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Sprimo/skills/unsafe-checker/rules/ffi-11-packed-ub.md
2026-02-12 22:58:33 +08:00

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---
id: ffi-11
original_id: P.UNS.FFI.11
level: P
impact: HIGH
clippy: unaligned_references
---
# Be Careful with UB When Referencing #[repr(packed)] Struct Fields
## Summary
Creating references to fields in `#[repr(packed)]` structs is undefined behavior if the field is misaligned. Use raw pointers and `read_unaligned`/`write_unaligned` instead.
## Rationale
- Packed structs have no padding, so fields may be misaligned
- References must be aligned; misaligned references are UB
- Even implicit references (method calls, match) can cause UB
## Bad Example
```rust
#[repr(C, packed)]
struct Packet {
header: u8,
value: u32, // Misaligned! At offset 1, not 4
data: u64, // Misaligned! At offset 5, not 8
}
fn bad_reference(p: &Packet) -> &u32 {
&p.value // UB: Creates misaligned reference!
}
fn bad_match(p: &Packet) {
match p.value { // UB: Match creates a reference
0 => {},
_ => {},
}
}
fn bad_method(p: &Packet) {
p.value.to_string(); // UB: Method call creates reference
}
fn bad_borrow(p: &mut Packet) {
let v = &mut p.value; // UB: Misaligned mutable reference
*v = 42;
}
```
## Good Example
```rust
#[repr(C, packed)]
struct Packet {
header: u8,
value: u32,
data: u64,
}
// DO: Copy out the value
fn good_read(p: &Packet) -> u32 {
p.value // Copies the value, no reference created
}
// DO: Use addr_of! for raw pointer (Rust 2021+)
fn good_ptr_read(p: &Packet) -> u32 {
// SAFETY: read_unaligned handles misalignment
unsafe {
std::ptr::addr_of!(p.value).read_unaligned()
}
}
// DO: Use addr_of_mut! for writing
fn good_ptr_write(p: &mut Packet, value: u32) {
// SAFETY: write_unaligned handles misalignment
unsafe {
std::ptr::addr_of_mut!(p.value).write_unaligned(value);
}
}
// DO: Create accessor methods
impl Packet {
fn value(&self) -> u32 {
unsafe { std::ptr::addr_of!(self.value).read_unaligned() }
}
fn set_value(&mut self, value: u32) {
unsafe { std::ptr::addr_of_mut!(self.value).write_unaligned(value); }
}
fn data(&self) -> u64 {
unsafe { std::ptr::addr_of!(self.data).read_unaligned() }
}
}
// DO: Consider using byte arrays + from_ne_bytes
#[repr(C, packed)]
struct PacketBytes {
header: u8,
value: [u8; 4], // Store as bytes
data: [u8; 8],
}
impl PacketBytes {
fn value(&self) -> u32 {
u32::from_ne_bytes(self.value) // Safe, no alignment issue
}
}
```
## Safe Alternatives
```rust
// Alternative 1: Don't use packed
#[repr(C)]
struct AlignedPacket {
header: u8,
_pad: [u8; 3],
value: u32,
data: u64,
}
// Alternative 2: Use zerocopy crate
// use zerocopy::{AsBytes, FromBytes};
// Alternative 3: Use bytemuck
// use bytemuck::{Pod, Zeroable};
```
## Checklist
- [ ] Am I creating references to packed struct fields?
- [ ] Am I using addr_of! / addr_of_mut! for field access?
- [ ] Am I using read_unaligned / write_unaligned?
- [ ] Would a byte array representation be safer?
## Related Rules
- `ptr-04`: Don't dereference misaligned pointers
- `mem-01`: Choose appropriate data layout