RE: [PATCH net-next v4] tipc: replace deprecated strcpy with strscpy in tipc_bearer_get_name()

From: Tung Quang Nguyen

Date: Thu Sep 03 2026 - 07:55:46 EST


>Subject: [PATCH net-next v4] tipc: replace deprecated strcpy with strscpy in
>tipc_bearer_get_name()
>
>The `strcpy()` function is deprecated and moving towards code-tree
>elimination. Replacing it with `strscpy()` fixes potential buffer overflow vectors
>by ensuring safe NULL-termination based on the destination buffer size limit
>[1][2].
>
>To make the interface safer and more robust for future callers, refactor
>`tipc_bearer_get_name()` to accept a destination buffer length parameter.
>Replace `strcpy()` with `strscpy()` and pass through any potential `-E2BIG`
>truncation error code up to the caller. Update the existing caller in
>`net/tipc/monitor.c` to pass its array size.
>
>Link: https://www.kernel.org/doc/html/latest/process/deprecated.html#strcpy
>[1]
>Link: https://github.com/KSPP/linux/issues/88 [2]
>
>Signed-off-by: Ajith P V <ajithpv.linux@xxxxxxxxx>
>---
>v4:
> - Avoid hard-coding TIPC_MAX_BEARER_NAME in the function body.
> - Pass size_t len from the caller down to strscpy().
> - Forward strscpy()'s -E2BIG error up through the existing int return type.
> - Updated function documentation comment block.
>v3:
> - Fix patch title as suggested by Tung Quang Nguyen.
> - No code changes from v2.
>v2:
> - Target net-next tree instead of standard net tree as requested by Tung
>Quang Nguyen.
> - No code changes from v1.
>
> net/tipc/bearer.c | 8 ++++++--
> net/tipc/bearer.h | 2 +-
> net/tipc/monitor.c | 2 +-
> 3 files changed, 8 insertions(+), 4 deletions(-)
>
>diff --git a/net/tipc/bearer.c b/net/tipc/bearer.c index
>05dcd2f9e887..abd90e6bde09 100644
>--- a/net/tipc/bearer.c
>+++ b/net/tipc/bearer.c
>@@ -195,12 +195,14 @@ struct tipc_bearer *tipc_bearer_find(struct net *net,
>const char *name)
> /* tipc_bearer_get_name - get the bearer name from its id.
> * @net: network namespace
> * @name: a pointer to the buffer where the name will be stored.
>+ * @len: size of the destination buffer
> * @bearer_id: the id to get the name from.
> */
>-int tipc_bearer_get_name(struct net *net, char *name, u32 bearer_id)
>+int tipc_bearer_get_name(struct net *net, char *name, size_t len, u32
>+bearer_id)
> {
> struct tipc_net *tn = tipc_net(net);
> struct tipc_bearer *b;
>+ int ret;
>
> if (bearer_id >= MAX_BEARERS)
> return -EINVAL;
>@@ -209,7 +211,9 @@ int tipc_bearer_get_name(struct net *net, char *name,
>u32 bearer_id)
> if (!b)
> return -EINVAL;
>
>- strcpy(name, b->name);
>+ ret = strscpy(name, b->name, len);
>+ if (ret < 0)
>+ return ret; /* Returns -E2BIG if destination buffer is too small
>*/
Line length exceeds 80 columns as reported at:
https://netdev-ctrl.bots.linux.dev/logview.html?f=/logs/build/1155826/14783036/checkpatch/stdout

Also, the changes can be made simpler as follows (I help you fix all warnings):

---
net/tipc/bearer.c | 6 ++++--
net/tipc/bearer.h | 3 ++-
net/tipc/monitor.c | 3 ++-
3 files changed, 8 insertions(+), 4 deletions(-)

diff --git a/net/tipc/bearer.c b/net/tipc/bearer.c
index 05dcd2f9e887..65fa18928fe3 100644
--- a/net/tipc/bearer.c
+++ b/net/tipc/bearer.c
@@ -195,9 +195,10 @@ struct tipc_bearer *tipc_bearer_find(struct net *net, const char *name)
/* tipc_bearer_get_name - get the bearer name from its id.
* @net: network namespace
* @name: a pointer to the buffer where the name will be stored.
+ * @len: size of the destination buffer
* @bearer_id: the id to get the name from.
*/
-int tipc_bearer_get_name(struct net *net, char *name, u32 bearer_id)
+int tipc_bearer_get_name(struct net *net, char *name, size_t len, u32 bearer_id)
{
struct tipc_net *tn = tipc_net(net);
struct tipc_bearer *b;
@@ -209,7 +210,8 @@ int tipc_bearer_get_name(struct net *net, char *name, u32 bearer_id)
if (!b)
return -EINVAL;

- strcpy(name, b->name);
+ if (strscpy(name, b->name, len) < 0)
+ return -E2BIG;
return 0;
}

diff --git a/net/tipc/bearer.h b/net/tipc/bearer.h
index 41eac1ee0c09..9ccc9ffa925a 100644
--- a/net/tipc/bearer.h
+++ b/net/tipc/bearer.h
@@ -226,7 +226,8 @@ int tipc_l2_send_msg(struct net *net, struct sk_buff *buf,
void tipc_bearer_add_dest(struct net *net, u32 bearer_id, u32 dest);
void tipc_bearer_remove_dest(struct net *net, u32 bearer_id, u32 dest);
struct tipc_bearer *tipc_bearer_find(struct net *net, const char *name);
-int tipc_bearer_get_name(struct net *net, char *name, u32 bearer_id);
+int tipc_bearer_get_name(struct net *net, char *name,
+ size_t len, u32 bearer_id);
struct tipc_media *tipc_media_find(const char *name);
int tipc_bearer_setup(void);
void tipc_bearer_cleanup(void);
diff --git a/net/tipc/monitor.c b/net/tipc/monitor.c
index a94b9b36a700..a8a088fc2a2c 100644
--- a/net/tipc/monitor.c
+++ b/net/tipc/monitor.c
@@ -829,11 +829,12 @@ int __tipc_nl_add_monitor(struct net *net, struct tipc_nl_msg *msg,
{
struct tipc_monitor *mon = tipc_monitor(net, bearer_id);
char bearer_name[TIPC_MAX_BEARER_NAME];
+ size_t name_len = sizeof(bearer_name);
struct nlattr *attrs;
void *hdr;
int ret;

- ret = tipc_bearer_get_name(net, bearer_name, bearer_id);
+ ret = tipc_bearer_get_name(net, bearer_name, name_len, bearer_id);
if (ret || !mon)
return 0;