7c75244ade Change pindexMostWork parameter of ActivateBestChainStep() to reference (optout)
c5eb283bca Change CChain::FindFork() to take ref (optout)
20b58e281a Change CChain::Next() to take reference (optout)
fe2d6e25e0 Change CChain::Contains() to take reference (optout)
db56bcd692 test: Add CChain::FindFork() tests (optout)
8333abdd91 test: Add CChain basic tests (optout)
Pull request description:
Refactor `CChain` methods (`Contains()`, `Next()`, `FindFork()`) to use references instead of pointers, to minimize the risk of accidental `nullptr` dereference (memory access violation). Also add missing unit tests to the `CChain` class.
The `CChain::Contains()` method (in `src/chain.h`) dereferences its input without checking. The `Next()` method also calls into this with a `nullptr` if invoked with `nullptr`. While most call sites have indirect guarantee that the input is not `nullptr`, it's not easy to establish this to all call sites with high confidence. These methods are publicly available. There is no known high-level use case to trigger this error, but the fix is easy, and makes the code safer.
Changes:
- Add basic unit tests for `CChain` class methods
- Add unit tests for `CChain::FindFork()`
- Change `CChain::Contains()` to take reference
- Change `CChain::Next()` to take reference
- Change `CChain::FindFork()` to take reference
- Change `pindexMostWork` parameter of `ActivateBestChainStep()` to reference
- Rename changed parameters (`* pindex` --> `& index`)
Alternative. A simpler change is to stick with pointers, with extra checks where needed, see #34416 .
This change is remotely related to and indirectly triggered by #32875 .
Further ideas, not considered in this PR:
- Change `InvalidateBlock()` and `PreciousBlock()` to take references.
- Change `CChain` internals to store references instead of pointers
- Change CChain to always have at least one element (genesis), that way there is always genesis and tip.
- Check related methods to return reference (guaranteed non-null) -- `FindFork`, `FindEarliestAtLeast`, `FindForkInGlobalIndex`, `blockman.AddToBlockIndex`, etc.
ACKs for top commit:
l0rinc:
reACK 7c75244ade
maflcko:
re-review ACK 7c75244ade🌅
achow101:
ACK 7c75244ade
hodlinator:
re-ACK 7c75244ade
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