Re: [PATCH] security: clarify task_prctl hook documentation

[Casey Schaufler <casey@schaufler-ca.com>]

On 6/15/2026 1:03 PM, Bill Roberts wrote:
> The task_prctl hook comment incorrectly described the hook as checking
> whether a prctl operation is allowed. In reality, the hook exists for
> LSMs to handle LSM-specific prctl operations.
>
> Update the function description and kernel-doc comment to reflect the
> actual behavior. The old wording appears to have been copied from other
> permission-check hooks despite differing semantics.
>
> Signed-off-by: Bill Roberts <bill.roberts@arm.com>

Acked-by: Casey Schaufler <casey@schaufler-ca.com>

> ---
>  security/security.c | 5 ++---
>  1 file changed, 2 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)
>
> diff --git a/security/security.c b/security/security.c
> index 4e999f023651..96e6ef088801 100644
> --- a/security/security.c
> +++ b/security/security.c
> @@ -3301,15 +3301,14 @@ int security_task_kill(struct task_struct *p, struct kernel_siginfo *info,
>  }
>  
>  /**
> - * security_task_prctl() - Check if a prctl op is allowed
> + * security_task_prctl() - Handle an LSM specific prctl call
>   * @option: operation
>   * @arg2: argument
>   * @arg3: argument
>   * @arg4: argument
>   * @arg5: argument
>   *
> - * Check permission before performing a process control operation on the
> - * current process.
> + * Handle lsm specific prctl operations.
>   *
>   * Return: Return -ENOSYS if no-one wanted to handle this op, any other value
>   *         to cause prctl() to return immediately with that value.