google/flatbuffers

Rust: various unsafe traits/functions meant for gencode in public API

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#6,627 opened on May 10, 2021

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Description

The following safe code will segfault:

fn main() {
    let ptr: &&u8 = flatbuffers::follow_cast_ref(&[1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8], 0);
    println!("{}", **ptr);
}

Contributor guide

Research direction
Investigate the unsafe `follow cast ref` function in the FlatBuffers Rust implementation. Understand how it constructs a fat pointer from arbitrary bytes and why it can cause a segfault. Consider whether the function should be marked unsafe or if additional safety checks are needed.
Tech stack
rust
Domain
backend
Issue type
Bug
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
3
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
Half day
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
Active
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
Clear
Prerequisites
Rust
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
40