[PATCH net-next 0/3] net: Add sockaddr_inet unified address structure

Kees Cook posted 3 patches 2 months, 2 weeks ago
drivers/net/wireguard/peer.h | 2 +-
include/linux/in6.h          | 7 +++++++
include/net/sctp/structs.h   | 2 +-
3 files changed, 9 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)
[PATCH net-next 0/3] net: Add sockaddr_inet unified address structure
Posted by Kees Cook 2 months, 2 weeks ago
Hi!

Repeating patch 1, as it has the rationale:

    There are cases in networking (e.g. wireguard, sctp) where a union is
    used to provide coverage for either IPv4 or IPv6 network addresses,
    and they include an embedded "struct sockaddr" as well (for "sa_family"
    and raw "sa_data" access). The current struct sockaddr contains a
    flexible array, which means these unions should not be further embedded
    in other structs because they do not technically have a fixed size (and
    are generating warnings for the coming -Wflexible-array-not-at-end flag
    addition). But the future changes to make struct sockaddr a fixed size
    (i.e. with a 14 byte sa_data member) make the "sa_data" uses with an IPv6
    address a potential place for the compiler to get upset about object size
    mismatches. Therefore, we need a sockaddr that cleanly provides both an
    sa_family member and an appropriately fixed-sized sa_data member that does
    not bloat member usage via the potential alternative of sockaddr_storage
    to cover both IPv4 and IPv6, to avoid unseemly churn in the affected code
    bases.

    Introduce sockaddr_inet as a unified structure for holding both IPv4 and
    IPv6 addresses (i.e. large enough to accommodate sockaddr_in6).

    The structure is defined in linux/in6.h since its max size is sized
    based on sockaddr_in6 and provides a more specific alternative to the
    generic sockaddr_storage for IPv4 with IPv6 address family handling.

    The "sa_family" member doesn't use the sa_family_t type to avoid needing
    layer violating header inclusions.

Also includes the replacements for wireguard and sctp.

Thanks,

-Kees

Kees Cook (3):
  ipv6: Add sockaddr_inet unified address structure
  wireguard: peer: Replace sockaddr with sockaddr_inet
  sctp: Replace sockaddr with sockaddr_inet in sctp_addr union

 drivers/net/wireguard/peer.h | 2 +-
 include/linux/in6.h          | 7 +++++++
 include/net/sctp/structs.h   | 2 +-
 3 files changed, 9 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)

-- 
2.34.1
Re: [PATCH net-next 0/3] net: Add sockaddr_inet unified address structure
Posted by Simon Horman 2 months, 2 weeks ago
+ Iwashima-san and Willem

  This series looks like something you should review

On Tue, Jul 22, 2025 at 10:18:30AM -0700, Kees Cook wrote:
> Hi!
> 
> Repeating patch 1, as it has the rationale:
> 
>     There are cases in networking (e.g. wireguard, sctp) where a union is
>     used to provide coverage for either IPv4 or IPv6 network addresses,
>     and they include an embedded "struct sockaddr" as well (for "sa_family"
>     and raw "sa_data" access). The current struct sockaddr contains a
>     flexible array, which means these unions should not be further embedded
>     in other structs because they do not technically have a fixed size (and
>     are generating warnings for the coming -Wflexible-array-not-at-end flag
>     addition). But the future changes to make struct sockaddr a fixed size
>     (i.e. with a 14 byte sa_data member) make the "sa_data" uses with an IPv6
>     address a potential place for the compiler to get upset about object size
>     mismatches. Therefore, we need a sockaddr that cleanly provides both an
>     sa_family member and an appropriately fixed-sized sa_data member that does
>     not bloat member usage via the potential alternative of sockaddr_storage
>     to cover both IPv4 and IPv6, to avoid unseemly churn in the affected code
>     bases.
> 
>     Introduce sockaddr_inet as a unified structure for holding both IPv4 and
>     IPv6 addresses (i.e. large enough to accommodate sockaddr_in6).
> 
>     The structure is defined in linux/in6.h since its max size is sized
>     based on sockaddr_in6 and provides a more specific alternative to the
>     generic sockaddr_storage for IPv4 with IPv6 address family handling.
> 
>     The "sa_family" member doesn't use the sa_family_t type to avoid needing
>     layer violating header inclusions.
> 
> Also includes the replacements for wireguard and sctp.
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> -Kees
> 
> Kees Cook (3):
>   ipv6: Add sockaddr_inet unified address structure
>   wireguard: peer: Replace sockaddr with sockaddr_inet
>   sctp: Replace sockaddr with sockaddr_inet in sctp_addr union
> 
>  drivers/net/wireguard/peer.h | 2 +-
>  include/linux/in6.h          | 7 +++++++
>  include/net/sctp/structs.h   | 2 +-
>  3 files changed, 9 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)
> 
> -- 
> 2.34.1
>