[PATCHv2] malloc: Make sure tcache_key is odd enough
Samuel Thibault
samuel.thibault@ens-lyon.org
Sun Aug 3 20:35:00 GMT 2025
We want tcache_key not to be a commonly-occurring value in memory, so ensure
a minimum amount of one and zero bits.
And we need it is non-zero, otherwise even if tcache_double_free_verify sets
e->key to 0 before calling __libc_free, it gets called again by __libc_free,
thus looping indefinitely.
Fixes: c968fe50628db74b52124d863cd828225a1d305c ("malloc: Use tailcalls in __libc_free")
---
malloc/malloc.c | 15 +++++++++++++++
1 file changed, 15 insertions(+)
Difference from v1:
- Use stdc_count_ones
- Require only 1/4 zeros and ones
- Require the value to be at least 0x1000000
diff --git a/malloc/malloc.c b/malloc/malloc.c
index 5ca390cc22..ed64e6749f 100644
--- a/malloc/malloc.c
+++ b/malloc/malloc.c
@@ -230,6 +230,9 @@
/* For uintptr_t. */
#include <stdint.h>
+/* For stdc_count_ones. */
+#include <stdbit.h>
+
/* For va_arg, va_start, va_end. */
#include <stdarg.h>
@@ -3152,6 +3155,18 @@ tcache_key_initialize (void)
if (__getrandom_nocancel_nostatus_direct (&tcache_key, sizeof(tcache_key),
GRND_NONBLOCK)
!= sizeof (tcache_key))
+ tcache_key = 0;
+
+ /* We need tcache_key to be non-zero (otherwise tcache_double_free_verify's
+ * clearing of e->key would go unnoticed and it would loop getting called
+ * through __libc_free), and we want tcache_key not to be a commonly-occurring
+ * value in memory, so ensure a minimum amount of one and zero bits. */
+ int minimum_bits = __WORDSIZE / 4;
+ int maximum_bits = __WORDSIZE - minimum_bits;
+
+ while (labs (tcache_key) <= 0x1000000
+ || stdc_count_ones (tcache_key) < minimum_bits
+ || stdc_count_ones (tcache_key) > maximum_bits)
{
tcache_key = random_bits ();
#if __WORDSIZE == 64
--
2.47.2
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