[PATCH] rust: regulator: do not assume that regulator_get() returns non-null

From: Alice Ryhl

Date: Tue Mar 24 2026 - 06:51:13 EST


The Rust `Regulator` abstraction uses `NonNull` to wrap the underlying
`struct regulator` pointer. When `CONFIG_REGULATOR` is disabled, the C
stub for `regulator_get` returns `NULL`. `from_err_ptr` does not treat
`NULL` as an error, so it was passed to `NonNull::new_unchecked`,
causing undefined behavior.

Fix this by using a raw pointer `*mut bindings::regulator` instead of
`NonNull`. This allows `inner` to be `NULL` when `CONFIG_REGULATOR` is
disabled, and leverages the C stubs which are designed to handle `NULL`
or are no-ops.

Fixes: 9b614ceada7c ("rust: regulator: add a bare minimum regulator abstraction")
Reported-by: Miguel Ojeda <ojeda@xxxxxxxxxx>
Closes: https://lore.kernel.org/r/20260322193830.89324-1-ojeda@xxxxxxxxxx
Signed-off-by: Alice Ryhl <aliceryhl@xxxxxxxxxx>
---
rust/kernel/regulator.rs | 33 ++++++++++++++++++---------------
1 file changed, 18 insertions(+), 15 deletions(-)

diff --git a/rust/kernel/regulator.rs b/rust/kernel/regulator.rs
index 4f7837c7e53a..41e730cedc81 100644
--- a/rust/kernel/regulator.rs
+++ b/rust/kernel/regulator.rs
@@ -23,7 +23,10 @@
prelude::*,
};

-use core::{marker::PhantomData, mem::ManuallyDrop, ptr::NonNull};
+use core::{
+ marker::PhantomData,
+ mem::ManuallyDrop, //
+};

mod private {
pub trait Sealed {}
@@ -229,15 +232,17 @@ pub fn devm_enable_optional(dev: &Device<Bound>, name: &CStr) -> Result {
///
/// # Invariants
///
-/// - `inner` is a non-null wrapper over a pointer to a `struct
-/// regulator` obtained from [`regulator_get()`].
+/// - `inner` is a pointer obtained from a successful call to
+/// [`regulator_get()`]. It is treated as an opaque token that may only be
+/// accessed using C API methods (e.g., it may be `NULL` if the C API returns
+/// `NULL`).
///
/// [`regulator_get()`]: https://docs.kernel.org/driver-api/regulator.html#c.regulator_get
pub struct Regulator<State>
where
State: RegulatorState,
{
- inner: NonNull<bindings::regulator>,
+ inner: *mut bindings::regulator,
_phantom: PhantomData<State>,
}

@@ -249,7 +254,7 @@ pub fn set_voltage(&self, min_voltage: Voltage, max_voltage: Voltage) -> Result
// SAFETY: Safe as per the type invariants of `Regulator`.
to_result(unsafe {
bindings::regulator_set_voltage(
- self.inner.as_ptr(),
+ self.inner,
min_voltage.as_microvolts(),
max_voltage.as_microvolts(),
)
@@ -259,7 +264,7 @@ pub fn set_voltage(&self, min_voltage: Voltage, max_voltage: Voltage) -> Result
/// Gets the current voltage of the regulator.
pub fn get_voltage(&self) -> Result<Voltage> {
// SAFETY: Safe as per the type invariants of `Regulator`.
- let voltage = unsafe { bindings::regulator_get_voltage(self.inner.as_ptr()) };
+ let voltage = unsafe { bindings::regulator_get_voltage(self.inner) };

to_result(voltage).map(|()| Voltage::from_microvolts(voltage))
}
@@ -270,10 +275,8 @@ fn get_internal(dev: &Device, name: &CStr) -> Result<Regulator<T>> {
// received from the C code.
from_err_ptr(unsafe { bindings::regulator_get(dev.as_raw(), name.as_char_ptr()) })?;

- // SAFETY: We can safely trust `inner` to be a pointer to a valid
- // regulator if `ERR_PTR` was not returned.
- let inner = unsafe { NonNull::new_unchecked(inner) };
-
+ // INVARIANT: `inner` is a pointer obtained from `regulator_get()`, and
+ // the call was successful.
Ok(Self {
inner,
_phantom: PhantomData,
@@ -282,12 +285,12 @@ fn get_internal(dev: &Device, name: &CStr) -> Result<Regulator<T>> {

fn enable_internal(&self) -> Result {
// SAFETY: Safe as per the type invariants of `Regulator`.
- to_result(unsafe { bindings::regulator_enable(self.inner.as_ptr()) })
+ to_result(unsafe { bindings::regulator_enable(self.inner) })
}

fn disable_internal(&self) -> Result {
// SAFETY: Safe as per the type invariants of `Regulator`.
- to_result(unsafe { bindings::regulator_disable(self.inner.as_ptr()) })
+ to_result(unsafe { bindings::regulator_disable(self.inner) })
}
}

@@ -349,7 +352,7 @@ impl<T: IsEnabled> Regulator<T> {
/// Checks if the regulator is enabled.
pub fn is_enabled(&self) -> bool {
// SAFETY: Safe as per the type invariants of `Regulator`.
- unsafe { bindings::regulator_is_enabled(self.inner.as_ptr()) != 0 }
+ unsafe { bindings::regulator_is_enabled(self.inner) != 0 }
}
}

@@ -359,11 +362,11 @@ fn drop(&mut self) {
// SAFETY: By the type invariants, we know that `self` owns a
// reference on the enabled refcount, so it is safe to relinquish it
// now.
- unsafe { bindings::regulator_disable(self.inner.as_ptr()) };
+ unsafe { bindings::regulator_disable(self.inner) };
}
// SAFETY: By the type invariants, we know that `self` owns a reference,
// so it is safe to relinquish it now.
- unsafe { bindings::regulator_put(self.inner.as_ptr()) };
+ unsafe { bindings::regulator_put(self.inner) };
}
}


---
base-commit: 6de23f81a5e08be8fbf5e8d7e9febc72a5b5f27f
change-id: 20260324-regulator-fix-167227abcc92

Best regards,
--
Alice Ryhl <aliceryhl@xxxxxxxxxx>