Re: [PATCH v1 1/8] perf ui browser: Don't save pointer to stack memory

From: Arnaldo Carvalho de Melo
Date: Tue May 07 2024 - 16:21:06 EST


On Tue, May 07, 2024 at 11:35:38AM -0700, Ian Rogers wrote:
> ui_browser__show is capturing the input title that is stack allocated
> memory in hist_browser__run. Avoid a use after return by strdup-ing
> the string.

But everything happens in that context, i.e. hist_brower__run() will
call ui_browser__ methods and then exit.

We end up having browser->title pointing to returned stack memory
(invalid) but there will be no references to it, no?

If we return to hist_browser__run() we then call ui_browser__show
passing a new title, for "live" stack memory, rinse repeat. Or have you
noticed an actual use-after-"free"?

- Arnaldo

> Fixes: 05e8b0804ec4 ("perf ui browser: Stop using 'self'")
> Signed-off-by: Ian Rogers <irogers@xxxxxxxxxx>
> ---
> tools/perf/ui/browser.c | 4 +++-
> tools/perf/ui/browser.h | 2 +-
> 2 files changed, 4 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)
>
> diff --git a/tools/perf/ui/browser.c b/tools/perf/ui/browser.c
> index 603d11283cbd..c4cdf2ea69b7 100644
> --- a/tools/perf/ui/browser.c
> +++ b/tools/perf/ui/browser.c
> @@ -287,7 +287,8 @@ int ui_browser__show(struct ui_browser *browser, const char *title,
> mutex_lock(&ui__lock);
> __ui_browser__show_title(browser, title);
>
> - browser->title = title;
> + free(browser->title);
> + browser->title = strdup(title);
> zfree(&browser->helpline);
>
> va_start(ap, helpline);
> @@ -304,6 +305,7 @@ void ui_browser__hide(struct ui_browser *browser)
> mutex_lock(&ui__lock);
> ui_helpline__pop();
> zfree(&browser->helpline);
> + zfree(&browser->title);
> mutex_unlock(&ui__lock);
> }
>
> diff --git a/tools/perf/ui/browser.h b/tools/perf/ui/browser.h
> index 510ce4554050..6e98d5f8f71c 100644
> --- a/tools/perf/ui/browser.h
> +++ b/tools/perf/ui/browser.h
> @@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ struct ui_browser {
> u8 extra_title_lines;
> int current_color;
> void *priv;
> - const char *title;
> + char *title;
> char *helpline;
> const char *no_samples_msg;
> void (*refresh_dimensions)(struct ui_browser *browser);
> --
> 2.45.0.rc1.225.g2a3ae87e7f-goog