[PATCH] err_ptr.h: introduce ERR_PTR_SAFE()

Code using ERR_PTR() is almost certainly intending to produce a value
which qualified as IS_ERR_OR_NULL(), but this is not the case when
code calls ERR_PTR(err) with positive or large negative err.

Introduce a fortified variant of ERR_PTR() whose return value is
guaranteed to qualify as IS_ERR_OR_NULL().

We add this in a new header file err_ptr.h which includes bug.h
for the build/run time assertions.

Subsystems may opt-in for fortified ERR_PTR() for specific call sites
or by #define ERR_PTR(err) ERR_PTR_SAFE(err).

Link: https://lore.kernel.org/r/CAOQ4uxg=gONUh5QEW5KJcyXLDF15HbLnc9Ea7RKPcgtyfPasTA@mail.gmail.com/
Signed-off-by: Amir Goldstein <[email protected]>
---

Guys,

Please follow the Link to see the sneaky bug that Nirmoy tracked down.
syzbot has complained about this a while ago, but neither me nor my AI
helpers were able to track it down from code analysis.

Honestly, with AI review, this class of bugs (return a stale err value)
should not be happening anymore, but it annoyed me that ERR_PTR() can
return a value which is not an IS_ERR(). It messes with code flow
analysis.

What do you think about this macro?

I intend to #define ERR_PTR(err) ERR_PTR_SAFE(err) in overlayfs.h
to fortify all of the ERR_PTR() in overlayfs code.

What do you think about this opt-in method?
Any reason to make this more widespread by default?

Thanks,
Amir.


 include/linux/err_ptr.h | 29 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 1 file changed, 29 insertions(+)
 create mode 100644 include/linux/err_ptr.h

diff --git a/include/linux/err_ptr.h b/include/linux/err_ptr.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..829ec5f771528
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/linux/err_ptr.h
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+/* SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0 */
+#ifndef _LINUX_ERR_PTR_H
+#define _LINUX_ERR_PTR_H
+
+#include <linux/err.h>
+#include <linux/bug.h>
+
+/**
+ * ERR_PTR_SAFE - Create an error pointer, with validation.
+ * @error: An error code to encode as an error pointer.
+ *
+ * Like ERR_PTR(), but validates @error:
+ * - For constant @error: fails the build if the value is not a valid errno
+ *   (zero is allowed, producing NULL).
+ * - For variable @error: warns and clamps to -MAX_ERRNO if out of range.
+ *
+ * Subsystems may opt in for all ERR_PTR() call sites by adding after includes:
+ *   #undef ERR_PTR
+ *   #define ERR_PTR(err) ERR_PTR_SAFE(err)
+ */
+#define ERR_PTR_SAFE(error) ({						\
+	long __e = (error);						\
+	if (__builtin_constant_p(__e))					\
+		BUILD_BUG_ON(__e && !IS_ERR_VALUE(__e));		\
+	__builtin_constant_p(__e) ? (void *)__e :			\
+		(void *)(WARN_ON(__e && !IS_ERR_VALUE(__e)) ? -MAX_ERRNO : __e);\
+})
+
+#endif /* _LINUX_ERR_PTR_H */
-- 
2.54.0