Re: [PATCH v2 2/2] lib/vsprintf: Limit the returning size to INT_MAX

[Petr Mladek]

On Fri 2026-03-20 12:54:57, Masami Hiramatsu (Google) wrote:
> From: Masami Hiramatsu (Google) <mhiramat@xxxxxxxxxx>
> 
> The return value of vsnprintf() can overflow INT_MAX and return
> a minus value. In the @size is checked input overflow, but it does
> not check the output, which is expected required size.
> 
> This should never happen but it should be checked and limited.

Great catch!

> --- a/lib/vsprintf.c
> +++ b/lib/vsprintf.c
> @@ -2985,7 +2985,7 @@ int vsnprintf(char *buf, size_t size, const char *fmt_str, va_list args)
>  	}
>  
>  	/* the trailing null byte doesn't count towards the total */
> -	return str-buf;
> +	return WARN_ON_ONCE(str - buf > INT_MAX) ? INT_MAX : str - buf;

Is it guaranteed that the pointer arithmetic will be a big enough
unsigned number type?

I would rather do a cast to be on the safe side, for example:

	return WARN_ON_ONCE((size_t)(str - buf) > INT_MAX) ? INT_MAX : str - buf;

or even use a variable to make it better readable:

	size_t ret_size;

	ret_size = str - buf;
	if (WARN_ON_ONCE(ret_size > INT_MAX))
		ret_size = INT_MAX;
	return ret_size;

Best Regards,
Petr