GNU Tools Cauldron 2025

GNU Tools Cauldron 2025

Moving BPF verifier towards classic data flow analysis techniques
2025-09-28 , Auditorium B032 (80)

The BPF verifier has troubles when verifying loops. This talk will cover:

  • historical evolution of loops handling by verifier;
  • problems with current state of things (too crude widening,
    no bounds for induction variables);
  • describe DFA based liveness analysis that landed last week;
  • describe further steps adding DFA-based value range analysis to
    the verifier (a very hand-waving part).

We are interested in the feedback of the GNU toolchain community, especially when it comes to range analysis.

See also: Video of the talk

I work on Linux Kernel BPF verifier since 2022, mostly on its core logic.
Before that I worked on high level to high level language transpilers for more than 10 years.