[PATCH v2 0/5] Bring the BusLogic host bus adapter driver up to Y2021
From: Maciej W. Rozycki
Date: Tue Apr 20 2021 - 14:01:46 EST
Hi,
This is v2 of the series with 2/5 updated to use `vscnprintf' rather than
`vsnprintf'. No other changes.
So we are here owing to Christoph's recent ISA bounce buffering sweep:
<https://lore.kernel.org/linux-scsi/20210331073001.46776-1-hch@xxxxxx/T/#m981284e74e93216626a0728ce1601ca18fca92e8>
which has prompted me to verify the current version of Linux with my old
server, which has been long equipped with venerable Linux 2.6.18 and which
I now have available for general experimenting, and the BusLogic BT-958
PCI SCSI host bus adapter the server has used for 20-something years now.
This revealed numerous issues with the BusLogic driver.
Firstly (1/5) it has suffered from some bitrot and messages produced have
become messy from the lack of update for proper `pr_cont' support.
Secondly (2/5) there has been a potential buffer overrun/stack corruption
security issue from using an unbounded `vsprintf' call.
Thirdly (3/5) it has become obvious the BusLogic driver would have been
non-functional, should I have upgraded the kernel, at least with this
configuration for some 8 years now, and the underlying cause has been a
long-known issue with the MultiMaster firmware I have dealt with already,
back in 2003. To put it short the firmware cannot cope with commands that
request an allocation length exceeding the length of actual data returned.
I have originally observed it with a LOG SENSE command in the course of
investigating why smartmontools bring the system to a death, and worked it
around: <https://sourceforge.net/p/smartmontools/mailman/message/4993087/>
by issuing the command twice, first just to obtain the allocation length
required. As it turns out we need a similar workaround in the kernel now.
But in the course of investigating this issue I have discovered there is
a second bottom to it and hence I have prepared follow-up changes (4-5/5)
to address problems with our handling of Vital Product Data INQUIRY pages.
See individual change descriptions for further details.
Questions, comments, concerns? Otherwise please apply.
Maciej