# [PATCH np/pack-v4] index-pack: tighten object type check based on pack version

2 messages from 2013-09-18 to 2013-09-18. Participants: Nguyễn Thái Ngọc Duy, Nicolas Pitre.
Thread: https://gitlist.dev/t/34956

## Nguyễn Thái Ngọc Duy, 2013-09-18 12:25

Subject: [PATCH np/pack-v4] index-pack: tighten object type check based on pack version
Message-ID: <1379507129-27151-1-git-send-email-pclouds@gmail.com>
URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/1379507129-27151-1-git-send-email-pclouds%40gmail.com

```
In pack version 4, ref-delta technically could be used to compress any
objects including commits and trees (both canonical and v4). But it
does not make sense to do so. It can only lead to performance
degradation. Catch those packers.

Signed-off-by: Nguyễn Thái Ngọc Duy <pclouds@gmail.com>
---
 I could now verify that pack-objects does not compress commits nor
 trees using ref-delta in v4. But perhaps these are a bit too strict?
 Maybe downgrade from die() to warning() and still accept the pack?

 builtin/index-pack.c | 16 ++++++++++++++++
 1 file changed, 16 insertions(+)

diff --git a/builtin/index-pack.c b/builtin/index-pack.c
index fbf97f0..e4ecf69 100644
--- a/builtin/index-pack.c
+++ b/builtin/index-pack.c
@@ -788,6 +788,12 @@ static void *unpack_raw_entry(struct object_entry *obj,
 	case OBJ_BLOB:
 	case OBJ_TAG:
 		break;
+
+	/*
+	 * OBJ_PV4_* are all greater than 7, which is the limit of
+	 * field "type" in pack v2. So we do not really need 'if
+	 * (!packv4) die("wrong type");' here.
+	 */
 	case OBJ_PV4_COMMIT:
 		obj->real_type = OBJ_COMMIT;
 		break;
@@ -1288,6 +1294,16 @@ static void resolve_delta(struct object_entry *delta_obj,
 	hash_sha1_file(result->data, result->size,
 		       typename(delta_obj->real_type), delta_obj->idx.sha1);
 	check_against_sha1table(delta_obj->idx.sha1);
+	if (packv4 &&
+	    delta_obj->type == OBJ_REF_DELTA &&
+	    delta_obj->real_type == OBJ_TREE)
+		bad_object(delta_obj->idx.offset,
+			   _("ref-delta on a tree is not supported in pack version 4"));
+	if (packv4 &&
+	    delta_obj->type == OBJ_REF_DELTA &&
+	    delta_obj->real_type == OBJ_COMMIT)
+		bad_object(delta_obj->idx.offset,
+			   _("ref-delta on a commit is not supported in pack version 4"));
 	sha1_object(result->data, NULL, result->size, delta_obj->real_type,
 		    delta_obj->idx.sha1);
 	counter_lock();
-- 
1.8.2.83.gc99314b

```

## Nicolas Pitre, 2013-09-18 14:39

Subject: Re: [PATCH np/pack-v4] index-pack: tighten object type check based on pack version
Message-ID: <alpine.LFD.2.03.1309181024290.20709@syhkavp.arg>
URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/alpine.LFD.2.03.1309181024290.20709%40syhkavp.arg
In-Reply-To: <1379507129-27151-1-git-send-email-pclouds@gmail.com>

```
On Wed, 18 Sep 2013, Nguyễn Thái Ngọc Duy wrote:

> In pack version 4, ref-delta technically could be used to compress any
> objects including commits and trees (both canonical and v4). But it
> does not make sense to do so. It can only lead to performance
> degradation. Catch those packers.
> 
> Signed-off-by: Nguyễn Thái Ngọc Duy <pclouds@gmail.com>
> ---
>  I could now verify that pack-objects does not compress commits nor
>  trees using ref-delta in v4. But perhaps these are a bit too strict?
>  Maybe downgrade from die() to warning() and still accept the pack?

Even then...  There is a difference between an "invalid" pack and a 
"suboptimal" one.  I don't think we should complain when presented with 
suboptimal encoding if it is still valid and there is no problem 
actually processing the data correctly.  You never know when this 
alternative encoding, even if suboptimal, might be handy.

Robustness principle: Be conservative in what you send, be liberal in 
what you accept.


Nicolas

```
