[PATCH v3 0/2] Fixes multiple sysctl proc_handler usage error

From: nicolas . bouchinet
Date: Tue Dec 17 2024 - 08:31:21 EST


From: Nicolas Bouchinet <nicolas.bouchinet@xxxxxxxxxxx>

Hi, while reading sysctl code I encountered two sysctl proc_handler
parameters common errors.

The first one is to declare .data as a different type thant the return of
the used .proc_handler, i.e. using proch_dointvec, thats convert a char
string to signed integers, and storing the result in a .data that is backed
by an unsigned int. User can then write "-1" string, which results in a
different value stored in the .data variable. This can lead to type
conversion errors in branches and thus to potential security issues.

>From a quick search using regex and only for proc_dointvec, this seems to
be a pretty common mistake.

The second one is to declare .extra1 or .extra2 values with a .proc_handler
that don't uses them. i.e, declaring .extra1 or .extra2 using proc_dointvec
in order to declare conversion bounds do not work as do_proc_dointvec don't
uses those variables if not explicitly asked.

This patchset corrects three sysctl declaration that are buggy as an
example and is not exhaustive.

Nicolas

---

Changes since v2:
https://lore.kernel.org/all/20241114162638.57392-1-nicolas.bouchinet@xxxxxxxxxxx/

* Bound vdso_enabled to 0 and 1 as suggested by Joel Granados.
* Remove patch 3/3 since Greg Kroah-Hartman merged it.

Changes since v1:
https://lore.kernel.org/all/20241112131357.49582-1-nicolas.bouchinet@xxxxxxxxxxx/

* Take Lin Feng review into account.

---

Nicolas Bouchinet (2):
coredump: Fixes core_pipe_limit sysctl proc_handler
sysctl: Fix underflow value setting risk in vm_table

fs/coredump.c | 4 +++-
kernel/sysctl.c | 3 ++-
2 files changed, 5 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)

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2.47.1