Re: [PATCH net-next] net: usb: mcs7830: adjust incorrect comment implying a vulnerability

[Andy Shevchenko <andriy.shevchenko@linux.intel.com>]

On Mon, May 04, 2026 at 06:46:30PM -0700, Ethan Nelson-Moore wrote:
> The mcs7830 driver contains a comment indicating that mcs7830_get_regs

See, even in the comment the function is referred as func(). Please,
follow this convention everywhere (comments, commit messages, documentation
where it's appropriate).

> leaks uninitialized memory to user space on some devices. If true, this
> would indicate a security vulnerability. However, I investigated the
> issue and found that it is not true because ethtool_get_regs (in

ethtool_get_regs()


> net/ethtool/ioctl.c) uses vzalloc to allocate its buffer, which zeroes

vzalloc()

> the memory. Update the comment to explain this behavior.

...

>   * - implement get_eeprom/[set_eeprom]
>   * - switch PHY on/off on ifup/ifdown (perhaps in usbnet.c, via MII)
>   * - mcs7830_get_regs() handling is weird: for rev 2 we return 32 regs,
> - *   can access only ~ 24, remaining user buffer is uninitialized garbage
> + *   can access only ~ 24; this is not a security vulnerability because
> + *   ethtool_get_regs allocates a zeroed buffer

Same as above.

>   * - anything else?

...

Also, while the patches are not conflicting with or dependent on each other,
they are against the same driver, hence the series is preferable over
individual patches.

-- 
With Best Regards,
Andy Shevchenko