Re: [PATCH v2] kstack_erase: suppress -grecord-gcc-switches for external module builds

[Kees Cook]

On Thu, Aug 13, 2026 at 01:59:49PM +0530, Jaihind Yadav wrote:
> With CONFIG_GCC_PLUGIN_STACKLEAK=y, kstack erase adds:
> 
>   -fplugin=$(objtree)/scripts/gcc-plugins/stackleak_plugin.so
> 
> For KBUILD_EXTMOD builds, recording gcc switches can embed this host/build
> specific plugin path into module DWARF producer strings, which trips QA
> checks looking for absolute path leakage.

Isn't this a problem for all Linux gcc plugins, though?

-Kees

> 
> Disable gcc switch recording only for external modules by adding
> -gno-record-gcc-switches to kstack-erase-cflags when KBUILD_EXTMOD is set.
> 
> This keeps stackleak plugin instrumentation enabled while avoiding leakage
> of host-specific paths in external module debug metadata.
> 
> Suggested-by: Nathan Chancellor <nathan@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Link: https://lore.kernel.org/all/20260803181217.GB1067866@ax162/
> Signed-off-by: Jaihind Yadav <jaihindy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> ---
>  scripts/Makefile.kstack_erase | 1 +
>  1 file changed, 1 insertion(+)
> 
> diff --git a/scripts/Makefile.kstack_erase b/scripts/Makefile.kstack_erase
> index ee7e4ef7b892..6f31a3915d24 100644
> --- a/scripts/Makefile.kstack_erase
> +++ b/scripts/Makefile.kstack_erase
> @@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ kstack-erase-cflags-y += -fplugin=$(objtree)/scripts/gcc-plugins/stackleak_plugi
>  kstack-erase-cflags-y += -fplugin-arg-stackleak_plugin-track-min-size=$(CONFIG_KSTACK_ERASE_TRACK_MIN_SIZE)
>  kstack-erase-cflags-y += -fplugin-arg-stackleak_plugin-arch=$(SRCARCH)
>  kstack-erase-cflags-$(CONFIG_GCC_PLUGIN_STACKLEAK_VERBOSE) += -fplugin-arg-stackleak_plugin-verbose
> +kstack-erase-cflags-$(if $(KBUILD_EXTMOD),y) += -gno-record-gcc-switches
>  DISABLE_KSTACK_ERASE := -fplugin-arg-stackleak_plugin-disable
>  endif
>  
> -- 
> 2.43.0
> 
> 

-- 
Kees Cook