[PATCH v2] selinux: replace strlcat() with seq_buf in selinux_ima_collect_state()

[PATCH v2] selinux: replace strlcat() with seq_buf in selinux_ima_collect_state()

[Ian Bridges]

In preparation for removing the deprecated strlcat() API[1], replace the
strscpy()/strlcat() chain in selinux_ima_collect_state() with a struct
seq_buf, which tracks the write position and remaining space internally.

Each field is written with seq_buf_printf() using a "=%d;" format, which
removes the open-coded "=1;"/"=0;" constants. The seven per-append
WARN_ON(rc >= buf_len) truncation checks are replaced by a single
seq_buf_has_overflowed() check after the string is built.

Link: https://github.com/KSPP/linux/issues/370 [1]
Signed-off-by: Ian Bridges <icb@fastmail.org>
---
Changed in v2: replace the v1 seq_buf_puts() pairs with seq_buf_printf()
using a "=%d;" format, which drops the open-coded "=1;"/"=0;" constants.

v1: https://lore.kernel.org/all/ajlN94VO7BYNUTAy@dev/

I didn't change the precomputation of the string size. An alternative,
which is used by other seq_buf callers (e.g. kernel/rcu/refscale.c,
mm/memcontrol.c), is to drop the precomputation and allocate an oversized
fixed buffer, relying on the seq_buf overflow check as a backstop. I'm
happy to rework the patch to adopt that alternative.

 security/selinux/ima.c | 40 +++++++++++++---------------------------
 1 file changed, 13 insertions(+), 27 deletions(-)

diff --git a/security/selinux/ima.c b/security/selinux/ima.c
index aa34da9b0aeb..cb0efa2fc1ad 100644
--- a/security/selinux/ima.c
+++ b/security/selinux/ima.c
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
  */
 #include <linux/vmalloc.h>
 #include <linux/ima.h>
+#include <linux/seq_buf.h>
 #include "security.h"
 #include "ima.h"
 
@@ -20,46 +21,31 @@
  */
 static char *selinux_ima_collect_state(void)
 {
-	const char *on = "=1;", *off = "=0;";
+	struct seq_buf s;
 	char *buf;
-	int buf_len, len, i, rc;
+	int buf_len, suffix_len, i;
 
 	buf_len = strlen("initialized=0;enforcing=0;checkreqprot=0;") + 1;
+	suffix_len = strlen("=0;");
 
-	len = strlen(on);
 	for (i = 0; i < __POLICYDB_CAP_MAX; i++)
-		buf_len += strlen(selinux_policycap_names[i]) + len;
+		buf_len += strlen(selinux_policycap_names[i]) + suffix_len;
 
 	buf = kzalloc(buf_len, GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (!buf)
 		return NULL;
 
-	rc = strscpy(buf, "initialized", buf_len);
-	WARN_ON(rc < 0);
+	seq_buf_init(&s, buf, buf_len);
 
-	rc = strlcat(buf, selinux_initialized() ? on : off, buf_len);
-	WARN_ON(rc >= buf_len);
+	seq_buf_printf(&s, "initialized=%d;enforcing=%d;checkreqprot=%d;",
+		       selinux_initialized(), enforcing_enabled(),
+		       checkreqprot_get());
 
-	rc = strlcat(buf, "enforcing", buf_len);
-	WARN_ON(rc >= buf_len);
-
-	rc = strlcat(buf, enforcing_enabled() ? on : off, buf_len);
-	WARN_ON(rc >= buf_len);
-
-	rc = strlcat(buf, "checkreqprot", buf_len);
-	WARN_ON(rc >= buf_len);
-
-	rc = strlcat(buf, checkreqprot_get() ? on : off, buf_len);
-	WARN_ON(rc >= buf_len);
-
-	for (i = 0; i < __POLICYDB_CAP_MAX; i++) {
-		rc = strlcat(buf, selinux_policycap_names[i], buf_len);
-		WARN_ON(rc >= buf_len);
+	for (i = 0; i < __POLICYDB_CAP_MAX; i++)
+		seq_buf_printf(&s, "%s=%d;", selinux_policycap_names[i],
+			       selinux_state.policycap[i]);
 
-		rc = strlcat(buf, selinux_state.policycap[i] ? on : off,
-			buf_len);
-		WARN_ON(rc >= buf_len);
-	}
+	WARN_ON(seq_buf_has_overflowed(&s));
 
 	return buf;
 }
-- 
2.47.3

Re: [PATCH v2] selinux: replace strlcat() with seq_buf in selinux_ima_collect_state()

[sashiko-bot]

> In preparation for removing the deprecated strlcat() API[1], replace the
> strscpy()/strlcat() chain in selinux_ima_collect_state() with a struct
> seq_buf, which tracks the write position and remaining space internally.
> 
> Each field is written with seq_buf_printf() using a "=%d;" format, which
> removes the open-coded "=1;"/"=0;" constants. The seven per-append
> WARN_ON(rc >= buf_len) truncation checks are replaced by a single
> seq_buf_has_overflowed() check after the string is built.
> 
> Link: https://github.com/KSPP/linux/issues/370 [1]
> Signed-off-by: Ian Bridges <icb@fastmail.org>

Sashiko has reviewed this patch and found no issues. It looks great!

-- 
Sashiko AI review · https://sashiko.dev/#/patchset/aj6hVjECikvYtnED@dev?part=1

Re: [PATCH v2] selinux: replace strlcat() with seq_buf in selinux_ima_collect_state()

[Stephen Smalley]

On Fri, Jun 26, 2026 at 11:57 AM Ian Bridges <icb@fastmail.org> wrote:
>
> In preparation for removing the deprecated strlcat() API[1], replace the
> strscpy()/strlcat() chain in selinux_ima_collect_state() with a struct
> seq_buf, which tracks the write position and remaining space internally.
>
> Each field is written with seq_buf_printf() using a "=%d;" format, which
> removes the open-coded "=1;"/"=0;" constants. The seven per-append
> WARN_ON(rc >= buf_len) truncation checks are replaced by a single
> seq_buf_has_overflowed() check after the string is built.
>
> Link: https://github.com/KSPP/linux/issues/370 [1]
> Signed-off-by: Ian Bridges <icb@fastmail.org>

Reviewed-by: Stephen Smalley <stephen.smalley.work@gmail.com>

> ---
> Changed in v2: replace the v1 seq_buf_puts() pairs with seq_buf_printf()
> using a "=%d;" format, which drops the open-coded "=1;"/"=0;" constants.
>
> v1: https://lore.kernel.org/all/ajlN94VO7BYNUTAy@dev/
>
> I didn't change the precomputation of the string size. An alternative,
> which is used by other seq_buf callers (e.g. kernel/rcu/refscale.c,
> mm/memcontrol.c), is to drop the precomputation and allocate an oversized
> fixed buffer, relying on the seq_buf overflow check as a backstop. I'm
> happy to rework the patch to adopt that alternative.
>
>  security/selinux/ima.c | 40 +++++++++++++---------------------------
>  1 file changed, 13 insertions(+), 27 deletions(-)
>
> diff --git a/security/selinux/ima.c b/security/selinux/ima.c
> index aa34da9b0aeb..cb0efa2fc1ad 100644
> --- a/security/selinux/ima.c
> +++ b/security/selinux/ima.c
> @@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
>   */
>  #include <linux/vmalloc.h>
>  #include <linux/ima.h>
> +#include <linux/seq_buf.h>
>  #include "security.h"
>  #include "ima.h"
>
> @@ -20,46 +21,31 @@
>   */
>  static char *selinux_ima_collect_state(void)
>  {
> -       const char *on = "=1;", *off = "=0;";
> +       struct seq_buf s;
>         char *buf;
> -       int buf_len, len, i, rc;
> +       int buf_len, suffix_len, i;
>
>         buf_len = strlen("initialized=0;enforcing=0;checkreqprot=0;") + 1;
> +       suffix_len = strlen("=0;");
>
> -       len = strlen(on);
>         for (i = 0; i < __POLICYDB_CAP_MAX; i++)
> -               buf_len += strlen(selinux_policycap_names[i]) + len;
> +               buf_len += strlen(selinux_policycap_names[i]) + suffix_len;
>
>         buf = kzalloc(buf_len, GFP_KERNEL);
>         if (!buf)
>                 return NULL;
>
> -       rc = strscpy(buf, "initialized", buf_len);
> -       WARN_ON(rc < 0);
> +       seq_buf_init(&s, buf, buf_len);
>
> -       rc = strlcat(buf, selinux_initialized() ? on : off, buf_len);
> -       WARN_ON(rc >= buf_len);
> +       seq_buf_printf(&s, "initialized=%d;enforcing=%d;checkreqprot=%d;",
> +                      selinux_initialized(), enforcing_enabled(),
> +                      checkreqprot_get());
>
> -       rc = strlcat(buf, "enforcing", buf_len);
> -       WARN_ON(rc >= buf_len);
> -
> -       rc = strlcat(buf, enforcing_enabled() ? on : off, buf_len);
> -       WARN_ON(rc >= buf_len);
> -
> -       rc = strlcat(buf, "checkreqprot", buf_len);
> -       WARN_ON(rc >= buf_len);
> -
> -       rc = strlcat(buf, checkreqprot_get() ? on : off, buf_len);
> -       WARN_ON(rc >= buf_len);
> -
> -       for (i = 0; i < __POLICYDB_CAP_MAX; i++) {
> -               rc = strlcat(buf, selinux_policycap_names[i], buf_len);
> -               WARN_ON(rc >= buf_len);
> +       for (i = 0; i < __POLICYDB_CAP_MAX; i++)
> +               seq_buf_printf(&s, "%s=%d;", selinux_policycap_names[i],
> +                              selinux_state.policycap[i]);
>
> -               rc = strlcat(buf, selinux_state.policycap[i] ? on : off,
> -                       buf_len);
> -               WARN_ON(rc >= buf_len);
> -       }
> +       WARN_ON(seq_buf_has_overflowed(&s));
>
>         return buf;
>  }
> --
> 2.47.3
>