From: Emil Tsalapatis <emil@etsalapatis.com>
To: bpf@vger.kernel.org
Cc: andrii@kernel.org, ast@kernel.org, daniel@iogearbox.net,
eddyz87@gmail.com, martin.lau@kernel.org, memxor@gmail.com,
song@kernel.org, yonghong.song@linux.dev,
Emil Tsalapatis <emil@etsalapatis.com>
Subject: [PATCH bpf-next v3 1/2] bpf: Allow void global functions in the verifier
Date: Mon, 23 Feb 2026 16:50:45 -0500 [thread overview]
Message-ID: <20260223215046.1706110-2-emil@etsalapatis.com> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <20260223215046.1706110-1-emil@etsalapatis.com>
Global subprogs are currently not allowed to return void. Adjust
verifier logic to allow global functions with a void return type.
Signed-off-by: Emil Tsalapatis <emil@etsalapatis.com>
---
kernel/bpf/btf.c | 7 ++-
kernel/bpf/verifier.c | 59 +++++++++++++++++--
.../selftests/bpf/progs/exceptions_fail.c | 2 +-
.../selftests/bpf/progs/test_global_func7.c | 2 +-
4 files changed, 59 insertions(+), 11 deletions(-)
diff --git a/kernel/bpf/btf.c b/kernel/bpf/btf.c
index 7708958e3fb8..51f8d3dece5d 100644
--- a/kernel/bpf/btf.c
+++ b/kernel/bpf/btf.c
@@ -7836,15 +7836,16 @@ int btf_prepare_func_args(struct bpf_verifier_env *env, int subprog)
tname, nargs, MAX_BPF_FUNC_REG_ARGS);
return -EINVAL;
}
- /* check that function returns int, exception cb also requires this */
+ /* check that function is void or returns int, exception cb also requires this */
t = btf_type_by_id(btf, t->type);
while (btf_type_is_modifier(t))
t = btf_type_by_id(btf, t->type);
- if (!btf_type_is_int(t) && !btf_is_any_enum(t)) {
+ if (!btf_type_is_void(t) && !btf_type_is_int(t) && !btf_is_any_enum(t)) {
if (!is_global)
return -EINVAL;
bpf_log(log,
- "Global function %s() doesn't return scalar. Only those are supported.\n",
+ "Global function %s() return value not void or scalar. "
+ "Only those are supported.\n",
tname);
return -EINVAL;
}
diff --git a/kernel/bpf/verifier.c b/kernel/bpf/verifier.c
index 0162f946032f..e997c3776fa7 100644
--- a/kernel/bpf/verifier.c
+++ b/kernel/bpf/verifier.c
@@ -444,6 +444,29 @@ static bool subprog_is_global(const struct bpf_verifier_env *env, int subprog)
return aux && aux[subprog].linkage == BTF_FUNC_GLOBAL;
}
+static bool subprog_returns_void(struct bpf_verifier_env *env, int subprog)
+{
+ const struct btf_type *type, *func, *func_proto;
+ const struct btf *btf = env->prog->aux->btf;
+ u32 btf_id;
+
+ btf_id = env->prog->aux->func_info[subprog].type_id;
+
+ func = btf_type_by_id(btf, btf_id);
+ if (verifier_bug_if(!func, env, "btf_id %u not found", btf_id))
+ return false;
+
+ func_proto = btf_type_by_id(btf, func->type);
+ if (verifier_bug_if(!func_proto, env, "btf_id %u not found", func->type))
+ return false;
+
+ type = btf_type_skip_modifiers(btf, func_proto->type, NULL);
+ if (verifier_bug_if(!type, env, "btf_id %u not found", func_proto->type))
+ return false;
+
+ return btf_type_is_void(type);
+}
+
static const char *subprog_name(const struct bpf_verifier_env *env, int subprog)
{
struct bpf_func_info *info;
@@ -10840,9 +10863,11 @@ static int check_func_call(struct bpf_verifier_env *env, struct bpf_insn *insn,
subprog_aux(env, subprog)->called = true;
clear_caller_saved_regs(env, caller->regs);
- /* All global functions return a 64-bit SCALAR_VALUE */
- mark_reg_unknown(env, caller->regs, BPF_REG_0);
- caller->regs[BPF_REG_0].subreg_def = DEF_NOT_SUBREG;
+ /* All non-void global functions return a 64-bit SCALAR_VALUE. */
+ if (!subprog_returns_void(env, subprog)) {
+ mark_reg_unknown(env, caller->regs, BPF_REG_0);
+ caller->regs[BPF_REG_0].subreg_def = DEF_NOT_SUBREG;
+ }
/* continue with next insn after call */
return 0;
@@ -17812,6 +17837,16 @@ static int check_return_code(struct bpf_verifier_env *env, int regno, const char
/* LSM and struct_ops func-ptr's return type could be "void" */
if (!is_subprog || frame->in_exception_callback_fn) {
+
+ /*
+ * If the actual program is an extension, let it
+ * return void - attaching will succeed only if the
+ * program being replaced also returns void, and since
+ * it has passed verification its actual type doesn't matter.
+ */
+ if (env->prog->type == BPF_PROG_TYPE_EXT && subprog_returns_void(env, frame->subprogno))
+ return 0;
+
switch (prog_type) {
case BPF_PROG_TYPE_LSM:
if (prog->expected_attach_type == BPF_LSM_CGROUP)
@@ -17841,6 +17876,10 @@ static int check_return_code(struct bpf_verifier_env *env, int regno, const char
default:
break;
}
+ } else {
+ /* If this is a void global subprog, there is no return value. */
+ if (subprog_is_global(env, frame->subprogno) && subprog_returns_void(env, frame->subprogno))
+ return 0;
}
/* eBPF calling convention is such that R0 is used
@@ -24452,10 +24491,18 @@ static int do_check_common(struct bpf_verifier_env *env, int subprog)
if (subprog_is_exc_cb(env, subprog)) {
state->frame[0]->in_exception_callback_fn = true;
- /* We have already ensured that the callback returns an integer, just
- * like all global subprogs. We need to determine it only has a single
- * scalar argument.
+
+ /*
+ * Global functions are scalar or void, make sure
+ * we return a scalar.
*/
+ if (subprog_returns_void(env, subprog)) {
+ verbose(env, "exception cb cannot return void\n");
+ ret = -EINVAL;
+ goto out;
+ }
+
+ /* Also ensure the callback only has a single scalar argument. */
if (sub->arg_cnt != 1 || sub->args[0].arg_type != ARG_ANYTHING) {
verbose(env, "exception cb only supports single integer argument\n");
ret = -EINVAL;
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/progs/exceptions_fail.c b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/progs/exceptions_fail.c
index 8a0fdff89927..d28ecc4ee2d0 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/progs/exceptions_fail.c
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/progs/exceptions_fail.c
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ __noinline int exception_cb_ok_arg_small(int a)
SEC("?tc")
__exception_cb(exception_cb_bad_ret_type)
-__failure __msg("Global function exception_cb_bad_ret_type() doesn't return scalar.")
+__failure __msg("Global function exception_cb_bad_ret_type() return value not void or scalar.")
int reject_exception_cb_type_1(struct __sk_buff *ctx)
{
bpf_throw(0);
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/progs/test_global_func7.c b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/progs/test_global_func7.c
index f182febfde3c..9e59625c1c92 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/progs/test_global_func7.c
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/progs/test_global_func7.c
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ void foo(struct __sk_buff *skb)
}
SEC("tc")
-__failure __msg("foo() doesn't return scalar")
+__success
int global_func7(struct __sk_buff *skb)
{
foo(skb);
--
2.49.0
next prev parent reply other threads:[~2026-02-23 21:51 UTC|newest]
Thread overview: 10+ messages / expand[flat|nested] mbox.gz Atom feed top
2026-02-23 21:50 [PATCH bpf-next v3 0/2] bpf: Allow void return type for global subprogs Emil Tsalapatis
2026-02-23 21:50 ` Emil Tsalapatis [this message]
2026-02-24 0:09 ` [PATCH bpf-next v3 1/2] bpf: Allow void global functions in the verifier Eduard Zingerman
2026-02-24 18:46 ` Emil Tsalapatis
2026-02-24 19:02 ` Eduard Zingerman
2026-02-24 19:53 ` Emil Tsalapatis
2026-02-24 20:33 ` Eduard Zingerman
2026-02-25 0:55 ` Emil Tsalapatis
2026-02-23 21:50 ` [PATCH bpf-next v3 2/2] selftests: bpf: Add tests for void global subprogs Emil Tsalapatis
2026-02-24 0:24 ` Eduard Zingerman
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