Re: [PATCH] lib/crypto: aes: use memzero_explicit() instead of memset()

[David Laight]

On Wed, 28 Oct 2026 15:51:34 +0000
Eric Biggers <ebiggers@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> On Wed, Oct 28, 2026 at 07:56:36PM +0530, Mohamad Raizudeen wrote:
> > aes_gcm_decrypt() and aes_ccm_decrypt() use plain memset() to wipe the
> > output buffer when authentication fails. But the compiler can optimize
> > that wipe away, so use memzero_explicit() instead of memset().
> > 
> > This matches every other sensitive wipes in this file, which already
> > uses memzero_explicit() for keystream blocks, tmp buffers, ctx
> > teardowns.
> > 
> > Signed-off-by: Mohamad Raizudeen <raizudeen.kerneldev@xxxxxxxxx>
> > ---
> >  lib/crypto/aes.c | 4 ++--
> >  1 file changed, 2 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)
> > 
> > diff --git a/lib/crypto/aes.c b/lib/crypto/aes.c
> > index e1c191551736..7814ef525239 100644
> > --- a/lib/crypto/aes.c
> > +++ b/lib/crypto/aes.c
> > @@ -1733,7 +1733,7 @@ int aes_gcm_decrypt(u8 *dst, const u8 *src, size_t data_len, const u8 *authtag,
> >  		 * Clear the inauthentic decrypted data so that callers won't
> >  		 * receive it even if they fail to correctly handle errors.
> >  		 */
> > -		memset(dst, 0, data_len);
> > +		memzero_explicit(dst, data_len);  
> 
> This isn't for "zeroization" (making the data unavailable in ramdumps),
> though.  It's just so the caller doesn't accidentally use the
> inauthentic data, as the comment right above it states.

It is also a parameter so has to be zeroed anyway.
memzero_explicit() is used to clear on-stack buffers.

David

> 
> - Eric
>