[PATCH v3] video: fbdev: via: refactor strcpy and viafb_name

[PATCH v3] video: fbdev: via: refactor strcpy and viafb_name

[Ajith P V]

Replace the deprecated and unbounded strcpy() function with the safer
strscpy() alternative when setting up the framebuffer fixed screen
information [1][2].

It aligns this driver with the ongoing kernel-wide security initiative
to eliminate unbounded string copies, hardening the code against future
modifications.

Additionally, convert the file-scope `viafb_name` pointer into a
`static const char[]` array while preserving its original value "Via".
This allows the compiler to execute compile-time bounds checking and
optimize the string copy operation without breaking userspace ABI
backward compatibility.

This is a proactive API cleanup and there is no functional
performance or truncation risk.

Link: https://www.kernel.org/doc/html/latest/process/deprecated.html#strcpy [1]
Link: https://github.com/KSPP/linux/issues/88 [2]

Signed-off-by: Ajith P V <ajithpv.linux@gmail.com>
---
v3:
  - Restore the original "Via" string value to prevent userspace ABI 
    regressions, while keeping the 'static const char[]' optimization as
    suggested by Sashiko AI.
v2:
  - Keep variable static but change it to a const array
    'static const char viafb_name[] = "viafb"' as suggested by Helge Deller
    to let the compiler leverage compile-time checks.

 drivers/video/fbdev/via/viafbdev.c | 4 ++--
 1 file changed, 2 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)

diff --git a/drivers/video/fbdev/via/viafbdev.c b/drivers/video/fbdev/via/viafbdev.c
index 80f95dac32c8..f6823beb4d7e 100644
--- a/drivers/video/fbdev/via/viafbdev.c
+++ b/drivers/video/fbdev/via/viafbdev.c
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 #define _MASTER_FILE
 #include "global.h"
 
-static char *viafb_name = "Via";
+static const char viafb_name[] = "Via";
 static u32 pseudo_pal[17];
 
 /* video mode */
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ static void viafb_setup_fixinfo(struct fb_fix_screeninfo *fix,
 	struct viafb_par *viaparinfo)
 {
 	memset(fix, 0, sizeof(struct fb_fix_screeninfo));
-	strcpy(fix->id, viafb_name);
+	strscpy(fix->id, viafb_name, sizeof(fix->id));
 
 	fix->smem_start = viaparinfo->fbmem;
 	fix->smem_len = viaparinfo->fbmem_free;
-- 
2.43.0

Re: [PATCH v3] video: fbdev: via: refactor strcpy and viafb_name

[Helge Deller]

On 8/14/26 09:44, Ajith P V wrote:
> Replace the deprecated and unbounded strcpy() function with the safer
> strscpy() alternative when setting up the framebuffer fixed screen
> information [1][2].
> 
> It aligns this driver with the ongoing kernel-wide security initiative
> to eliminate unbounded string copies, hardening the code against future
> modifications.
> 
> Additionally, convert the file-scope `viafb_name` pointer into a
> `static const char[]` array while preserving its original value "Via".
> This allows the compiler to execute compile-time bounds checking and
> optimize the string copy operation without breaking userspace ABI
> backward compatibility.
> 
> This is a proactive API cleanup and there is no functional
> performance or truncation risk.
> 
> Link: https://www.kernel.org/doc/html/latest/process/deprecated.html#strcpy [1]
> Link: https://github.com/KSPP/linux/issues/88 [2]
> 
> Signed-off-by: Ajith P V <ajithpv.linux@gmail.com>
> ---
> v3:
>    - Restore the original "Via" string value to prevent userspace ABI
>      regressions, while keeping the 'static const char[]' optimization as
>      suggested by Sashiko AI.
> v2:
>    - Keep variable static but change it to a const array
>      'static const char viafb_name[] = "viafb"' as suggested by Helge Deller
>      to let the compiler leverage compile-time checks.
> 
>   drivers/video/fbdev/via/viafbdev.c | 4 ++--
>   1 file changed, 2 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)
> 
> diff --git a/drivers/video/fbdev/via/viafbdev.c b/drivers/video/fbdev/via/viafbdev.c
> index 80f95dac32c8..f6823beb4d7e 100644
> --- a/drivers/video/fbdev/via/viafbdev.c
> +++ b/drivers/video/fbdev/via/viafbdev.c
> @@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
>   #define _MASTER_FILE
>   #include "global.h"
>   
> -static char *viafb_name = "Via";
> +static const char viafb_name[] = "Via";
>   static u32 pseudo_pal[17];
>   
>   /* video mode */
> @@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ static void viafb_setup_fixinfo(struct fb_fix_screeninfo *fix,
>   	struct viafb_par *viaparinfo)
>   {
>   	memset(fix, 0, sizeof(struct fb_fix_screeninfo));
> -	strcpy(fix->id, viafb_name);
> +	strscpy(fix->id, viafb_name, sizeof(fix->id));
Please make it simple:

	strcpy(fix->id, "Via");

Helge