RustCrypto / RustCrypto/utils

zeroize: possible UB in `Zeroize` implementation for `Option<T>`

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Rust
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Description

Originally filed by @jessa0 as https://github.com/iqlusioninc/crates/issues/782:

It seems the Zeroize implementation for Option<T> where T: Zeroize has language-level UB here:

https://github.com/RustCrypto/utils/blob/00b569b52b6dece2a8ae881f8e5a150a45ccc674/zeroize/src/lib.rs#L330

I believe, as a repr(Rust) enum, the memory layout and set of valid bit-patterns for Option is not defined, and that setting an enum's storage to an invalid bit-pattern while a reference to it exists, even if the value is never read, is instant language-level UB. The documentation for Option does mention guarantees for several special cases, but the None case still isn't defined for many of those cases, and the Zeroize implementation is more generic than that. Here's an example of a miri error in such a situation, that scottmcm came up with on URLO here.

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Research direction

Start with zeroize/src/lib.rs around line 330 and reproduce the reported behavior using the linked Rust Playground or Miri example. Determine a sound approach for the Option implementation and verify that the resulting behavior no longer triggers the reported undefined-behavior error.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
rust
Domain
security
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
4/5
Estimated time
3-5 days
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
35/100

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