From: Yonghong Song <yonghong.song@linux.dev>
To: bpf@vger.kernel.org
Cc: Alexei Starovoitov <ast@kernel.org>,
Andrii Nakryiko <andrii@kernel.org>,
Daniel Borkmann <daniel@iogearbox.net>,
Eduard Zingerman <eddyz87@gmail.com>,
kernel-team@fb.com
Subject: [PATCH bpf-next v3 05/11] bpf: Report which member makes a kfunc return type unsupported
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 2026 23:11:40 -0700 [thread overview]
Message-ID: <20260827061140.2516974-1-yonghong.song@linux.dev> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <20260827061114.2514603-1-yonghong.song@linux.dev>
A kfunc that returns a struct by value may only return scalars, and the
message that rejects one names the type but not the member at fault:
kernel function bpf_kfunc_call_test_ret_ptr returns STRUCT
prog_test_ret_ptr that is not composed of scalars
For a large struct that leaves the reader to find the offending member
by inspection. Record the member that made the walk fail and name it, so
the verifier also dumps:
member 'p' has type PTR
What is recorded is a path rather than a single member, because the walk
descends up to 4 levels. For
struct outer { struct inner { void *p; } in; __u64 tag; };
naming 'p' alone would send the reader looking for a member struct outer
does not have, so the message reads "member 'in.p' has type PTR".
The detailed diagnostics for this failure:
Verification failed: Program Structure: Unsupported kernel function
return type
Reason:
bpf_kfunc_call_test_ret_ptr() returns STRUCT prog_test_ret_ptr by
value. Its member 'p' is PTR, not a scalar. Only kfuncs returning
scalar values, or structures composed of scalar values are
supported.
...
Suggestion:
Call a kernel function that returns only scalars by value.
A type nested deeper than the walk descends has no single member to
blame, so that case reports the depth instead:
Reason:
bpf_kfunc_call_test_ret_deep() returns STRUCT prog_test_ret_deep by
value. It nests structs more than 4 levels deep. ...
Signed-off-by: Yonghong Song <yonghong.song@linux.dev>
---
kernel/bpf/verifier.c | 86 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++-----
1 file changed, 76 insertions(+), 10 deletions(-)
diff --git a/kernel/bpf/verifier.c b/kernel/bpf/verifier.c
index 90139f1b78d1..967ad010b322 100644
--- a/kernel/bpf/verifier.c
+++ b/kernel/bpf/verifier.c
@@ -11646,6 +11646,15 @@ static bool is_kfunc_arg_implicit(const struct bpf_call_arg_meta *meta, u32 arg_
return argn <= arg_idx;
}
+#define BTF_MEMBER_MAX_DEPTH 4
+#define BTF_MEMBER_PATH_LEN 64
+
+struct btf_member_path {
+ const struct btf_member *member[BTF_MEMBER_MAX_DEPTH];
+ int depth;
+ bool too_deep;
+};
+
static bool btf_member_kind_allowed(const struct btf *btf, const struct btf_type *t,
u32 member_kinds)
{
@@ -11658,11 +11667,12 @@ static bool btf_member_kind_allowed(const struct btf *btf, const struct btf_type
/*
* Returns true if every member of struct @t is of a kind listed in
- * @member_kinds, 4 levels of nesting allowed. An array member counts as its
- * element type.
+ * @member_kinds, BTF_MEMBER_MAX_DEPTH levels of nesting allowed. An array
+ * member counts as its element type.
*/
static bool btf_struct_member_walk(struct bpf_verifier_env *env, const struct btf *btf,
- const struct btf_type *t, u32 member_kinds, int rec)
+ const struct btf_type *t, u32 member_kinds, int rec,
+ struct btf_member_path *path)
{
const struct btf_type *member_type;
const struct btf_member *member;
@@ -11676,31 +11686,42 @@ static bool btf_struct_member_walk(struct bpf_verifier_env *env, const struct bt
member_type = btf_type_skip_modifiers(btf, member->type, NULL);
if (btf_type_is_struct(member_type)) {
- if (rec >= 3) {
+ if (rec >= BTF_MEMBER_MAX_DEPTH - 1) {
verbose(env, "max struct nesting depth exceeded\n");
+ if (path)
+ path->too_deep = true;
return false;
}
- if (!btf_struct_member_walk(env, btf, member_type, member_kinds, rec + 1))
- return false;
+ if (!btf_struct_member_walk(env, btf, member_type, member_kinds,
+ rec + 1, path))
+ goto bad_path;
continue;
}
if (btf_type_is_array(member_type)) {
array = btf_array(member_type);
if (!array->nelems)
- return false;
+ goto bad_member;
member_type = btf_type_skip_modifiers(btf, array->type, NULL);
}
if (!btf_member_kind_allowed(btf, member_type, member_kinds))
- return false;
+ goto bad_member;
}
return true;
+
+bad_member:
+ if (path)
+ path->depth = rec + 1;
+bad_path:
+ if (path && path->depth)
+ path->member[rec] = member;
+ return false;
}
bool btf_struct_is_composed_of(struct bpf_verifier_env *env,
const struct btf *btf,
const struct btf_type *t, u32 member_kinds)
{
- return btf_struct_member_walk(env, btf, t, member_kinds, 0);
+ return btf_struct_member_walk(env, btf, t, member_kinds, 0, NULL);
}
static bool btf_type_is_scalar_struct(struct bpf_verifier_env *env,
@@ -11710,6 +11731,22 @@ static bool btf_type_is_scalar_struct(struct bpf_verifier_env *env,
return btf_struct_is_composed_of(env, btf, t, BTF_MEMBER_SCALAR);
}
+static void btf_member_path_str(const struct btf *btf, const struct btf_member_path *path,
+ char *buf, size_t buf_sz)
+{
+ size_t len = 0;
+ int i;
+
+ buf[0] = '\0';
+ for (i = 0; i < path->depth; i++) {
+ const char *name = btf_name_by_offset(btf, path->member[i]->name_off);
+
+ if (!name || !name[0])
+ continue;
+ len += scnprintf(buf + len, buf_sz - len, "%s%s", len ? "." : "", name);
+ }
+}
+
enum kfunc_ptr_arg_type {
KF_ARG_CONST_MEM_SIZE,
KF_ARG_MEM_SIZE,
@@ -14077,17 +14114,46 @@ static int check_kfunc_call(struct bpf_verifier_env *env, struct bpf_insn *insn,
meta.func_id == special_kfunc_list[KF_bpf_res_spin_lock_irqsave]))
__mark_reg_const_zero(env, ®s[BPF_REG_0]);
} else if (btf_type_is_struct(t)) {
+ struct btf_member_path path = {};
+ const char *member_note = "";
+
/*
* The returned struct comes back as raw register bits modeled
* as an unknown scalar, so it must contain only scalars:
* otherwise a pointer field would be laundered into a scalar
* and escape provenance and reference tracking.
*/
- if (!btf_type_is_scalar_struct(env, desc_btf, t)) {
+ if (!btf_struct_member_walk(env, desc_btf, t, BTF_MEMBER_SCALAR, 0, &path)) {
verbose(env,
"kernel function %s returns %s %s that is not composed of scalars\n",
func_name, btf_type_str(t),
btf_name_by_offset(desc_btf, t->name_off));
+ if (path.too_deep) {
+ member_note = bpf_diag_fmt(
+ env, " It nests structs more than %d levels deep.",
+ BTF_MEMBER_MAX_DEPTH);
+ } else if (path.depth) {
+ const struct btf_member *bad = path.member[path.depth - 1];
+ char bad_name[BTF_MEMBER_PATH_LEN];
+ const struct btf_type *bad_type;
+
+ btf_member_path_str(desc_btf, &path, bad_name, sizeof(bad_name));
+ bad_type = btf_type_skip_modifiers(desc_btf, bad->type, NULL);
+ verbose(env, "member '%s' has type %s\n", bad_name,
+ btf_type_str(bad_type));
+ member_note = bpf_diag_fmt(
+ env, " Its member '%s' is %s, not a scalar.", bad_name,
+ btf_type_str(bad_type));
+ }
+ bpf_diag_program_structure(
+ env, insn_idx, "unsupported kernel function return type",
+ "Call a kernel function that returns only scalars by value.",
+ "%s() returns %s %s by value.%s "
+ "Only kfuncs returning scalar values, or "
+ "structures composed of scalar values are "
+ "supported.",
+ func_name, btf_type_str(t),
+ btf_name_by_offset(desc_btf, t->name_off), member_note);
return -EINVAL;
}
ret_nregs = mark_kfunc_ret_regs(env, regs, t->size);
--
2.53.0-Meta
next prev parent reply other threads:[~2026-08-27 6:11 UTC|newest]
Thread overview: 26+ messages / expand[flat|nested] mbox.gz Atom feed top
2026-08-27 6:11 [PATCH bpf-next v3 00/11] bpf: Allow arena pointers in by-value returns Yonghong Song
2026-08-27 6:11 ` [PATCH bpf-next v3 01/11] bpf: Record each half of a paired return value in verifier diagnostics Yonghong Song
2026-08-27 6:11 ` [PATCH bpf-next v3 02/11] bpf: Drop the recursion depth argument of btf_type_is_scalar_struct() Yonghong Song
2026-08-27 7:04 ` bot+bpf-ci
2026-08-28 17:39 ` Yonghong Song
2026-08-27 6:11 ` [PATCH bpf-next v3 03/11] bpf: Add btf_type_is_arena_ptr() Yonghong Song
2026-08-27 6:11 ` [PATCH bpf-next v3 04/11] bpf: Let the by-value struct walk take the kinds of member it accepts Yonghong Song
2026-08-27 6:11 ` Yonghong Song [this message]
2026-08-27 7:04 ` [PATCH bpf-next v3 05/11] bpf: Report which member makes a kfunc return type unsupported bot+bpf-ci
2026-08-28 17:45 ` Yonghong Song
2026-08-27 6:11 ` [PATCH bpf-next v3 06/11] bpf: Allow a global function to return arena pointers by value Yonghong Song
2026-08-27 6:33 ` sashiko-bot
2026-08-28 18:00 ` Yonghong Song
2026-08-27 6:11 ` [PATCH bpf-next v3 07/11] bpf: Allow arena pointers in a by-value kfunc return Yonghong Song
2026-08-27 6:55 ` sashiko-bot
2026-08-28 18:10 ` Yonghong Song
2026-08-27 6:11 ` [PATCH bpf-next v3 08/11] selftests/bpf: Check the member named for an unsupported kfunc return type Yonghong Song
2026-08-27 7:04 ` bot+bpf-ci
2026-08-28 18:20 ` Yonghong Song
2026-08-27 6:12 ` [PATCH bpf-next v3 09/11] selftests/bpf: Test global functions returning arena pointers by value Yonghong Song
2026-08-27 7:04 ` bot+bpf-ci
2026-08-28 18:26 ` Yonghong Song
2026-08-27 6:12 ` [PATCH bpf-next v3 10/11] selftests/bpf: Test kfuncs " Yonghong Song
2026-08-27 7:17 ` bot+bpf-ci
2026-08-28 18:28 ` Yonghong Song
2026-08-27 6:12 ` [PATCH bpf-next v3 11/11] docs/bpf: Document arena pointers in a by-value return Yonghong Song
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