Re: [PATCH] tracing: Generate undef symbols allowlist for simple_ring_buffer

Steven Rostedt
2026-03-12T18:43:22Z

On Thu, 12 Mar 2026 18:20:10 +0000
Vincent Donnefort <vdonnefort@google.com> wrote:

> Compiler and tooling-generated symbols are difficult to maintain
> across all supported architectures. Make the allowlist more robust by
> replacing the harcoded list with a mechanism that automatically detects
> these symbols.
>
> This mechanism generates a C function designed to trigger common
> compiler-inserted symbols.
>
> Signed-off-by: Vincent Donnefort <vdonnefort@google.com>
>
> diff --git a/kernel/trace/Makefile b/kernel/trace/Makefile
> index beb15936829d..3b427b76434a 100644
> --- a/kernel/trace/Makefile
> +++ b/kernel/trace/Makefile
> @@ -136,17 +136,37 @@ obj-$(CONFIG_TRACE_REMOTE_TEST) += remote_test.o
> # simple_ring_buffer is used by the pKVM hypervisor which does not have access
> # to all kernel symbols. Fail the build if forbidden symbols are found.
> #
> -UNDEFINED_ALLOWLIST := memset alt_cb_patch_nops __x86 __ubsan __asan __kasan __gcov __aeabi_unwind
> -UNDEFINED_ALLOWLIST += __stack_chk_fail stackleak_track_stack __ref_stack __sanitizer llvm_gcda llvm_gcov
> -UNDEFINED_ALLOWLIST += .TOC\. __clear_pages_unrolled __memmove copy_page warn_slowpath_fmt
> -UNDEFINED_ALLOWLIST += ftrace_likely_update __hwasan_load __hwasan_store __hwasan_tag_memory
> -UNDEFINED_ALLOWLIST += warn_bogus_irq_restore __stack_chk_guard
> -UNDEFINED_ALLOWLIST := $(addprefix -e , $(UNDEFINED_ALLOWLIST))
> +# undefsyms_base generates a set of compiler and tooling-generated symbols that can
> +# safely be ignored for simple_ring_buffer.
> +#
> +$(obj)/undefsyms_base.c: FORCE
> + $(Q)echo '#include <asm/page.h>' > $@
> + $(Q)echo '#include <asm/local.h>' >> $@
> + $(Q)echo 'static char page[PAGE_SIZE] __aligned(PAGE_SIZE);' >> $@
> + $(Q)echo 'void undefsyms_base(int n);' >> $@
> + $(Q)echo 'void undefsyms_base(int n) {' >> $@
> + $(Q)echo ' char buffer[256] = { 0 };' >> $@
> + $(Q)echo ' u32 u = 0;' >> $@
> + $(Q)echo ' memset((char * volatile)page, 8, PAGE_SIZE);' >> $@
> + $(Q)echo ' memset((char * volatile)buffer, 8, sizeof(buffer));' >> $@
> + $(Q)echo ' cmpxchg((u32 * volatile)&u, 0, 8);' >> $@
> + $(Q)echo ' WARN_ON(n == 0xdeadbeef);' >> $@
> + $(Q)echo '}' >> $@

Looking at the scripts/Makefile.* files, it looks like the proper way to do
C files is to make it a single command:

Perhaps something like:

$(obj)/undefsyms_base.c: FORCE
$(Q)( \
echo '#include <asm/page.h>'; \
echo '#include <asm/local.h>'; \
echo 'static char page[PAGE_SIZE] __aligned(PAGE_SIZE);'; \
echo 'void undefsyms_base(int n);'; \
echo 'void undefsyms_base(int n) {'; \
echo ' char buffer[256] = { 0 };'; \
echo ' u32 u = 0;'; \
echo ' memset((char * volatile)page, 8, PAGE_SIZE);'; \
echo ' memset((char * volatile)buffer, 8, sizeof(buffer));'; \
echo ' cmpxchg((u32 * volatile)&u, 0, 8);'; \
echo ' WARN_ON(n == 0xdeadbeef);'; \
echo '}' ) > $@

-- Steve

> +
> +clean-files += undefsyms_base.c
> +targets += undefsyms_base.c
> +
> +$(obj)/undefsyms_base.o: $(obj)/undefsyms_base.c
> +
> +extra-y += undefsyms_base.o
> +
> +UNDEFINED_ALLOWLIST = __asan __gcov __kasan __kcsan __hwasan __sanitizer __tsan __ubsan __x86_indirect_thunk \
> + $(shell $(NM) -u $(obj)/undefsyms_base.o 2>/dev/null | awk '{print $$2}')
>
> quiet_cmd_check_undefined = NM $<
> - cmd_check_undefined = test -z "`$(NM) -u $< | grep -v $(UNDEFINED_ALLOWLIST)`"
> + cmd_check_undefined = test -z "`$(NM) -u $< | grep -v $(addprefix -e ,$(UNDEFINED_ALLOWLIST))`"
>
> -$(obj)/%.o.checked: $(obj)/%.o FORCE
> +$(obj)/%.o.checked: $(obj)/%.o $(obj)/undefsyms_base.o FORCE
> $(call if_changed,check_undefined)
>
> always-$(CONFIG_SIMPLE_RING_BUFFER) += simple_ring_buffer.o.checked
>
> base-commit: 33f2e266515717c4b2df585dadefa0525557726c