Re: [PATCH v3 4/6] sysctl: Warn when a clamped sysctl parameter is set out of range

From: Luis R. Rodriguez
Date: Thu Mar 08 2018 - 13:11:44 EST


On Thu, Mar 01, 2018 at 12:43:38PM -0500, Waiman Long wrote:
> Even with clamped sysctl parameters, it is still not that straight
> forward to figure out the exact range of those parameters. One may
> try to write extreme parameter values to see if they get clamped.
> To make it easier, a warning with the expected range will now be
> printed in the kernel ring buffer when a clamped sysctl parameter
> receives an out of range value.
>
> Signed-off-by: Waiman Long <longman@xxxxxxxxxx>
> ---
> include/linux/sysctl.h | 3 +++
> kernel/sysctl.c | 52 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++--------
> 2 files changed, 47 insertions(+), 8 deletions(-)
>
> diff --git a/include/linux/sysctl.h b/include/linux/sysctl.h
> index 448aa72..3db57af 100644
> --- a/include/linux/sysctl.h
> +++ b/include/linux/sysctl.h
> @@ -130,11 +130,14 @@ struct ctl_table
> * @CTL_FLAGS_CLAMP_RANGE: Set to indicate that the entry should be
> * flexibly clamped to min/max range in case the user provided
> * an incorrect value.
> + * @CTL_FLAGS_OOR_WARNED: Set to indicate that an out of range warning
> + * had been issued for that entry.
> *
> * At most 16 different flags will be allowed.
> */
> enum ctl_table_flags {
> CTL_FLAGS_CLAMP_RANGE = BIT(0),
> + CTL_FLAGS_OOR_WARNED = BIT(1),
> };
>
> struct ctl_node {
> diff --git a/kernel/sysctl.c b/kernel/sysctl.c
> index af351ed..6c68e77 100644
> --- a/kernel/sysctl.c
> +++ b/kernel/sysctl.c
> @@ -2505,6 +2505,7 @@ static int proc_dointvec_minmax_sysadmin(struct ctl_table *table, int write,
> * @min: pointer to minimum allowable value
> * @max: pointer to maximum allowable value
> * @flags: pointer to flags
> + * @name: sysctl parameter name
> *
> * The do_proc_dointvec_minmax_conv_param structure provides the
> * minimum and maximum values for doing range checking for those sysctl
> @@ -2514,31 +2515,50 @@ struct do_proc_dointvec_minmax_conv_param {
> int *min;
> int *max;
> uint16_t *flags;
> + const char *name;
> };
>
> +/* Out of range warning message */
> +#define proc_ctl_warn(type, ...) \
> + pr_warn("Kernel parameter \"%s\" was set out of range [%" \
> + #type ", %" #type "], clamped to %" #type ".\n", __VA_ARGS__)
> +

Usage of pr_*() macros are best used if and when you first
also define

#define pr_fmt(fmt) KBUILD_MODNAME ": " fmt

Also if we can avoid adding a new define for a pr_warn wrapper
even better. I'd much prefer to have a helper static void routine
which gets some params and does the print than have a define.

However you choose, I just don't want a #define around a simple
pr_warn().

Luis