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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 v2 06/10] bpf: Allow a global function to return arena pointers by value
Date: Tue, 25 Aug 2026 13:54:43 -0700	[thread overview]
Message-ID: <20260825205443.1323867-1-yonghong.song@linux.dev> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <20260825205412.1320099-1-yonghong.song@linux.dev>

A global function may already return an arena pointer on its own, and
check_global_ret_scalar_reg() accepts one in either half of the R0:R2
pair. Let the members of a by-value struct it returns be arena pointers
as well, rather than scalars only.

Signed-off-by: Yonghong Song <yonghong.song@linux.dev>
---
 kernel/bpf/btf.c                                | 17 +++++++++++------
 .../selftests/bpf/progs/exceptions_fail.c       |  2 +-
 2 files changed, 12 insertions(+), 7 deletions(-)

diff --git a/kernel/bpf/btf.c b/kernel/bpf/btf.c
index b1f4ef614d4c..70481fadacc0 100644
--- a/kernel/bpf/btf.c
+++ b/kernel/bpf/btf.c
@@ -7972,14 +7972,18 @@ static int btf_validate_return_type(struct bpf_verifier_env *env, struct btf *bt
 
 	if (btf_type_is_struct(t) && t->size <= 16) {
 		/*
-		 * A global function's caller models the return as an opaque
-		 * scalar pair, so it may only return scalars by value. A local
-		 * function is verified inline, so a pointer field stays tracked
-		 * and needs no such restriction.
+		 * A global function may return a struct with scalar(s) or arena
+		 * pointer(s) as its members. A local function is verified inline,
+		 * so its caller receives the real register state and any member
+		 * is fine.
 		 */
 		bool local_func = subprog && !is_global;
+		u32 member_kinds = BTF_MEMBER_SCALAR;
 
-		if (local_func || btf_struct_is_composed_of(env, btf, t, BTF_MEMBER_SCALAR))
+		if (subprog)
+			member_kinds |= BTF_MEMBER_ARENA_PTR;
+
+		if (local_func || btf_struct_is_composed_of(env, btf, t, member_kinds))
 			return 0;
 	}
 
@@ -8075,7 +8079,8 @@ int btf_prepare_func_args(struct bpf_verifier_env *env, int subprog)
 		if (is_global) {
 			bpf_log(log,
 				"Global function %s() has unsupported return type. "
-				"Only void, scalar, or a scalar-only struct/union up to 16 bytes is supported.\n",
+				"Only void, a scalar, an arena pointer, or a struct/union of "
+				"those up to 16 bytes is supported.\n",
 				tname);
 		}
 		return err;
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/progs/exceptions_fail.c b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/progs/exceptions_fail.c
index 9708efb93683..35794329640b 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/progs/exceptions_fail.c
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/progs/exceptions_fail.c
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ __noinline int exception_cb_ok_arg_small(int a)
 
 SEC("?tc")
 __exception_cb(exception_cb_bad_ret_type1)
-__failure __msg("Only void, scalar, or a scalar-only struct/union up to 16 bytes is supported.")
+__failure __msg("Only void, a scalar, an arena pointer, or a struct/union of those")
 int reject_exception_cb_type_1(struct __sk_buff *ctx)
 {
 	bpf_throw(0);
-- 
2.53.0-Meta


  parent reply	other threads:[~2026-08-25 20:54 UTC|newest]

Thread overview: 27+ messages / expand[flat|nested]  mbox.gz  Atom feed  top
2026-08-25 20:54 [PATCH bpf-next v2 00/10] bpf: Allow arena pointers in by-value returns Yonghong Song
2026-08-25 20:54 ` [PATCH bpf-next v2 01/10] bpf: Record each half of a paired return value in verifier diagnostics Yonghong Song
2026-08-25 21:59   ` bot+bpf-ci
2026-08-26 17:08     ` Yonghong Song
2026-08-25 20:54 ` [PATCH bpf-next v2 02/10] bpf: Drop the recursion depth argument of btf_type_is_scalar_struct() Yonghong Song
2026-08-25 20:54 ` [PATCH bpf-next v2 03/10] bpf: Add btf_type_is_arena_ptr() Yonghong Song
2026-08-25 21:59   ` bot+bpf-ci
2026-08-26 17:28     ` Yonghong Song
2026-08-25 20:54 ` [PATCH bpf-next v2 04/10] bpf: Let the by-value struct walk take the kinds of member it accepts Yonghong Song
2026-08-25 21:59   ` bot+bpf-ci
2026-08-26 17:39     ` Yonghong Song
2026-08-25 20:54 ` [PATCH bpf-next v2 05/10] bpf: Report which member makes a kfunc return type unsupported Yonghong Song
2026-08-25 21:59   ` bot+bpf-ci
2026-08-26 17:59     ` Yonghong Song
2026-08-25 20:54 ` Yonghong Song [this message]
2026-08-25 21:12   ` [PATCH bpf-next v2 06/10] bpf: Allow a global function to return arena pointers by value sashiko-bot
2026-08-26 18:40     ` Yonghong Song
2026-08-25 20:54 ` [PATCH bpf-next v2 07/10] bpf: Allow arena pointers in a by-value kfunc return Yonghong Song
2026-08-25 22:13   ` bot+bpf-ci
2026-08-26 18:57     ` Yonghong Song
2026-08-25 20:54 ` [PATCH bpf-next v2 08/10] selftests/bpf: Check the member named for an unsupported kfunc return type Yonghong Song
2026-08-25 20:54 ` [PATCH bpf-next v2 09/10] selftests/bpf: Test global functions returning arena pointers by value Yonghong Song
2026-08-25 21:59   ` bot+bpf-ci
2026-08-27  3:46     ` Yonghong Song
2026-08-25 20:55 ` [PATCH bpf-next v2 10/10] selftests/bpf: Test kfuncs " Yonghong Song
2026-08-25 21:59   ` bot+bpf-ci
2026-08-27  3:58     ` Yonghong Song

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