Make sure memcpy/memmove/memset with size 0 behave correctly

Zero-sized memory accesses are now always permitted, even if the pointer is NULL or dangling (but it must be aligned still). For codegen this means in particular that memcpy/memmove/memset must be lowered to operations that are never UB when the size is 0 (and the pointer is sufficiently aligned). In LLVM that's easy as LLVM's corresponding intrinsics explicitly allow size 0. However, in C, memcpy/memmove/memset with size 0 is UB on NULL (and dangling pointers are impossible to even mention in C), so GCC may use a different semantics for its builtins. For Rust's GCC backend, it's crucial that we use GCC builtins that allow size 0 with any pointer.

@antoyo

@antoyo Can I try this one?

Also any pointers on how to solve this issue will be helpful

@hhamud

@hhamud: I assigned the issue to you.

You would need to check if the GCC builtins follow the right semantics and if not, adjust the code here so that we follow the right semantics.

However, in C, memcpy/memmove/memset with size 0 is UB on NULL

There are proposals in progress to allow that: https://www.open-std.org/JTC1/SC22/WG14/www/docs/n3261.pdf

Fingers crossed it gets accepted

After a bit of research, I have found an example where GCC optimizes things based on the assumption that the arguments to memcpy are not null.

Here is a sample I found on the internet:

https://godbolt.org/z/aPcr1bfPe

#include <string.h>

int do_thing1();
int do_thing2();

void test(char *dest, const char *src, size_t len) {
    memcpy(dest, src, len);
    if (dest == NULL) {
        // This branch will be removed by GCC due to undefined behavior.
        do_thing1();
    } else {
        do_thing2();
    }
}

Here, the memory copy of dest allows GCC to assume that the pointer is not null, optimizing the branch check away. This is enabled with -O2(more specifically, with -fdelete-null-pointer-checks).

This does not seem to break Rust code today, at least on x86_64(is cg_gcc disabling -fdelete-null-pointer-checks), but there is a slight chance that the ARM bootstrap crashes are caused by zero-sized copies(the debug info is a bit muddy, and it is hard to tell what is going on, exactly).

is cg_gcc disabling -fdelete-null-pointer-checks

I don't think we disable that.
Btw, I remember having to fix some issue in the past where GCC would remove null pointer checks.

From what I heard, C26 will also permit memcpy on NULL (when the size is 0), so it might be best for GCC to just entirely stop doing this optimization.

Hi! I'd love to contribute. Could you assign this issue to me?

Hi! I'd love to contribute. Could you assign this issue to me?

Done.

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Make sure memcpy/memmove/memset with size 0 behave correctly #516

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Make sure memcpy/memmove/memset with size 0 behave correctly #516

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hhamud commented on May 24, 2024

antoyo commented on May 25, 2024

GrigorenkoPV commented on Aug 5, 2024

FractalFir commented on Jun 14, 2025

antoyo commented on Jun 14, 2025

RalfJung commented on Jun 14, 2025

mizoz commented on Apr 28, 2026

antoyo commented on Apr 28, 2026

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