Subject: Re: [PATCH net 1/4] netfilter: remove nf_conntrack_helper sysctl and modparam toggles

From: Jakub Kicinski <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 1 Sep 2022 21:07:15 -0700

On Thu,  1 Sep 2022 09:12:35 +0200 Florian Westphal wrote:
> From: Pablo Neira Ayuso <[email-masked]>
> 
> __nf_ct_try_assign_helper() remains in place but it now requires a
> template to configure the helper.
> 
> A toggle to disable automatic helper assignment was added by:
> 
>   a9006892643a ("netfilter: nf_ct_helper: allow to disable automatic helper assignment")
> 
> in 2012 to address the issues described in "Secure use of iptables and
> connection tracking helpers". Automatic conntrack helper assignment was
> disabled by:
> 
>   3bb398d925ec ("netfilter: nf_ct_helper: disable automatic helper assignment")
> 
> back in 2016.
> 
> This patch removes the sysctl and modparam toggles, users now have to
> rely on explicit conntrack helper configuration via ruleset.
> 
> Update tools/testing/selftests/netfilter/nft_conntrack_helper.sh to
> check that auto-assignment does not happen anymore.

From the description itself it's unclear why this is a part of a net PR.
Could you elucidate?