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Emit null checks in compiler-synthesized inline-array helpers#84361

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AlekseyTs with Copilot wants to merge 5 commits into
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copilot/emit-null-check-compilersynthesized-inlinearray
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Emit null checks in compiler-synthesized inline-array helpers#84361
AlekseyTs with Copilot wants to merge 5 commits into
mainfrom
copilot/emit-null-check-compilersynthesized-inlinearray

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Copilot AI commented Jul 1, 2026

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The compiler-synthesized inline-array helpers (InlineArrayElementRef, InlineArrayElementRefReadOnly, InlineArrayAsSpan, InlineArrayAsReadOnlySpan) form byrefs/spans from buffer without null checks. When buffer is a null byref (reachable via Unsafe.NullRef<T>() in safe code), this produces byrefs/spans over arbitrary memory at caller-controlled offsets, causing silent corruption instead of deterministic NRE.

Example

ref S s = ref Unsafe.NullRef<S>();
ref byte e = ref s[0xA00000];  // InlineArrayElementRef -> Unsafe.Add(ref <null>, index)
e = 1;                         // may or may not fault — expected: NRE

Span<byte> span = s;           // InlineArrayAsSpan -> MemoryMarshal.CreateSpan(ref <null>, length)
span[0xA00000] = 1;            // may or may not fault — expected: NRE

[InlineArray(134217720)]
public struct S { public byte F; }

Changes

Compiler infrastructure:

  • Added System_NullReferenceException to WellKnownTypes (positioned after CSharp7Sentinel to preserve assertion invariants)
  • Added Unsafe.IsNullRef<T> and NullReferenceException..ctor to WellKnownMember / WellKnownMembers

Code generation:
Each of the four helpers now emits if (Unsafe.IsNullRef(ref buffer)) throw new NullReferenceException(); before the unsafe operations:

  • SynthesizedInlineArrayElementRefMethod
  • SynthesizedInlineArrayElementRefReadOnlyMethod
  • SynthesizedInlineArrayAsSpanMethod
  • SynthesizedInlineArrayAsReadOnlySpanMethod

Tests:
Added four execution tests in InlineArrayTests.cs verifying NRE is thrown. IL verification skipped (block/if with ref-return doesn't satisfy strict verifier rules despite being valid IL).

Copilot AI and others added 4 commits July 1, 2026 15:42
- Added System_Runtime_CompilerServices_Unsafe__IsNullRef_T to WellKnownMember enum
- Added System_NullReferenceException__ctor to WellKnownMember enum
- Added descriptors for both new members in WellKnownMembers.cs
- Modified SynthesizedInlineArrayElementRefMethod to emit null check
- Modified SynthesizedInlineArrayElementRefReadOnlyMethod to emit null check
- Modified SynthesizedInlineArrayAsSpanMethod to emit null check
- Modified SynthesizedInlineArrayAsReadOnlySpanMethod to emit null check

Each helper now checks `if (Unsafe.IsNullRef(ref buffer))` and throws
NullReferenceException before performing the unsafe operations.

Co-authored-by: AlekseyTs <10522107+AlekseyTs@users.noreply.github.com>
- Moved System_NullReferenceException from before to after ExtSentinel
- Updated descriptor to use two-byte encoding for ExtSentinel types
- Added metadata name after ExtSentinel marker

Co-authored-by: AlekseyTs <10522107+AlekseyTs@users.noreply.github.com>
…rectly

- Moved System_NullReferenceException after CSharp7Sentinel to avoid shifting existing types
- Fixed f.New calls in all four inline array helpers to not pass constructor method
- Build now succeeds for both Core and CSharp compiler projects

Co-authored-by: AlekseyTs <10522107+AlekseyTs@users.noreply.github.com>
Added four tests verifying that null checks throw NullReferenceException:
- NullCheck_ElementRef: Tests element access via indexer
- NullCheck_ElementRefReadOnly: Tests read-only element access
- NullCheck_AsSpan: Tests Span<T> conversion
- NullCheck_AsReadOnlySpan: Tests ReadOnlySpan<T> conversion

IL verification is skipped for these tests as the generated code is valid but the
block/if structure with ref returns doesn't pass strict IL verification.

Co-authored-by: AlekseyTs <10522107+AlekseyTs@users.noreply.github.com>
Copilot AI changed the title [WIP] Emit a null check in inline-array helpers Emit null checks in compiler-synthesized inline-array helpers Jul 1, 2026
Copilot AI requested a review from AlekseyTs July 1, 2026 16:00
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Emit a null check in the compiler-synthesized inline-array helpers (InlineArrayElementRef / InlineArrayAsSpan)

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