Re: [PATCH v5 1/2] x86/delay: Fix the wrong asm constraint in `delay_loop()`

Borislav Petkov
2022-03-27T21:39:00Z

On Thu, Mar 10, 2022 at 08:53:05AM +0700, Ammar Faizi wrote:
> The asm constraint does not reflect that the asm statement can modify
> the value of @loops. But the asm statement in delay_loop() does modify
> the @loops.
>
> Specifiying the wrong constraint may lead to undefined behavior, it may
> clobber random stuff (e.g. local variable, important temporary value in
> regs, etc.).

This is especially dangerous when the compiler decides to inline the
function and since it doesn't know that the value gets modified, it
might decide to use it from a register directly without reloading it.

Add that to the commit message pls.

> Fix this by changing the constraint from "a" (as an input) to "+a" (as
> an input and output).
>
> Cc: David Laight <David.Laight@ACULAB.COM>
> Cc: Thomas Gleixner <tglx@linutronix.de>
> Cc: Ingo Molnar <mingo@redhat.com>
> Cc: Borislav Petkov <bp@alien8.de>
> Cc: Dave Hansen <dave.hansen@linux.intel.com>
> Cc: "H. Peter Anvin" <hpa@zytor.com>
> Cc: Jiri Hladky <hladky.jiri@googlemail.com>

All those Ccs in the commit message are not really needed -
get_maintainers.pl gives the correct list already.

> Cc: stable@vger.kernel.org # v2.6.27+

I don't see the need for the stable Cc. Or do you have a case where
a corruption really does happen?

> Fixes: e01b70ef3eb ("x86: fix bug in arch/i386/lib/delay.c file, delay_loop function")

Commit sha1 (e01b70ef3eb) needs to be at least 12 chars long:

e01b70ef3eb3 ("x86: fix bug in arch/i386/lib/delay.c file, delay_loop function")

This is best fixed by doing:

[core]
abbrev = 12

in your .git/config

> Signed-off-by: Ammar Faizi <ammarfaizi2@gnuweeb.org>
> ---
> arch/x86/lib/delay.c | 4 ++--
> 1 file changed, 2 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)
>
> diff --git a/arch/x86/lib/delay.c b/arch/x86/lib/delay.c
> index 65d15df6212d..0e65d00e2339 100644
> --- a/arch/x86/lib/delay.c
> +++ b/arch/x86/lib/delay.c
> @@ -54,8 +54,8 @@ static void delay_loop(u64 __loops)
> " jnz 2b \n"
> "3: dec %0 \n"
>
> - : /* we don't need output */
> - :"a" (loops)
> + : "+a" (loops)
> + :
> );

Thx.

--
Regards/Gruss,
Boris.