[PATCH v6.18] bpf: fix the return value of push_stack

From: Ajay Kaher

Date: Tue Sep 01 2026 - 02:57:50 EST


From: Anton Protopopov <a.s.protopopov@xxxxxxxxx>

commit 6ea5fc92a0fc1cde976cb701db2c1dba4dcab7cf upstream.

In [1] Eduard mentioned that on push_stack failure verifier code
should return -ENOMEM instead of -EFAULT. After checking with the
other call sites I've found that code randomly returns either -ENOMEM
or -EFAULT. This patch unifies the return values for the push_stack
(and similar push_async_cb) functions such that error codes are
always assigned properly.

[1] https://lore.kernel.org/bpf/20250615085943.3871208-1-a.s.protopopov@xxxxxxxxx

Signed-off-by: Anton Protopopov <a.s.protopopov@xxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Eduard Zingerman <eddyz87@xxxxxxxxx>
Link: https://lore.kernel.org/r/20251019202145.3944697-2-a.s.protopopov@xxxxxxxxx
Signed-off-by: Alexei Starovoitov <ast@xxxxxxxxxx>
[ Ajay: Modified to apply on v6.18 ]
Signed-off-by: Ajay Kaher <ajay.kaher@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
---
kernel/bpf/verifier.c | 81 ++++++++++++++++++++++---------------------
1 file changed, 41 insertions(+), 40 deletions(-)

diff --git a/kernel/bpf/verifier.c b/kernel/bpf/verifier.c
index 459ed14..62e4ffd 100644
--- a/kernel/bpf/verifier.c
+++ b/kernel/bpf/verifier.c
@@ -2110,7 +2110,7 @@ static struct bpf_verifier_state *push_stack(struct bpf_verifier_env *env,

elem = kzalloc(sizeof(struct bpf_verifier_stack_elem), GFP_KERNEL_ACCOUNT);
if (!elem)
- return NULL;
+ return ERR_PTR(-ENOMEM);

elem->insn_idx = insn_idx;
elem->prev_insn_idx = prev_insn_idx;
@@ -2120,12 +2120,12 @@ static struct bpf_verifier_state *push_stack(struct bpf_verifier_env *env,
env->stack_size++;
err = copy_verifier_state(&elem->st, cur);
if (err)
- return NULL;
+ return ERR_PTR(-ENOMEM);
elem->st.speculative |= speculative;
if (env->stack_size > BPF_COMPLEXITY_LIMIT_JMP_SEQ) {
verbose(env, "The sequence of %d jumps is too complex.\n",
env->stack_size);
- return NULL;
+ return ERR_PTR(-E2BIG);
}
if (elem->st.parent) {
++elem->st.parent->branches;
@@ -2974,7 +2974,7 @@ static struct bpf_verifier_state *push_async_cb(struct bpf_verifier_env *env,

elem = kzalloc(sizeof(struct bpf_verifier_stack_elem), GFP_KERNEL_ACCOUNT);
if (!elem)
- return NULL;
+ return ERR_PTR(-ENOMEM);

elem->insn_idx = insn_idx;
elem->prev_insn_idx = prev_insn_idx;
@@ -2986,7 +2986,7 @@ static struct bpf_verifier_state *push_async_cb(struct bpf_verifier_env *env,
verbose(env,
"The sequence of %d jumps is too complex for async cb.\n",
env->stack_size);
- return NULL;
+ return ERR_PTR(-E2BIG);
}
/* Unlike push_stack() do not copy_verifier_state().
* The caller state doesn't matter.
@@ -2997,7 +2997,7 @@ static struct bpf_verifier_state *push_async_cb(struct bpf_verifier_env *env,
elem->st.in_sleepable = is_sleepable;
frame = kzalloc(sizeof(*frame), GFP_KERNEL_ACCOUNT);
if (!frame)
- return NULL;
+ return ERR_PTR(-ENOMEM);
init_func_state(env, frame,
BPF_MAIN_FUNC /* callsite */,
0 /* frameno within this callchain */,
@@ -9116,8 +9116,8 @@ static int process_iter_next_call(struct bpf_verifier_env *env, int insn_idx,
prev_st = find_prev_entry(env, cur_st->parent, insn_idx);
/* branch out active iter state */
queued_st = push_stack(env, insn_idx + 1, insn_idx, false);
- if (!queued_st)
- return -ENOMEM;
+ if (IS_ERR(queued_st))
+ return PTR_ERR(queued_st);

queued_iter = get_iter_from_state(queued_st, meta);
queued_iter->iter.state = BPF_ITER_STATE_ACTIVE;
@@ -10687,8 +10687,8 @@ static int push_callback_call(struct bpf_verifier_env *env, struct bpf_insn *ins
async_cb = push_async_cb(env, env->subprog_info[subprog].start,
insn_idx, subprog,
is_async_cb_sleepable(env, insn));
- if (!async_cb)
- return -EFAULT;
+ if (IS_ERR(async_cb))
+ return PTR_ERR(async_cb);
callee = async_cb->frame[0];
callee->async_entry_cnt = caller->async_entry_cnt + 1;

@@ -10704,8 +10704,8 @@ static int push_callback_call(struct bpf_verifier_env *env, struct bpf_insn *ins
* proceed with next instruction within current frame.
*/
callback_state = push_stack(env, env->subprog_info[subprog].start, insn_idx, false);
- if (!callback_state)
- return -ENOMEM;
+ if (IS_ERR(callback_state))
+ return PTR_ERR(callback_state);

err = setup_func_entry(env, subprog, insn_idx, set_callee_state_cb,
callback_state);
@@ -13958,9 +13958,9 @@ static int check_kfunc_call(struct bpf_verifier_env *env, struct bpf_insn *insn,
struct bpf_reg_state *regs;

branch = push_stack(env, env->insn_idx + 1, env->insn_idx, false);
- if (!branch) {
+ if (IS_ERR(branch)) {
verbose(env, "failed to push state for failed lock acquisition\n");
- return -ENOMEM;
+ return PTR_ERR(branch);
}

regs = branch->frame[branch->curframe]->regs;
@@ -14426,16 +14426,15 @@ struct bpf_sanitize_info {
bool mask_to_left;
};

-static struct bpf_verifier_state *
-sanitize_speculative_path(struct bpf_verifier_env *env,
- const struct bpf_insn *insn,
- u32 next_idx, u32 curr_idx)
+static int sanitize_speculative_path(struct bpf_verifier_env *env,
+ const struct bpf_insn *insn,
+ u32 next_idx, u32 curr_idx)
{
struct bpf_verifier_state *branch;
struct bpf_reg_state *regs;

branch = push_stack(env, next_idx, curr_idx, true);
- if (branch && insn) {
+ if (!IS_ERR(branch) && insn) {
regs = branch->frame[branch->curframe]->regs;
if (BPF_SRC(insn->code) == BPF_K) {
mark_reg_unknown(env, regs, insn->dst_reg);
@@ -14444,7 +14443,7 @@ sanitize_speculative_path(struct bpf_verifier_env *env,
mark_reg_unknown(env, regs, insn->src_reg);
}
}
- return branch;
+ return PTR_ERR_OR_ZERO(branch);
}

static int sanitize_ptr_alu(struct bpf_verifier_env *env,
@@ -14463,7 +14462,6 @@ static int sanitize_ptr_alu(struct bpf_verifier_env *env,
u8 opcode = BPF_OP(insn->code);
u32 alu_state, alu_limit;
struct bpf_reg_state tmp;
- bool ret;
int err;

if (can_skip_alu_sanitation(env, insn))
@@ -14536,11 +14534,12 @@ static int sanitize_ptr_alu(struct bpf_verifier_env *env,
tmp = *dst_reg;
copy_register_state(dst_reg, ptr_reg);
}
- ret = sanitize_speculative_path(env, NULL, env->insn_idx + 1,
- env->insn_idx);
- if (!ptr_is_dst_reg && ret)
+ err = sanitize_speculative_path(env, NULL, env->insn_idx + 1, env->insn_idx);
+ if (err < 0)
+ return REASON_STACK;
+ if (!ptr_is_dst_reg)
*dst_reg = tmp;
- return !ret ? REASON_STACK : 0;
+ return 0;
}

static void sanitize_mark_insn_seen(struct bpf_verifier_env *env)
@@ -17008,8 +17007,8 @@ static int check_cond_jmp_op(struct bpf_verifier_env *env,

/* branch out 'fallthrough' insn as a new state to explore */
queued_st = push_stack(env, idx + 1, idx, false);
- if (!queued_st)
- return -ENOMEM;
+ if (IS_ERR(queued_st))
+ return PTR_ERR(queued_st);

queued_st->may_goto_depth++;
if (prev_st)
@@ -17087,10 +17086,11 @@ static int check_cond_jmp_op(struct bpf_verifier_env *env,
* the fall-through branch for simulation under speculative
* execution.
*/
- if (!env->bypass_spec_v1 &&
- !sanitize_speculative_path(env, insn, *insn_idx + 1,
- *insn_idx))
- return -EFAULT;
+ if (!env->bypass_spec_v1) {
+ err = sanitize_speculative_path(env, insn, *insn_idx + 1, *insn_idx);
+ if (err < 0)
+ return err;
+ }
if (env->log.level & BPF_LOG_LEVEL)
print_insn_state(env, this_branch, this_branch->curframe);
*insn_idx += insn->off;
@@ -17100,11 +17100,12 @@ static int check_cond_jmp_op(struct bpf_verifier_env *env,
* program will go. If needed, push the goto branch for
* simulation under speculative execution.
*/
- if (!env->bypass_spec_v1 &&
- !sanitize_speculative_path(env, insn,
- *insn_idx + insn->off + 1,
- *insn_idx))
- return -EFAULT;
+ if (!env->bypass_spec_v1) {
+ err = sanitize_speculative_path(env, insn, *insn_idx + insn->off + 1,
+ *insn_idx);
+ if (err < 0)
+ return err;
+ }
if (env->log.level & BPF_LOG_LEVEL)
print_insn_state(env, this_branch, this_branch->curframe);
return 0;
@@ -17127,8 +17128,8 @@ static int check_cond_jmp_op(struct bpf_verifier_env *env,

other_branch = push_stack(env, *insn_idx + insn->off + 1, *insn_idx,
false);
- if (!other_branch)
- return -EFAULT;
+ if (IS_ERR(other_branch))
+ return PTR_ERR(other_branch);
other_branch_regs = other_branch->frame[other_branch->curframe]->regs;

if (BPF_SRC(insn->code) == BPF_X) {
@@ -17427,8 +17428,8 @@ static int check_ld_abs(struct bpf_verifier_env *env, struct bpf_insn *insn)

mark_reg_scratched(env, BPF_REG_0);
branch = push_stack(env, env->insn_idx + 1, env->insn_idx, false);
- if (!branch)
- return -EFAULT;
+ if (IS_ERR(branch))
+ return PTR_ERR(branch);
mark_reg_known_zero(env, regs, BPF_REG_0);
err = prepare_func_exit(env, &env->insn_idx);
if (err)
--
2.53.0