Re: [PATCH ipsec-next v5 7/8] xfrm: add error messages to state migration

From: Sabrina Dubroca

Date: Fri Jan 30 2026 - 07:14:57 EST


2026-01-27, 11:43:42 +0100, Antony Antony wrote:
> Add descriptive(extack) error messages for all error paths
> in state migration. This improves diagnostics by
> providing clear feedback when migration fails.
>
> Signed-off-by: Antony Antony <antony.antony@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> ---
> v4->v5: - added this patch
> ---
> net/xfrm/xfrm_state.c | 13 ++++++++++---
> 1 file changed, 10 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)
>
> diff --git a/net/xfrm/xfrm_state.c b/net/xfrm/xfrm_state.c
> index 88a362e46972..2e03871ae872 100644
> --- a/net/xfrm/xfrm_state.c
> +++ b/net/xfrm/xfrm_state.c
> @@ -2129,15 +2129,21 @@ struct xfrm_state *xfrm_state_migrate_create(struct xfrm_state *x,
> struct xfrm_state *xc;
>
> xc = xfrm_state_clone_and_setup(x, encap, m);
> - if (!xc)
> + if (!xc) {
> + NL_SET_ERR_MSG(extack, "Failed to clone and setup state");

When xfrm_state_clone_and_setup fails it's because some allocation
failed and the user won't be able to do much about this, right? I
don't feel extack in those situations is super helpful.

> return NULL;
> + }
>
> - if (xfrm_init_state(xc) < 0)
> + if (xfrm_init_state(xc) < 0) {
> + NL_SET_ERR_MSG(extack, "Failed to initialize migrated state");

xfrm_init_state itself doesn't handle extack, but it's just a wrapper
around functions that do. Maybe better to make xfrm_init_state
propagate extack?

> goto error;
> + }
>
> /* configure the hardware if offload is requested */
> - if (xuo && xfrm_dev_state_add(net, xc, xuo, extack))
> + if (xuo && xfrm_dev_state_add(net, xc, xuo, extack)) {
> + NL_SET_ERR_MSG(extack, "Failed to initialize state offload");

We already set an extack in xfrm_dev_state_add, this chunk should be
dropped to avoid overwriting the more specific info we got.

> goto error;
> + }
>
> return xc;
> error:
> @@ -2161,6 +2167,7 @@ int xfrm_state_migrate_install(const struct xfrm_state *x,
> xfrm_state_insert(xc);
> } else {
> if (xfrm_state_add(xc) < 0) {
> + NL_SET_ERR_MSG(extack, "Failed to add migrated state");

Not a strong objection, but this case would be the EEXIST situation
from xfrm_state_add, and there's not much the user can do about this?

> if (xuo)
> xfrm_dev_state_delete(xc);
> xc->km.state = XFRM_STATE_DEAD;

--
Sabrina