[PATCHv2] kernel/panic: allocate taint string buffer dynamically

From: Rio

Date: Sun Feb 22 2026 - 09:09:23 EST


The buffer used to hold the taint string is statically allocated, which
requires updating whenever a new taint flag is added.

Instead, allocate the exact required length at boot once the allocator is
available in an init function. The allocation sums the string lengths in
taint_flags[], along with space for separators and formatting.
print_tainted() is switched to use this dynamically allocated buffer.

If allocation fails, print_tainted() warns about the failure and continues
to use the original static buffer as a fallback.

Signed-off-by: Rio <rioo.tsukatsukii@xxxxxxxxx>
---
V1 -> V2: Allocate taint string buffer dynamically during init

v1: https://lore.kernel.org/all/20260220151500.13585-1-rioo.tsukatsukii@xxxxxxxxx/

kernel/panic.c | 51 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++-----
1 file changed, 46 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-)

diff --git a/kernel/panic.c b/kernel/panic.c
index 75368738d32d..5d498ff8a18b 100644
--- a/kernel/panic.c
+++ b/kernel/panic.c
@@ -802,7 +802,7 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL(panic);
* small shell script that prints the TAINT_FLAGS_COUNT bits of
* /proc/sys/kernel/tainted.
*
- * Also, update TAINT_BUF_MAX below.
+ * Also, update INIT_TAINT_BUF_MAX below.
*/
const struct taint_flag taint_flags[TAINT_FLAGS_COUNT] = {
TAINT_FLAG(PROPRIETARY_MODULE, 'P', 'G'),
@@ -856,17 +856,58 @@ static void print_tainted_seq(struct seq_buf *s, bool verbose)
}
}

-/* 350 can accommodate all taint flags in verbose mode, with some headroom */
-#define TAINT_BUF_MAX 350
+/* The initial buffer can accommodate all taint flags in verbose
+ * mode, with some headroom. Once the allocator is available, the
+ * exact size is allocated dynamically; the initial buffer remains
+ * as a fallback if allocation fails.
+ *
+ * The verbose taint string currently requires up to 327 characters.
+ */
+#define INIT_TAINT_BUF_MAX 350
+
+static char init_taint_buf[INIT_TAINT_BUF_MAX];
+static char *taint_buf = init_taint_buf;
+static size_t taint_buf_size = INIT_TAINT_BUF_MAX;
+
+static __init int alloc_taint_buf(void)
+{
+ int i;
+ char *buf;
+ size_t size = 0;
+
+ size += sizeof("Tainted: ") - 1;
+ for (i = 0; i < TAINT_FLAGS_COUNT; i++) {
+ size += 2; /* For ", " */
+ size += 4; /* For "[%c]=" */
+ size += strlen(taint_flags[i].desc);
+ }
+
+ size += 1; /* For NULL terminator */
+
+ buf = kmalloc(size, GFP_KERNEL);
+
+ if (!buf) {
+ /* Allocation may fail; this warning explains possibly
+ * truncated taint strings
+ */
+ pr_warn_once("taint string buffer allocation failed, using fallback buffer\n");
+ return 0;
+ }
+
+ taint_buf = buf;
+ taint_buf_size = size;
+
+ return 0;
+}
+postcore_initcall(alloc_taint_buf);

static const char *_print_tainted(bool verbose)
{
- static char buf[TAINT_BUF_MAX];
struct seq_buf s;

BUILD_BUG_ON(ARRAY_SIZE(taint_flags) != TAINT_FLAGS_COUNT);

- seq_buf_init(&s, buf, sizeof(buf));
+ seq_buf_init(&s, taint_buf, taint_buf_size);

print_tainted_seq(&s, verbose);

--
2.52.0