Code that runs outside the kernel proper, such as the EFI stub, gets nothing out of the counted_by annotations: the bounds checks they feed (FORTIFY_SOURCE, UBSAN_BOUNDS) are already disabled there.
The annotations can also break the build. A __counted_by_ptr() that names a member declared after the pointer needs Clang's '-fexperimental-late-parse-attributes', which the top-level Makefile adds to 'KBUILD_CFLAGS'. The x86 EFI stub builds its own cflags and does not get that flag, so it fails as soon as such a struct is pulled in through a common header. Overriding the __counted_by_ptr macro from a Makefile doesn't work: 'compiler_types.h' is pulled in with '-include', which is processed after all -D/-U options, so it re-establishes the definitions. Follow the '__NO_FORTIFY' precedent instead: let a build define '__NO_COUNTED_BY_PTR' to turn the corresponding annotation into a no-op. Assisted-by: LLM Signed-off-by: Bill Wendling <[email protected]> --- v2: Only specify __NO_COUNTED_BY_PTR. Leave __NO_COUNTED_BY until we need it. v3: Add the version to the Subject line. --- include/linux/compiler_types.h | 7 ++++++- 1 file changed, 6 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-) diff --git a/include/linux/compiler_types.h b/include/linux/compiler_types.h index c5921f139007..8bde6798b4ec 100644 --- a/include/linux/compiler_types.h +++ b/include/linux/compiler_types.h @@ -387,8 +387,13 @@ struct ftrace_likely_data { * * gcc: https://gcc.gnu.org/pipermail/gcc-patches/2025-April/681727.html * clang: https://clang.llvm.org/docs/AttributeReference.html#counted-by-counted-by-or-null-sized-by-sized-by-or-null + * + * Code that runs outside the kernel proper (e.g. the EFI stub) can define + * __NO_COUNTED_BY_PTR to drop the annotation. Such code may also lack the flag + * Clang needs to parse a reference to a later-declared member + * (-fexperimental-late-parse-attributes). */ -#ifdef CONFIG_CC_HAS_COUNTED_BY_PTR +#if defined(CONFIG_CC_HAS_COUNTED_BY_PTR) && !defined(__NO_COUNTED_BY_PTR) #define __counted_by_ptr(member) __attribute__((__counted_by__(member))) #else #define __counted_by_ptr(member) -- 2.56.0.rc1.315.gc6ed9934b7-goog
