kernel-hardening - init_on_alloc/init_on

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Message-ID: <CAE4VaGD8sKqUgOxr0im+OJgwrLxbbXDaKTSqpyAGRx=rr9isUg@mail.gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 2020 00:18:33 +0200
From: Jirka Hladky <jhladky@...hat.com>
To: Alexander Potapenko <glider@...gle.com>
Cc: kernel-hardening@...ts.openwall.com, linux-mm@...ck.org, 
	linux-security-module@...r.kernel.org
Subject: init_on_alloc/init_on_free boot options

Hi Alex,

Could you please help me to clarify the purpose of init_on_alloc=1
when init_on_free is enabled?

If I get it right, init_on_free=1 alone guarantees that the memory
returned by the page allocator and SL[AU]B is initialized with zeroes.
What is the purpose of init_on_alloc=1 in that case? We are zeroing
memory twice, or am I missing something?

Thanks a lot!
Jirka

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