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libmagic_rs/evaluator/engine/
mod.rs

1// Copyright (c) 2025-2026 the libmagic-rs contributors
2// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
3
4//! Core evaluation engine for magic rules.
5//!
6//! This module contains the core recursive evaluation logic for executing magic
7//! rules against file buffers. It is responsible for:
8//! - Evaluating a single rule via [`evaluate_single_rule`] (a thin wrapper
9//!   around `evaluate_rules` that delegates one rule through the full
10//!   context-aware pipeline)
11//! - Evaluating hierarchical rule sets with context (`evaluate_rules`)
12//! - Providing a convenience wrapper for evaluation with configuration
13//!   (`evaluate_rules_with_config`)
14
15use crate::parser::ast::{MagicRule, MetaType, TypeKind};
16use crate::{EvaluationConfig, LibmagicError};
17
18use super::{EvaluationContext, RecursionGuard, RuleMatch, offset, operators, types};
19use log::{debug, warn};
20// Gated to debug builds: after the engine module split, mod.rs's only atomic
21// user is the `#[cfg(debug_assertions)]` INDIRECT_WITHOUT_RULE_ENV_WARNED guard
22// below. In release builds that item is compiled out, so an ungated import is
23// unused and the workspace `warnings = "deny"` lint rejects it.
24#[cfg(debug_assertions)]
25use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicBool, Ordering};
26
27mod output;
28mod pattern_recovery;
29mod subroutine;
30mod value_eval;
31
32pub(crate) use output::*;
33pub(crate) use pattern_recovery::*;
34pub(crate) use subroutine::*;
35pub(crate) use value_eval::*;
36
37/// RAII guard that saves the GNU `file` previous-match anchor **and**
38/// `base_offset` on entry and restores both on drop.
39///
40/// `MetaType::Indirect` re-evaluates the root rule list at the resolved
41/// offset. The re-entered rules are top-level-semantic (`base_offset=0`)
42/// and must start with a fresh anchor (the resolved indirect offset).
43/// When `indirect` fires inside a `MetaType::Use` subroutine, the outer
44/// subroutine's non-zero `base_offset` would otherwise leak into the
45/// root re-entry, causing every positive absolute offset in the re-entered
46/// database to be biased by the outer use-site -- producing reads at the
47/// wrong positions. Saving and restoring `base_offset` here prevents that.
48///
49/// Without an RAII wrapper, every early-return path inside the indirect
50/// branch would have to remember to restore both fields manually.
51struct AnchorScope<'a> {
52    context: &'a mut EvaluationContext,
53    saved_anchor: usize,
54    saved_base: usize,
55}
56
57impl<'a> AnchorScope<'a> {
58    /// Save the current anchor and `base_offset`, then seed the context
59    /// with `new_anchor` and reset `base_offset` to 0.
60    fn enter(context: &'a mut EvaluationContext, new_anchor: usize) -> Self {
61        let saved_anchor = context.last_match_end();
62        let saved_base = context.base_offset();
63        context.set_last_match_end(new_anchor);
64        context.set_base_offset(0);
65        Self {
66            context,
67            saved_anchor,
68            saved_base,
69        }
70    }
71
72    /// Access the underlying context for the duration of the guard.
73    fn context(&mut self) -> &mut EvaluationContext {
74        self.context
75    }
76}
77
78impl Drop for AnchorScope<'_> {
79    fn drop(&mut self) {
80        self.context.set_last_match_end(self.saved_anchor);
81        self.context.set_base_offset(self.saved_base);
82    }
83}
84
85/// Process-local once guard for the "`evaluate_rules_with_config` called
86/// with an `indirect` rule but without a `RuleEnvironment`" warning.
87/// Same rationale as `USE_WITHOUT_RULE_ENV_WARNED`: surface the
88/// misconfiguration exactly once per process so a large corpus of
89/// env-less `indirect` rules does not flood the log.
90// Gated to debug builds like its only use site (the diagnostic guard in
91// `evaluate_rules_with_config`); in release builds the item would be dead
92// code, which the workspace `warnings = "deny"` lint rejects.
93#[cfg(debug_assertions)]
94static INDIRECT_WITHOUT_RULE_ENV_WARNED: AtomicBool = AtomicBool::new(false);
95
96/// Evaluate a single magic rule against a file buffer
97///
98/// This is a thin wrapper around [`evaluate_rules`] that evaluates exactly
99/// one top-level rule (and any of its children) against a buffer, using the
100/// caller-provided [`EvaluationContext`] to enforce timeout, recursion, and
101/// string-size limits. It is a BREAKING API change introduced in pre-1.0:
102/// earlier versions took no context and returned `Option<(usize, Value)>`.
103///
104/// # Arguments
105///
106/// * `rule` - The magic rule to evaluate
107/// * `buffer` - The file buffer to evaluate against
108/// * `context` - Mutable evaluation context that carries the configured
109///   safety limits (timeout, max recursion depth, max string length) and
110///   the GNU `file` previous-match anchor used for relative-offset
111///   resolution. Callers reusing a context across multiple buffers must
112///   call [`EvaluationContext::reset`](crate::evaluator::EvaluationContext::reset)
113///   between calls -- see [`evaluate_rules`] for details.
114///
115/// # Returns
116///
117/// Returns `Ok(Vec<RuleMatch>)` containing the parent match (if the rule
118/// matched) plus any child matches collected recursively. An empty vector
119/// means the rule did not match or was skipped due to a data-dependent
120/// evaluation error (buffer overrun, invalid offset, etc.). Only critical
121/// failures such as `LibmagicError::Timeout` or recursion-limit exhaustion
122/// are returned as `Err`.
123///
124/// # Examples
125///
126/// ```rust
127/// use libmagic_rs::evaluator::{evaluate_single_rule, EvaluationContext};
128/// use libmagic_rs::EvaluationConfig;
129/// use libmagic_rs::parser::ast::{MagicRule, OffsetSpec, TypeKind, Operator, Value};
130///
131/// // Create a rule to check for ELF magic bytes at offset 0
132/// let rule = MagicRule::new(OffsetSpec::Absolute(0), TypeKind::Byte { signed: true }, Operator::Equal, Value::Uint(0x7f), "ELF magic".to_string());
133///
134/// let mut context = EvaluationContext::new(EvaluationConfig::default());
135/// let elf_buffer = &[0x7f, 0x45, 0x4c, 0x46]; // ELF magic bytes
136/// let matches = evaluate_single_rule(&rule, elf_buffer, &mut context).unwrap();
137/// assert_eq!(matches.len(), 1); // Should match
138///
139/// context.reset();
140/// let non_elf_buffer = &[0x50, 0x4b, 0x03, 0x04]; // ZIP magic bytes
141/// let matches = evaluate_single_rule(&rule, non_elf_buffer, &mut context).unwrap();
142/// assert!(matches.is_empty()); // Should not match
143/// ```
144///
145/// # Errors
146///
147/// * `LibmagicError::Timeout` - If evaluation exceeds the configured timeout
148/// * `LibmagicError::EvaluationError` - For critical failures such as the
149///   recursion limit being exceeded. Data-dependent errors (buffer overrun,
150///   invalid offset, malformed pstring length) are handled gracefully by
151///   [`evaluate_rules`] and surface as an empty match vector rather than
152///   an error.
153pub fn evaluate_single_rule(
154    rule: &MagicRule,
155    buffer: &[u8],
156    context: &mut EvaluationContext,
157) -> Result<Vec<RuleMatch>, LibmagicError> {
158    evaluate_rules(std::slice::from_ref(rule), buffer, context)
159}
160
161/// Internal: evaluate a single rule against a buffer, supplying an explicit
162/// anchor for relative-offset resolution.
163///
164/// This is the worker behind both [`evaluate_single_rule`] (which defaults
165/// the anchor to 0) and [`evaluate_rules`] (which threads the anchor from
166/// `EvaluationContext::last_match_end()`).
167fn evaluate_single_rule_with_anchor(
168    rule: &MagicRule,
169    buffer: &[u8],
170    last_match_end: usize,
171    base_offset: usize,
172    max_string_length: usize,
173    flip_endian: bool,
174) -> Result<Option<(usize, crate::parser::ast::Value)>, LibmagicError> {
175    use crate::parser::ast::TypeKind;
176
177    // Step 1: Resolve the offset specification to an absolute position.
178    // `base_offset` is non-zero only inside a `MetaType::Use` subroutine
179    // body, where it biases positive absolute offsets to the use-site.
180    let absolute_offset =
181        offset::resolve_offset_with_base(&rule.offset, buffer, last_match_end, base_offset)?;
182
183    // Step 2 & 3: Dispatch on type category. Pattern-bearing types
184    // (Regex, Search) take a different path from fixed-width types
185    // because the rule's `value` operand is the *pattern*, not an
186    // expected matched value. Running those through `apply_operator`
187    // would compare matched text ("123") against the pattern literal
188    // ("[0-9]+") and produce false negatives on any regex with
189    // metacharacters.
190    //
191    // Meta-type directives (`default`, `clear`, `name`, `use`,
192    // `indirect`, `offset`) are dispatched by `evaluate_rules` at the
193    // outer loop level (not here) -- this single-rule helper is only
194    // invoked for non-meta rules. Short-circuiting the Meta arms here
195    // with `Ok(None)` is defense-in-depth for programmatic callers
196    // (property tests, fuzz harnesses) that hand-build a Meta rule
197    // and feed it directly to `evaluate_single_rule`; without the
198    // guard, the value/pattern paths would surface
199    // `TypeReadError::UnsupportedType`.
200    let (matched, read_value) = match &rule.typ {
201        TypeKind::Meta(MetaType::Name(name)) => {
202            // `Name` rules are normally hoisted into the name table at
203            // parse time and should not reach the evaluator. Programmatic
204            // consumers (e.g. fuzz harnesses, property tests) can still
205            // construct them directly; treat that as a no-op rather than
206            // a hard failure so the evaluator-never-panics invariant is
207            // preserved.
208            debug!(
209                "Name rule '{name}' reached evaluator (likely bypassed name-table extraction); treating as no-op"
210            );
211            return Ok(None);
212        }
213        TypeKind::Meta(MetaType::Use { .. }) => {
214            // `Use` is dispatched inline by `evaluate_rules` so it can
215            // push the subroutine's matches into the caller's match
216            // vector. Reaching this arm means the rule went through the
217            // single-rule path (e.g. via `evaluate_single_rule`) which
218            // lacks that wiring; treat it as a silent no-op.
219            return Ok(None);
220        }
221        TypeKind::Meta(_) => return Ok(None),
222        TypeKind::Regex { .. } | TypeKind::Search { .. } => {
223            evaluate_pattern_rule(rule, buffer, absolute_offset, max_string_length)?
224        }
225        // Flagged `string` rules route through the pattern-bearing path
226        // (see GOTCHAS S2.4 for the contract) so `compare_string_with_flags`
227        // can do the case-fold / whitespace-flexible match in one pass --
228        // but ONLY for the equality operators the pattern path supports.
229        // An ORDERING operator on a flagged string (e.g. the ubiquitous
230        // `string/t >\0` / `string/b >\0` "non-empty text here, print it with
231        // %s" idiom in `varied.script`, `sgml`, `linux`, ...) is a
232        // lexicographic comparison, not a pattern match; routing it to the
233        // pattern path made it a fatal `UnsupportedType` abort that killed the
234        // whole file's evaluation. The `/t`/`/b` flags are MIME-output hints
235        // with no comparison effect, so such a rule behaves like an unflagged
236        // `string >VALUE` and belongs on the value path. Default-flag strings
237        // (the common case) also take that value-rule fast path.
238        TypeKind::String { flags, .. }
239            if !flags.is_empty()
240                && matches!(
241                    rule.op,
242                    crate::parser::ast::Operator::Equal | crate::parser::ast::Operator::NotEqual
243                ) =>
244        {
245            evaluate_pattern_rule(rule, buffer, absolute_offset, max_string_length)?
246        }
247        _ => evaluate_value_rule(
248            rule,
249            buffer,
250            absolute_offset,
251            max_string_length,
252            flip_endian,
253        )?,
254    };
255    Ok(matched.then_some((absolute_offset, read_value)))
256}
257
258/// Evaluate a list of magic rules against a file buffer with hierarchical processing
259///
260/// This function implements the core hierarchical rule evaluation algorithm with graceful
261/// error handling:
262/// 1. Evaluates each top-level rule in sequence
263/// 2. If a parent rule matches, evaluates its child rules for refinement
264/// 3. Collects all matches or stops at first match based on configuration
265/// 4. Maintains evaluation context for recursion limits and state
266/// 5. Implements graceful degradation by skipping problematic rules and continuing evaluation
267///
268/// The hierarchical evaluation follows these principles:
269/// - Parent rules must match before children are evaluated
270/// - Child rules provide refinement and additional detail
271/// - Evaluation can stop at first match or continue for all matches
272/// - Recursion depth is limited to prevent infinite loops
273/// - Problematic rules are skipped to allow evaluation to continue
274///
275/// # Arguments
276///
277/// * `rules` - The list of magic rules to evaluate
278/// * `buffer` - The file buffer to evaluate against
279/// * `context` - Mutable evaluation context for state management. **Callers
280///   reusing a context across multiple buffers must call
281///   [`EvaluationContext::reset`](crate::evaluator::EvaluationContext::reset)
282///   between calls** -- the GNU `file` previous-match anchor and the
283///   recursion-depth counter both advance during evaluation and would
284///   otherwise leak across buffers. The same applies when this function
285///   returns `Err` mid-evaluation (e.g., `LibmagicError::Timeout` or
286///   `RecursionLimitExceeded`): both the anchor and (potentially) the
287///   recursion depth are left in a partially-advanced state, and a retry
288///   on the same context without `reset()` will resolve relative offsets
289///   against the stale anchor and apply the wrong recursion budget.
290///   [`evaluate_rules_with_config`] always builds a fresh context and is the
291///   safer choice when context reuse isn't required.
292///
293/// # Returns
294///
295/// Returns `Ok(Vec<RuleMatch>)` containing all matches found. Errors in individual rules
296/// are skipped to allow evaluation to continue. Only returns `Err(LibmagicError)`
297/// for critical failures like timeout or recursion limit exceeded.
298///
299/// # Examples
300///
301/// ```rust
302/// use libmagic_rs::evaluator::{evaluate_rules, EvaluationContext, RuleMatch};
303/// use libmagic_rs::parser::ast::{MagicRule, OffsetSpec, TypeKind, Operator, Value};
304/// use libmagic_rs::EvaluationConfig;
305///
306/// // Create a hierarchical rule set for ELF files
307/// let parent_rule = MagicRule::new(
308///     OffsetSpec::Absolute(0),
309///     TypeKind::Byte { signed: true },
310///     Operator::Equal,
311///     Value::Uint(0x7f),
312///     "ELF".to_string(),
313/// )
314/// .with_children(vec![
315///     MagicRule::new(
316///         OffsetSpec::Absolute(4),
317///         TypeKind::Byte { signed: true },
318///         Operator::Equal,
319///         Value::Uint(2),
320///         "64-bit".to_string(),
321///     )
322///     .with_level(1),
323/// ]);
324///
325/// let rules = vec![parent_rule];
326/// let buffer = &[0x7f, 0x45, 0x4c, 0x46, 0x02, 0x01]; // ELF64 header
327/// let config = EvaluationConfig::default();
328/// let mut context = EvaluationContext::new(config);
329///
330/// let matches = evaluate_rules(&rules, buffer, &mut context).unwrap();
331/// assert_eq!(matches.len(), 2); // Parent and child should both match
332/// ```
333///
334/// # Errors
335///
336/// * `LibmagicError::Timeout` - If evaluation exceeds configured timeout
337/// * `LibmagicError::EvaluationError` - Only for critical failures like recursion limit exceeded
338///
339/// Individual rule evaluation errors are handled gracefully and do not stop the overall evaluation.
340#[allow(clippy::too_many_lines)]
341pub fn evaluate_rules(
342    rules: &[MagicRule],
343    buffer: &[u8],
344    context: &mut EvaluationContext,
345) -> Result<Vec<RuleMatch>, LibmagicError> {
346    let mut matches = Vec::with_capacity(8);
347    let start_time = std::time::Instant::now();
348    let mut rule_count = 0u32;
349
350    // Per-level "did any sibling match yet?" flag for `default`/`clear`
351    // dispatch. Each recursive descent gets its own fresh flag, so child
352    // sibling chains track their own state independently of the parent.
353    let mut sibling_matched = false;
354
355    // Per-level entry anchor: captured at the start of this sibling list's
356    // evaluation. For CHILD sibling lists (recursion_depth > 0), the
357    // GNU `file`/libmagic previous-match anchor is reset to this value
358    // between sibling iterations so that `&N` offsets on continuation
359    // siblings resolve against the parent-level anchor, not against
360    // whatever the *previous sibling* left the anchor at. This matches
361    // libmagic's continuation-level model (`ms->c.li[cont_level]`)
362    // where each level tracks its own anchor; a sibling at level L does
363    // not inherit the post-match anchor of another sibling at level L.
364    //
365    // TOP-LEVEL siblings (recursion_depth == 0) are independent
366    // classification attempts -- each top-level rule intentionally sees
367    // the anchor advance that prior top-level rules produced (see
368    // GOTCHAS S3.8 and the `relative_anchor_can_decrease_...`
369    // integration test). Gate the reset on recursion_depth to preserve
370    // that documented discipline while still fixing the continuation-
371    // sibling behavior that the GNU `file` `searchbug.magic` fixture
372    // relies on.
373    //
374    // Recursing into a matched rule's children still carries forward the
375    // post-match anchor (via the current value of `last_match_end()` at
376    // the point of recursion), so child sibling lists see their parent's
377    // resolved position as their own entry anchor.
378    //
379    // INDIRECT RE-ENTRY exception: `MetaType::Indirect` dispatches its
380    // sub-evaluation via `RecursionGuard::enter` (to bound the recursion
381    // cycle), which forces `recursion_depth > 0`. But an indirect
382    // re-entry semantically evaluates the root rule list with TOP-LEVEL
383    // sibling semantics -- each rule is an independent classification
384    // attempt against the re-entered sub-buffer, NOT a continuation
385    // list. The indirect dispatch sets `context.set_indirect_reentry(true)`
386    // just before this call; `take_indirect_reentry()` consumes it at
387    // entry so only this iteration treats siblings as top-level.
388    // Children of matched rules inside the re-entry still see the flag
389    // as false (consumed) and correctly fall back to continuation
390    // semantics via `recursion_depth > 0`.
391    let entry_anchor = context.last_match_end();
392    let is_indirect_reentry = context.take_indirect_reentry();
393    let is_child_sibling_list = context.recursion_depth() > 0 && !is_indirect_reentry;
394
395    // `stop_at_first_match` is a TOP-LEVEL classification concept (see the
396    // `EvaluationConfig::stop_at_first_match` doc): once an outermost rule --
397    // or an indirect re-entry, which is itself a fresh top-level
398    // classification -- produces a message-bearing match, we stop trying
399    // other top-level candidates. It must NOT short-circuit a child /
400    // continuation sibling list or a `use` subroutine body: every matching
401    // sibling there contributes a detail fragment to the description (e.g.
402    // gzip's "max compression", "from Unix", "original size modulo 2^32 N"),
403    // and truncating them silently drops multi-part descriptions. This
404    // mirrors libmagic, where continuation levels always evaluate every
405    // sibling and only the top-level `match()` loop stops at first success.
406    // (An earlier revision applied the break at every recursion level, which
407    // violated the documented top-level-only contract and truncated gzip's
408    // trailing detail after its first message-bearing child.)
409    let stop_at_first_match_applies = !is_child_sibling_list;
410
411    // Entry-point timeout check: ensures every recursive descent is bounded
412    // and that evaluations of small rule sets (< 16 rules) are still guarded.
413    // Without this, the periodic every-16-rules check below never fires for
414    // flat rule lists with fewer than 16 rules, and recursion into children
415    // also restarts `rule_count` at 0.
416    if let Some(timeout_ms) = context.timeout_ms()
417        && start_time.elapsed().as_millis() >= u128::from(timeout_ms)
418    {
419        return Err(LibmagicError::Timeout { timeout_ms });
420    }
421
422    for rule in rules {
423        // For continuation siblings (child recursion), reset the
424        // previous-match anchor to the entry anchor so `&N` offsets
425        // resolve against the parent-level position. Top-level
426        // siblings (depth 0) keep the chaining behavior documented in
427        // GOTCHAS S3.8. See the `entry_anchor` comment above.
428        if is_child_sibling_list {
429            context.set_last_match_end(entry_anchor);
430        }
431
432        // Check timeout periodically (every 16 rules) to reduce syscall overhead
433        rule_count = rule_count.wrapping_add(1);
434        if rule_count.trailing_zeros() >= 4
435            && let Some(timeout_ms) = context.timeout_ms()
436            && start_time.elapsed().as_millis() >= u128::from(timeout_ms)
437        {
438            return Err(LibmagicError::Timeout { timeout_ms });
439        }
440
441        // `Clear` resets the per-level "sibling matched" flag so a
442        // subsequent `default` sibling can fire even if an earlier
443        // sibling matched. Matching libmagic's `FILE_CLEAR`, the flag is
444        // unconditionally reset and NEVER re-set to `true` afterward
445        // (clear does not participate in the "a sibling matched" chain).
446        //
447        // libmagic's `FILE_CLEAR` also COUNTS as a match -- its `x` test
448        // always succeeds -- and `mprint` renders its description when it
449        // is non-empty. So a `clear` carrying message text must emit that
450        // text (c-lang's `>>&0 clear x program text` is the only such rule
451        // in the system DB, producing the "program text" fragment of
452        // `c program text`). Verified against real `file` (file-5.41):
453        // a message-bearing `clear` child prints its message AND still
454        // resets the flag so a trailing `default` sibling fires.
455        //
456        // Emission is guarded on a non-empty message so the many bare
457        // `clear x` flag-reset directives throughout the system DB (apple,
458        // coff, elf, pmem, ...) behave exactly as before -- no match, no
459        // anchor advance. `clear` is 0-width, so the previous-match anchor
460        // is intentionally not advanced in either case. Children are
461        // evaluated for a message-bearing clear for libmagic fidelity;
462        // `evaluate_children_or_warn` is a no-op when there are none.
463        if let TypeKind::Meta(MetaType::Clear) = &rule.typ {
464            sibling_matched = false;
465
466            if !rule.message.is_empty() {
467                let matches_before = matches.len();
468
469                let match_result = RuleMatch::new(
470                    rule.message.clone(),
471                    context.last_match_end(),
472                    rule.level,
473                    crate::parser::ast::Value::Uint(0),
474                    rule.typ.clone(),
475                    RuleMatch::calculate_confidence(rule.level),
476                );
477                matches.push(match_result);
478
479                evaluate_children_or_warn(rule, "clear", buffer, context, &mut matches)?;
480
481                if stop_at_first_match_applies
482                    && matches.len() > matches_before
483                    && context.should_stop_at_first_match()
484                    && has_message_bearing_match(&matches, matches_before)
485                {
486                    break;
487                }
488            }
489            continue;
490        }
491
492        // `Default` fires only when no earlier sibling at this level has
493        // matched yet. The anchor is intentionally not advanced -- the
494        // directive does not consume bytes -- but its children are
495        // evaluated and the per-level "sibling matched" flag is set so
496        // any later `default` sibling at the same level is suppressed.
497        if let TypeKind::Meta(MetaType::Default) = &rule.typ {
498            if !sibling_matched {
499                let matches_before = matches.len();
500
501                let match_result = RuleMatch::new(
502                    rule.message.clone(),
503                    context.last_match_end(),
504                    rule.level,
505                    crate::parser::ast::Value::Uint(0),
506                    rule.typ.clone(),
507                    RuleMatch::calculate_confidence(rule.level),
508                );
509                matches.push(match_result);
510
511                // `default` is treated as a successful match at this
512                // level, so its children are evaluated under the same
513                // recursion-guard pattern as every other successful rule.
514                evaluate_children_or_warn(rule, "default", buffer, context, &mut matches)?;
515
516                sibling_matched = true;
517
518                if stop_at_first_match_applies
519                    && matches.len() > matches_before
520                    && context.should_stop_at_first_match()
521                    && has_message_bearing_match(&matches, matches_before)
522                {
523                    break;
524                }
525            }
526            continue;
527        }
528
529        // `Indirect` re-evaluates the root rule list at the resolved
530        // offset, mirroring libmagic's indirect-type semantics. The
531        // sub-evaluation runs against `buffer[absolute_offset..]` with a
532        // fresh anchor (0) so relative offsets inside the root rules
533        // resolve correctly; the caller's anchor is restored on exit
534        // via `AnchorScope`. Without an attached `RuleEnvironment`
535        // (programmatic consumers bypassing `MagicDatabase`) the
536        // directive is a silent no-op.
537        if let TypeKind::Meta(MetaType::Indirect) = &rule.typ {
538            // Resolve the offset first so a malformed offset surfaces
539            // as a graceful skip rather than a hard error.
540            let absolute_offset = match offset::resolve_offset_with_base(
541                &rule.offset,
542                buffer,
543                context.last_match_end(),
544                context.base_offset(),
545            ) {
546                Ok(o) => o,
547                Err(
548                    e @ LibmagicError::EvaluationError(
549                        crate::error::EvaluationError::BufferOverrun { .. }
550                        | crate::error::EvaluationError::InvalidOffset { .. },
551                    ),
552                ) => {
553                    debug!("Skipping indirect rule '{}': {}", rule.message, e);
554                    continue;
555                }
556                Err(e) => return Err(e),
557            };
558
559            // Pull the root rules out of the rule environment. Without
560            // an environment there is nothing to re-enter, so this is a
561            // silent no-op (matching the `Use`-without-env behavior).
562            //
563            // We use `debug!` rather than `debug_assert!` here because
564            // property tests (`prop_arbitrary_rule_evaluation_never_panics`)
565            // synthesize arbitrary `TypeKind::Meta(MetaType::Indirect)`
566            // rules and run them without attaching a `RuleEnvironment`;
567            // a panic on this path would break the never-panics invariant.
568            // See GOTCHAS S2.1 for the same rationale on the leaked-Name arm.
569            let Some(root_rules) = context
570                .rule_env()
571                .map(|e| std::sync::Arc::clone(&e.root_rules))
572            else {
573                debug!(
574                    "indirect rule '{}' evaluated without a rule environment; treating as no-op",
575                    rule.message
576                );
577                continue;
578            };
579
580            // Bounds-check before slicing. An indirect offset past the
581            // end of the buffer is a data-dependent skip, not an error.
582            let Some(sub_buffer) = buffer.get(absolute_offset..) else {
583                debug!(
584                    "Skipping indirect rule '{}': offset {} past buffer end ({} bytes)",
585                    rule.message,
586                    absolute_offset,
587                    buffer.len()
588                );
589                continue;
590            };
591
592            let matches_before = matches.len();
593
594            // Advance the GNU `file` previous-match anchor to the indirect's
595            // resolved offset and emit a `RuleMatch` for the indirect rule
596            // itself BEFORE descending into the root re-entry or children.
597            // This matches the shared successful-match flow used by every
598            // other rule kind: advance anchor first, record the match, then
599            // recurse. Without this, sibling rules of the `indirect` resolve
600            // their relative offsets against the stale anchor and the
601            // directive's own `message` never surfaces in the output.
602            context.set_last_match_end(absolute_offset);
603
604            let indirect_match = RuleMatch::new(
605                rule.message.clone(),
606                absolute_offset,
607                rule.level,
608                crate::parser::ast::Value::String("indirect".to_string()),
609                rule.typ.clone(),
610                RuleMatch::calculate_confidence(rule.level),
611            );
612            matches.push(indirect_match);
613
614            // Indirect counts as a match for `sibling_matched` regardless of
615            // whether the sub-evaluation produced any matches -- the directive
616            // itself successfully dispatched.
617            sibling_matched = true;
618
619            // Recursion guard + anchor scope: nested indirect / use cycles
620            // surface as `RecursionLimitExceeded` instead of a stack overflow,
621            // and the caller's anchor is restored on every exit path.
622            //
623            // Mark the upcoming `evaluate_rules` call as a top-level
624            // re-entry (consumed at entry) so sibling anchor-reset
625            // semantics do NOT fire -- root rules in the re-entered
626            // database chain their anchors across siblings like any
627            // other top-level evaluation.
628            {
629                let mut guard = RecursionGuard::enter(context)?;
630                let mut anchor_scope = AnchorScope::enter(guard.context(), 0);
631                anchor_scope.context().set_indirect_reentry(true);
632                match evaluate_rules(&root_rules, sub_buffer, anchor_scope.context()) {
633                    Ok(sub_matches) => {
634                        matches.extend(sub_matches);
635                    }
636                    Err(LibmagicError::Timeout { timeout_ms }) => {
637                        return Err(LibmagicError::Timeout { timeout_ms });
638                    }
639                    Err(e) => return Err(e),
640                }
641                // anchor_scope drops here, restoring the saved anchor
642                // (which is now `absolute_offset`, set above before the
643                // scope was entered).
644                // guard drops next, decrementing the recursion depth.
645            }
646
647            // Evaluate the indirect rule's own children under the same
648            // recursion-guard pattern used by every other successful rule.
649            evaluate_children_or_warn(rule, "indirect", buffer, context, &mut matches)?;
650
651            if stop_at_first_match_applies
652                && matches.len() > matches_before
653                && context.should_stop_at_first_match()
654                && has_message_bearing_match(&matches, matches_before)
655            {
656                break;
657            }
658            continue;
659        }
660
661        // `Offset` reports the resolved file offset as the rule's read
662        // value, matching GNU `file`'s `FILE_OFFSET` semantics: the match
663        // emits a value-bearing `RuleMatch` whose `value` is the absolute
664        // position, which downstream message formatting substitutes into
665        // `%lld` / `%d` specifiers via `output::format::format_magic_message`.
666        //
667        // Per magic(5) the only legal operator is `x` (AnyValue); any
668        // other operator is a magic-file semantic error. Matching the
669        // evaluator's graceful-skip discipline, we `debug!`-log and skip
670        // rather than erroring -- a rogue rule shouldn't poison the rest
671        // of the evaluation.
672        if let TypeKind::Meta(MetaType::Offset) = &rule.typ {
673            // Resolve the offset first so a malformed offset surfaces as
674            // a graceful skip rather than a hard error. Mirrors the
675            // `Indirect` dispatch above.
676            let absolute_offset = match offset::resolve_offset_with_base(
677                &rule.offset,
678                buffer,
679                context.last_match_end(),
680                context.base_offset(),
681            ) {
682                Ok(o) => o,
683                Err(
684                    e @ LibmagicError::EvaluationError(
685                        crate::error::EvaluationError::BufferOverrun { .. }
686                        | crate::error::EvaluationError::InvalidOffset { .. },
687                    ),
688                ) => {
689                    debug!("Skipping offset rule '{}': {}", rule.message, e);
690                    continue;
691                }
692                Err(e) => return Err(e),
693            };
694
695            // The magic(5) `offset` pseudo-type treats the resolved offset
696            // itself as the read value. `offset x` is a bare AnyValue
697            // placeholder that always matches (used purely to report the
698            // position via `%lld`). A comparison operator (`offset >48`,
699            // `offset <48`, `offset =N`, ...) tests the resolved offset
700            // against the operand -- e.g. gzip's `>>-0 offset >48` gates
701            // the trailing "original size modulo 2^32" trailer on the file
702            // being long enough to carry it, and its `>>-0 offset <48`
703            // sibling reports "truncated" otherwise. Skip the rule (a
704            // non-match) when the comparison fails so the false branch and
705            // its children do not render.
706            let offset_value = crate::parser::ast::Value::Uint(absolute_offset as u64);
707            let offset_matched = match &rule.op {
708                crate::parser::ast::Operator::AnyValue => true,
709                op => operators::apply_operator(op, &offset_value, &rule.value),
710            };
711            if !offset_matched {
712                continue;
713            }
714
715            let matches_before = matches.len();
716
717            // Advance the anchor BEFORE emitting the match so sibling
718            // rules resolve their relative offsets against the offset
719            // directive's resolved position. Same discipline as
720            // `Indirect` and every other value-bearing rule.
721            context.set_last_match_end(absolute_offset);
722
723            let offset_match = RuleMatch::new(
724                rule.message.clone(),
725                absolute_offset,
726                rule.level,
727                offset_value,
728                rule.typ.clone(),
729                RuleMatch::calculate_confidence(rule.level),
730            );
731            matches.push(offset_match);
732
733            sibling_matched = true;
734
735            // Evaluate children under the recursion-guard pattern used
736            // by every other successful rule.
737            evaluate_children_or_warn(rule, "offset", buffer, context, &mut matches)?;
738
739            if stop_at_first_match_applies
740                && matches.len() > matches_before
741                && context.should_stop_at_first_match()
742                && has_message_bearing_match(&matches, matches_before)
743            {
744                break;
745            }
746            continue;
747        }
748
749        // `Use` is handled inline so the subroutine's matches can be
750        // spliced into the caller's match vector in document order.
751        // Routing this through `evaluate_single_rule_with_anchor` would
752        // force the helper to return a `Vec<RuleMatch>`, which would
753        // reshape the single-rule return type for every other variant.
754        //
755        // On a successful use path we must also descend into the rule's
756        // own children, matching the flow of every other successful rule
757        // kind. libmagic chains like `>>0 use part2` often carry
758        // continuation rules (siblings and descendants of the `use` site)
759        // that depend on the anchor the subroutine left behind; skipping
760        // them produces user-visible false negatives.
761        if let TypeKind::Meta(MetaType::Use { name, flip_endian }) = &rule.typ {
762            let matches_before = matches.len();
763            let use_resolved = match evaluate_use_rule(rule, name, *flip_endian, buffer, context) {
764                Ok((Some(terminal_anchor), subroutine_matches)) => {
765                    matches.extend(subroutine_matches);
766
767                    // A `use` rule does not produce a surface
768                    // `RuleMatch` itself -- the subroutine's rules
769                    // carry the visible messages. Advance the
770                    // caller's anchor to the subroutine's TERMINAL
771                    // anchor (where the subroutine left `last_match_end`),
772                    // not the use-site offset. This makes `use`
773                    // behave like inlining the subroutine: sibling
774                    // rules after the `use` see `&N` resolve against
775                    // the subroutine's final match position.
776                    context.set_last_match_end(terminal_anchor);
777                    true
778                }
779                Ok((None, _)) => {
780                    // No environment, or name not found -- silent no-op.
781                    false
782                }
783                Err(
784                    e @ LibmagicError::EvaluationError(
785                        crate::error::EvaluationError::BufferOverrun { .. }
786                        | crate::error::EvaluationError::InvalidOffset { .. },
787                    ),
788                ) => {
789                    debug!("Skipping use rule '{name}': {e}");
790                    false
791                }
792                Err(e) => return Err(e),
793            };
794
795            // Evaluate the use rule's own children exactly like any other
796            // successful rule. Subroutine matches are already appended
797            // above, so children are spliced in after them to preserve
798            // document order. The recursion guard mirrors the non-`Use`
799            // path so a `use`-site chain cannot blow past the configured
800            // recursion limit.
801            if use_resolved {
802                evaluate_children_or_warn(rule, "use", buffer, context, &mut matches)?;
803            }
804
805            // A successful `use` site is treated as a sibling match for
806            // `default`/`clear` dispatch purposes -- subsequent `default`
807            // siblings should not fire if the subroutine resolved.
808            if use_resolved {
809                sibling_matched = true;
810            }
811
812            // Apply stop-at-first-match with the same semantics as every
813            // other successful rule kind: if this `use` site contributed
814            // any matches (either from the subroutine or from its own
815            // children) and the caller configured first-match
816            // short-circuiting, halt evaluation of further siblings --
817            // but only once one of those matches actually carries usable
818            // description text (see `has_message_bearing_match`).
819            if stop_at_first_match_applies
820                && matches.len() > matches_before
821                && context.should_stop_at_first_match()
822                && has_message_bearing_match(&matches, matches_before)
823            {
824                break;
825            }
826            continue;
827        }
828
829        // Evaluate the current rule with graceful error handling.
830        // Pass the GNU `file` anchor so OffsetSpec::Relative resolves
831        // correctly against the previous match's end position.
832        let match_data = match evaluate_single_rule_with_anchor(
833            rule,
834            buffer,
835            context.last_match_end(),
836            context.base_offset(),
837            context.max_string_length(),
838            context.flip_endian(),
839        ) {
840            Ok(data) => data,
841            Err(
842                e @ (LibmagicError::EvaluationError(
843                    crate::error::EvaluationError::BufferOverrun { .. }
844                    | crate::error::EvaluationError::InvalidOffset { .. }
845                    | crate::error::EvaluationError::InvalidValueTransform { .. }
846                    | crate::error::EvaluationError::TypeReadError(
847                        crate::evaluator::types::TypeReadError::BufferOverrun { .. }
848                        | crate::evaluator::types::TypeReadError::InvalidPStringLength { .. },
849                    ),
850                )
851                | LibmagicError::IoError(_)),
852            ) => {
853                // Expected data-dependent evaluation errors -- skip gracefully.
854                // TypeReadError::UnsupportedType is intentionally NOT caught
855                // here (except the narrow exception in the arm immediately
856                // below) so that evaluator capability gaps propagate as
857                // errors.
858                debug!("Skipping rule '{}': {}", rule.message, e);
859                continue;
860            }
861            // Narrow graceful-skip (KTD4, fix-system-magic-regex-graceful
862            // plan; variant-keyed since issue #391 item 2): a pattern-bearing
863            // type (`Regex`/`Search`/flagged `String`) evaluated without a
864            // usable `String`/`Bytes` pattern operand, or a regex compile
865            // failure (including the `REGEX_COMPILE_SIZE_LIMIT` CWE-1333 DoS
866            // guard), must not abort the whole file's evaluation (R1/R2).
867            // The skip is keyed on the dedicated `MissingPatternOperand` /
868            // `RegexCompileError` variants via `TypeReadError::is_pattern_skip`
869            // -- NOT on `UnsupportedType`, so any genuine capability gap
870            // (an unwired `TypeKind` variant, a non-Equal/NotEqual operator
871            // on a pattern-bearing type, a `Meta` read as a value) stays an
872            // `UnsupportedType` and falls through to the catch-all below and
873            // propagates (R3). See `log_pattern_operand_skip` for the
874            // debug!/warn! split.
875            Err(LibmagicError::EvaluationError(crate::error::EvaluationError::TypeReadError(
876                ref tre,
877            ))) if tre.is_pattern_skip() => {
878                log_pattern_operand_skip("top-level", &rule.message, tre);
879                continue;
880            }
881            Err(e) => {
882                // Unexpected errors (InternalError, other UnsupportedType
883                // conditions, etc.) should propagate.
884                return Err(e);
885            }
886        };
887
888        if let Some((absolute_offset, read_value)) = match_data {
889            let matches_before = matches.len();
890
891            // Advance the GNU `file` previous-match anchor BEFORE recursing
892            // into children, so children and their descendants see the new
893            // anchor. The anchor is updated unconditionally to the end of
894            // this match -- it may move forward or backward depending on
895            // where successive rules match (it is *not* a high-watermark).
896            let consumed = types::bytes_consumed_with_pattern(
897                buffer,
898                absolute_offset,
899                &rule.typ,
900                Some(&rule.value),
901            );
902            let new_anchor = absolute_offset.saturating_add(consumed);
903            context.set_last_match_end(new_anchor);
904
905            // Mark this level as "matched" so any subsequent `default`
906            // sibling at the same level is suppressed, matching libmagic's
907            // default-after-match semantics.
908            sibling_matched = true;
909
910            let match_result = RuleMatch::new(
911                rule.message.clone(),
912                absolute_offset,
913                rule.level,
914                read_value,
915                rule.typ.clone(),
916                RuleMatch::calculate_confidence(rule.level),
917            );
918            matches.push(match_result);
919
920            // If this rule has children, evaluate them recursively
921            if !rule.children.is_empty() {
922                // Check recursion depth limit - this is a critical error that should stop evaluation.
923                // `RecursionGuard` decrements the depth on drop, so every exit path below
924                // (Ok, graceful warn!, or early-return via `?`) restores the counter.
925                let mut guard = RecursionGuard::enter(context)?;
926
927                // Recursively evaluate child rules with graceful error handling
928                match evaluate_rules(&rule.children, buffer, guard.context()) {
929                    Ok(child_matches) => {
930                        matches.extend(child_matches);
931                    }
932                    Err(LibmagicError::Timeout { timeout_ms }) => {
933                        // Timeout is critical, propagate it up (guard drops here).
934                        return Err(LibmagicError::Timeout { timeout_ms });
935                    }
936                    Err(
937                        e @ (LibmagicError::EvaluationError(
938                            crate::error::EvaluationError::BufferOverrun { .. }
939                            | crate::error::EvaluationError::InvalidOffset { .. }
940                            | crate::error::EvaluationError::InvalidValueTransform { .. }
941                            | crate::error::EvaluationError::TypeReadError(
942                                crate::evaluator::types::TypeReadError::BufferOverrun { .. }
943                                | crate::evaluator::types::TypeReadError::InvalidPStringLength {
944                                    ..
945                                },
946                            ),
947                        )
948                        | LibmagicError::IoError(_)),
949                    ) => {
950                        // Defensive: under the current implementation, individual child
951                        // failures are caught and logged inside the recursive evaluate_rules
952                        // call (they never propagate here). This arm guards against future
953                        // changes that might alter that error-handling strategy.
954                        //
955                        // If this fires, the parent match is still emitted but the entire
956                        // child subtree is silently dropped -- which means a partial,
957                        // possibly-incorrect classification is returned to the caller.
958                        // Logged at warn! (not debug!) so the asymmetry is visible.
959                        warn!(
960                            "Discarding child evaluation under rule '{}' due to unexpected error: {} -- parent match is still emitted; investigate the recursive evaluate_rules error-handling path",
961                            rule.message, e
962                        );
963                    }
964                    // Narrow graceful-skip (KTD4): same allowlist as the
965                    // top-level dispatch match above and
966                    // `evaluate_children_or_warn` -- a pattern-bearing type
967                    // evaluated without a usable pattern operand, or a
968                    // regex compile failure, must not abort the parent's
969                    // match. Defensive: individual child failures are
970                    // already caught inside the recursive `evaluate_rules`
971                    // call and never reach here under the current
972                    // implementation; this arm guards against a future
973                    // change to that strategy.
974                    Err(LibmagicError::EvaluationError(
975                        crate::error::EvaluationError::TypeReadError(ref tre),
976                    )) if tre.is_pattern_skip() => {
977                        log_pattern_operand_skip("child", &rule.message, tre);
978                    }
979                    Err(e) => {
980                        // Unexpected errors in children (including RecursionLimitExceeded)
981                        // should propagate. The guard drops here, decrementing the depth.
982                        return Err(e);
983                    }
984                }
985                // `guard` drops here, decrementing the recursion depth.
986            }
987
988            // Stop at first match if configured to do so -- but only once
989            // this rule (or one of its descendants) actually contributed
990            // usable description text. A message-less match (e.g. a
991            // gating rule used purely to trigger a child) must not shadow
992            // a later, more specific top-level rule that would otherwise
993            // produce real output (GOTCHAS S13.2).
994            if stop_at_first_match_applies
995                && context.should_stop_at_first_match()
996                && has_message_bearing_match(&matches, matches_before)
997            {
998                break;
999            }
1000        }
1001    }
1002
1003    Ok(matches)
1004}
1005
1006/// Evaluate magic rules with a fresh context
1007///
1008/// This is a convenience function that creates a new evaluation context
1009/// and evaluates the rules. Useful for simple evaluation scenarios.
1010///
1011/// # Arguments
1012///
1013/// * `rules` - The list of magic rules to evaluate
1014/// * `buffer` - The file buffer to evaluate against
1015/// * `config` - Configuration for evaluation behavior
1016///
1017/// # Returns
1018///
1019/// Returns `Ok(Vec<RuleMatch>)` containing all matches found, or `Err(LibmagicError)`
1020/// if evaluation fails.
1021///
1022/// # Examples
1023///
1024/// ```rust
1025/// use libmagic_rs::evaluator::{evaluate_rules_with_config, RuleMatch};
1026/// use libmagic_rs::parser::ast::{MagicRule, OffsetSpec, TypeKind, Operator, Value};
1027/// use libmagic_rs::EvaluationConfig;
1028///
1029/// let rule = MagicRule::new(OffsetSpec::Absolute(0), TypeKind::Byte { signed: true }, Operator::Equal, Value::Uint(0x7f), "ELF magic".to_string());
1030///
1031/// let rules = vec![rule];
1032/// let buffer = &[0x7f, 0x45, 0x4c, 0x46];
1033/// let config = EvaluationConfig::default();
1034///
1035/// let matches = evaluate_rules_with_config(&rules, buffer, &config).unwrap();
1036/// assert_eq!(matches.len(), 1);
1037/// assert_eq!(matches[0].message, "ELF magic");
1038/// ```
1039///
1040/// # Errors
1041///
1042/// * `LibmagicError::EvaluationError` - If rule evaluation fails
1043/// * `LibmagicError::Timeout` - If evaluation exceeds configured timeout
1044pub fn evaluate_rules_with_config(
1045    rules: &[MagicRule],
1046    buffer: &[u8],
1047    config: &EvaluationConfig,
1048) -> Result<Vec<RuleMatch>, LibmagicError> {
1049    // Validate the configuration before constructing a context so that
1050    // out-of-range values (e.g. zero recursion depth, excessive timeouts)
1051    // are rejected at the API boundary rather than triggering subtle
1052    // failures during evaluation.
1053    config.validate()?;
1054    // Diagnostic guard: `evaluate_rules_with_config` builds a context
1055    // without an attached `RuleEnvironment`, which means any
1056    // `MetaType::Indirect` rule reached during evaluation is silently
1057    // no-op'd at runtime. That is the intentional behavior for low-level
1058    // callers (matching the `Use`-without-env contract), but we surface
1059    // the misconfiguration at `warn!` level (once per process) so a
1060    // consumer who wires up env-less `indirect` rules will see the
1061    // diagnostic in default logging rather than only at debug level.
1062    // The tree walk runs only in debug builds -- in release builds the
1063    // `cfg(debug_assertions)` gate prevents the O(n) scan on every
1064    // top-level evaluation. Using `debug_assert!` would panic in test
1065    // builds and break the "evaluator never panics" invariant documented
1066    // in GOTCHAS S2.4 -- a misconfigured caller should get a no-op with
1067    // a log entry, not a crash.
1068    #[cfg(debug_assertions)]
1069    if contains_indirect_rule(rules)
1070        && !INDIRECT_WITHOUT_RULE_ENV_WARNED.swap(true, Ordering::Relaxed)
1071    {
1072        warn!(
1073            "{} (subsequent occurrences suppressed)",
1074            crate::error::EvaluationError::indirect_without_environment()
1075        );
1076    }
1077    // Clear the thread-local regex compile cache so it is bounded to
1078    // the lifetime of a single top-level evaluation call. Cache
1079    // entries from a previous rule set would otherwise persist on the
1080    // current thread until process exit. See
1081    // `evaluator::types::regex::reset_regex_cache` for rationale.
1082    crate::evaluator::types::regex::reset_regex_cache();
1083    let mut context = EvaluationContext::new(config.clone());
1084    evaluate_rules(rules, buffer, &mut context)
1085}
1086
1087/// Recursively walk `rules` (including children) looking for any
1088/// [`MetaType::Indirect`] directive.
1089///
1090/// Used by the diagnostic guard in [`evaluate_rules_with_config`]: the
1091/// low-level `_with_config` entry point builds a context without a
1092/// [`crate::evaluator::RuleEnvironment`], so any `indirect` rule is
1093/// silently no-op'd at runtime. The check logs the misconfiguration at
1094/// `debug!` level so consumer tests can detect it without panicking (see
1095/// GOTCHAS S2.4 for why `debug_assert!` would be wrong here).
1096// Gated to debug builds like its only caller (see the diagnostic guard in
1097// `evaluate_rules_with_config`).
1098#[cfg(debug_assertions)]
1099fn contains_indirect_rule(rules: &[MagicRule]) -> bool {
1100    rules.iter().any(|rule| {
1101        matches!(rule.typ, TypeKind::Meta(MetaType::Indirect))
1102            || contains_indirect_rule(&rule.children)
1103    })
1104}
1105
1106#[cfg(test)]
1107mod tests;