[PATCH 27/27] objtool: Warn about missing/stale ANNOTATE_EXPORTED_NORETURN() usage

From: Josh Poimboeuf

Date: Fri Aug 28 2026 - 01:01:36 EST


Add some warnings to keep ANNOTATE_EXPORTED_NORETURN() annotations
correct.

Signed-off-by: Josh Poimboeuf <jpoimboe@xxxxxxxxxx>
---
tools/objtool/Documentation/objtool.txt | 22 ++++++++-
tools/objtool/check.c | 59 ++++++++++++++++++++-----
tools/objtool/include/objtool/elf.h | 1 +
3 files changed, 71 insertions(+), 11 deletions(-)

diff --git a/tools/objtool/Documentation/objtool.txt b/tools/objtool/Documentation/objtool.txt
index d5ac48bc203ec..950e88c713d1d 100644
--- a/tools/objtool/Documentation/objtool.txt
+++ b/tools/objtool/Documentation/objtool.txt
@@ -393,7 +393,7 @@ the objtool maintainers.

a) funcA()'s last instruction is a call to a "noreturn" function like
panic(), and objtool doesn't know that function never returns. See
- warning 3 above.
+ warnings 3 and 13.

b) funcA() uses the unreachable() annotation in a section of code
that is actually reachable.
@@ -455,6 +455,26 @@ the objtool maintainers.
macros to create them.


+13. file.o: warning: objtool: func() is exported and noreturn, its declaration needs __noreturn and ANNOTATE_EXPORTED_NORETURN()
+
+ func() is exported and never returns, but is defined in a module, so
+ its noreturn status needs to be manually annotated. Put an
+ ANNOTATE_EXPORTED_NORETURN() next to its declaration.
+
+ Mark the declaration __noreturn while you're there, if it isn't
+ already. The two go together: __noreturn stops the compiler from
+ emitting code after the call, and the annotation tells objtool the
+ call doesn't return.
+
+
+14. file.o: warning: objtool: func() has ANNOTATE_EXPORTED_NORETURN() but returns
+
+ func() is annotated as never returning, but it does. Usually this
+ means the annotation outlived the fact: the function grew a return path
+ and the ANNOTATE_EXPORTED_NORETURN() next to its declaration was left
+ behind. Remove it, along with the __noreturn.
+
+
If the error doesn't seem to make sense, it could be a bug in objtool.
Feel free to ask objtool maintainers for help.

diff --git a/tools/objtool/check.c b/tools/objtool/check.c
index aced52ad6fc81..ac6ae823a2d45 100644
--- a/tools/objtool/check.c
+++ b/tools/objtool/check.c
@@ -224,6 +224,22 @@ static bool might_return(struct objtool_file *file, struct symbol *func)
return false;
}

+static bool is_noreturn_candidate(struct objtool_file *file, struct symbol *func)
+{
+ struct instruction *insn;
+
+ if (!is_func_sym(func) || is_undef_sym(func) ||
+ is_prefix_func(func) || func->embedded_insn ||
+ func != func->alias->pfunc)
+ return false;
+
+ insn = find_insn(file, func->sec, func->offset);
+ if (!insn || insn_func(insn) != func)
+ return false;
+
+ return true;
+}
+
static void detect_noreturns(struct objtool_file *file)
{
struct symbol *func, *dest;
@@ -232,15 +248,7 @@ static void detect_noreturns(struct objtool_file *file)

/* Mark all functions guilty until proven innocent */
for_each_sym(file->elf, func) {
-
- /* Aliases and cold subfunctions inherit the parent's verdict */
- if (!is_func_sym(func) || is_undef_sym(func) ||
- is_prefix_func(func) || func->embedded_insn ||
- func != func->alias->pfunc)
- continue;
-
- insn = find_insn(file, func->sec, func->offset);
- if (!insn || insn_func(insn) != func)
+ if (!is_noreturn_candidate(file, func))
continue;

func->_noreturn = 1;
@@ -410,9 +418,38 @@ static void read_annotate_noreturn(struct objtool_file *file)

if (is_undef_sym(func))
func->_noreturn = 1;
+
+ func->annotate_noreturn = 1;
}
}

+static int validate_noreturns(struct objtool_file *file)
+{
+ struct symbol *func;
+ int warnings = 0;
+
+ for_each_sym(file->elf, func) {
+ if (!is_noreturn_candidate(file, func))
+ continue;
+
+ if (opts.module && is_noreturn(func) && func->exported &&
+ !func->annotate_noreturn) {
+ WARN("%s() is exported and noreturn, its declaration needs __noreturn and ANNOTATE_EXPORTED_NORETURN()",
+ func->name);
+ warnings++;
+ }
+
+ if (func->annotate_noreturn && !func->ignore_noreturn &&
+ !is_noreturn(func)) {
+ WARN("%s() has ANNOTATE_EXPORTED_NORETURN() but returns",
+ func->name);
+ warnings++;
+ }
+ }
+
+ return warnings;
+}
+
static void init_cfi_state(struct cfi_state *cfi)
{
int i;
@@ -5005,8 +5042,10 @@ int check(struct objtool_file *file)

w += validate_functions(file);
w += validate_unwind_hints(file, NULL);
- if (!w)
+ if (!w) {
w += validate_reachable_instructions(file);
+ w += validate_noreturns(file);
+ }

warnings += w;

diff --git a/tools/objtool/include/objtool/elf.h b/tools/objtool/include/objtool/elf.h
index adf6e1322c6df..e79cdabf09c26 100644
--- a/tools/objtool/include/objtool/elf.h
+++ b/tools/objtool/include/objtool/elf.h
@@ -100,6 +100,7 @@ struct symbol {
u8 fake : 1;
u8 _noreturn : 1;
u8 ignore_noreturn : 1;
+ u8 annotate_noreturn : 1;
u8 exported : 1;
struct list_head pv_target;
struct reloc *relocs;
--
2.55.0