg_const_str(meta->btf, &args[arg]))
-		return KF_ARG_PTR_TO_CONST_STR;
-
-	if (is_kfunc_arg_const_map(meta->btf, &args[arg]))
-		return KF_ARG_CONST_MAP_PTR;
-
-	if (is_kfunc_arg_map(meta->btf, &args[arg]))
-		return KF_ARG_PTR_TO_BTF_ID;
-
-	if (is_kfunc_arg_wq(meta->btf, &args[arg]))
-		return KF_ARG_PTR_TO_WORKQUEUE;
-
-	if (is_kfunc_arg_timer(meta->btf, &args[arg]))
-		return KF_ARG_PTR_TO_TIMER;
-
-	if (is_kfunc_arg_task_work(meta->btf, &args[arg]))
-		return KF_ARG_PTR_TO_TASK_WORK;
-
-	if (is_kfunc_arg_irq_flag(meta->btf, &args[arg]))
-		return KF_ARG_PTR_TO_IRQ_FLAG;
-
-	if (is_kfunc_arg_res_spin_lock(meta->btf, &args[arg]))
-		return KF_ARG_PTR_TO_RES_SPIN_LOCK;
-
-	if (is_kfunc_arg_callback(env, meta->btf, &args[arg]))
-		return KF_ARG_PTR_TO_CALLBACK;
-
-	if (arg + 1 < nargs &&
-	    (is_kfunc_arg_mem_size(meta->btf, &args[arg + 1]) ||
-	     is_kfunc_arg_const_mem_size(meta->btf, &args[arg + 1]))) {
+	if (meta->func_id == special_kfunc_list[KF_bpf_cast_to_kern_ctx] ||
+	    meta->func_id == special_kfunc_list[KF_bpf_session_is_return] ||
+	    meta->func_id == special_kfunc_list[KF_bpf_session_cookie])
+		arg_type = KF_ARG_PTR_TO_CTX;
+	else if (btf_is_prog_ctx_type(&env->log, meta->btf, t, resolve_prog_type(env->prog), arg))
+		arg_type = KF_ARG_PTR_TO_CTX;
+	else if (is_kfunc_arg_alloc_obj(meta->btf, &args[arg]))
+		arg_type = KF_ARG_PTR_TO_ALLOC_BTF_ID;
+	else if (is_kfunc_arg_refcounted_kptr(meta->btf, &args[arg]))
+		arg_type = KF_ARG_PTR_TO_REFCOUNTED_KPTR;
+	else if (is_kfunc_arg_dynptr(meta->btf, &args[arg]))
+		arg_type = KF_ARG_PTR_TO_DYNPTR;
+	else if (is_kfunc_arg_iter(meta, arg, &args[arg]))
+		arg_type = KF_ARG_PTR_TO_ITER;
+	else if (is_kfunc_arg_list_head(meta->btf, &args[arg]))
+		arg_type = KF_ARG_PTR_TO_LIST_HEAD;
+	else if (is_kfunc_arg_list_node(meta->btf, &args[arg]))
+		arg_type = KF_ARG_PTR_TO_LIST_NODE;
+	else if (is_kfunc_arg_rbtree_root(meta->btf, &args[arg]))
+		arg_type = KF_ARG_PTR_TO_RB_ROOT;
+	else if (is_kfunc_arg_rbtree_node(meta->btf, &args[arg]))
+		arg_type = KF_ARG_PTR_TO_RB_NODE;
+	else if (is_kfunc_arg_const_str(meta->btf, &args[arg]))
+		arg_type = KF_ARG_PTR_TO_CONST_STR;
+	else if (is_kfunc_arg_const_map(meta->btf, &args[arg]))
+		arg_type = KF_ARG_CONST_MAP_PTR;
+	else if (is_kfunc_arg_map(meta->btf, &args[arg]))
+		arg_type = KF_ARG_PTR_TO_BTF_ID;
+	else if (is_kfunc_arg_wq(meta->btf, &args[arg]))
+		arg_type = KF_ARG_PTR_TO_WORKQUEUE;
+	else if (is_kfunc_arg_timer(meta->btf, &args[arg]))
+		arg_type = KF_ARG_PTR_TO_TIMER;
+	else if (is_kfunc_arg_task_work(meta->btf, &args[arg]))
+		arg_type = KF_ARG_PTR_TO_TASK_WORK;
+	else if (is_kfunc_arg_irq_flag(meta->btf, &args[arg]))
+		arg_type = KF_ARG_PTR_TO_IRQ_FLAG;
+	else if (is_kfunc_arg_res_spin_lock(meta->btf, &args[arg]))
+		arg_type = KF_ARG_PTR_TO_RES_SPIN_LOCK;
+	else if (is_kfunc_arg_callback(env, meta->btf, &args[arg]))
+		arg_type = KF_ARG_PTR_TO_CALLBACK;
+	else if (arg + 1 < nargs &&
+		 (is_kfunc_arg_mem_size(meta->btf, &args[arg + 1]) ||
+		  is_kfunc_arg_const_mem_size(meta->btf, &args[arg + 1]))) {
 		if (!btf_type_is_void(ref_t) && !btf_type_is_scalar(ref_t) &&
 		    !__btf_type_is_scalar_struct(env, meta->btf, ref_t, 0)) {
 			verbose(env, "%s pointer type %s %s must point to void, scalar, or struct with scalar\n",
 				reg_arg_name(env, argno), btf_type_str(ref_t), ref_tname);
 			return -EINVAL;
 		}
-		return KF_ARG_PTR_TO_MEM;
+		arg_type = KF_ARG_PTR_TO_MEM;
+	} else if (btf_type_is_struct(ref_t))
+		/* A pointer to a struct without a size argument is classified as KF_ARG_PTR_TO_BTF_ID */
+		arg_type = KF_ARG_PTR_TO_BTF_ID;
+	else {
+		/*
+		 * Otherwise this is a fixed-size memory buffer supported by
+		 * check_helper_mem_access(): a pointer to a scalar or a struct of
+		 * scalars. The access size is derived from the pointed-to BTF type.
+		 */
+		if (!btf_type_is_scalar(ref_t) &&
+		    !__btf_type_is_scalar_struct(env, meta->btf, ref_t, 0)) {
+			verbose(env, "%s pointer type %s %s must point to scalar, or struct with scalar\n",
+				reg_arg_name(env, argno), btf_type_str(ref_t), ref_tname);
+			return -EINVAL;
+		}
+		arg_type = KF_ARG_PTR_TO_MEM | MEM_FIXED_SIZE;
 	}
 
-	/* A pointer to a struct without a size argument is classified as KF_ARG_PTR_TO_BTF_ID */
-	if (btf_type_is_struct(ref_t))
-		return KF_ARG_PTR_TO_BTF_ID;
+	if (is_kfunc_arg_nullable(meta->btf, &args[arg]))
+		arg_type |= PTR_MAYBE_NULL;
 
-	/*
-	 * Otherwise this is a fixed-size memory buffer supported by
-	 * check_helper_mem_access(): a pointer to a scalar or a struct of
-	 * scalars. The access size is derived from the pointed-to BTF type.
-	 */
-	if (!btf_type_is_scalar(ref_t) &&
-	    !__btf_type_is_scalar_struct(env, meta->btf, ref_t, 0)) {
-		verbose(env, "%s pointer type %s %s must point to scalar, or struct with scalar\n",
-			reg_arg_name(env, argno), btf_type_str(ref_t), ref_tname);
-		return -EINVAL;
-	}
-	return KF_ARG_PTR_TO_MEM | MEM_FIXED_SIZE;
+	return arg_type;
 }
 
 static int process_kf_arg_ptr_to_btf_id(struct bpf_verifier_env *env,
@@ -12132,14 +12119,14 @@ static int check_kfunc_args(struct bpf_verifier_env *env, struct bpf_call_arg_me
 		ref_t = btf_type_skip_modifiers(btf, t->type, &ref_id);
 		ref_tname = btf_name_by_offset(btf, ref_t->name_off);
 
-		if (is_kfunc_arg_nullable(meta->btf, &args[i]) && bpf_register_is_null(reg))
-			continue;
-
 		kf_arg_type = get_kfunc_ptr_arg_type(env, meta, t, ref_t, ref_tname,
 						     args, i, nargs, argno);
 		if (kf_arg_type < 0)
 			return kf_arg_type;
 
+		if (bpf_register_is_null(reg) && type_may_be_null(kf_arg_type))
+			continue;
+
 		if (is_kfunc_arg_map(btf, &args[i])) {
 			ref_id = *reg2btf_ids[CONST_PTR_TO_MAP];
 			ref_t = btf_type_by_id(btf_vmlinux, ref_id);
-- 
2.52.0