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Add file-level scanner for Linux kernel module (.ko) metadata - #5249

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Add file-level scanner for Linux kernel module (.ko) metadata#5249
OctavioValdiviaMendoza wants to merge 24 commits into
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OctavioValdiviaMendoza:feat/625-lkm-package-parser

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@OctavioValdiviaMendoza OctavioValdiviaMendoza commented Jul 27, 2026 •
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Fixes #625

This PR adds file-level scanning of metadata embedded in compiled Linux Kernel Module (.ko) files.

Implementation

A new LinuxKernelModuleScanner is implemented in scancode/plugin_lkm.py using ScanCode's file-level ScanPlugin architecture.

The scanner:

  • Is enabled with the --lkm option.
  • Uses pyelftools to open .ko files as ELF files.
  • Locates the .modinfo ELF section.
  • Parses its NUL-terminated key=value entries.
  • Preserves repeated fields such as author, alias, and firmware as lists.
  • Stores the extracted metadata in the file Resource's linux_kernel_module attribute.
  • Normalizes the .modinfo depends value into a simple list of required kernel-module names.

For example:

{
  "linux_kernel_module": {
    "license": ["GPL"],
    "author": ["Example Author"],
    "depends": ["video", "backlight"]
  }
}

Tests

Test coverage includes:

  • .modinfo extraction.
  • Repeated metadata values.
  • Required module-name parsing.
  • Unrelated files.
  • Invalid ELF files.
  • Plugin enablement and Resource attribute declaration.
  • End-to-end --lkm output.
  • Verification that no package_data is created.

Tasks

  • Reviewed contribution guidelines
  • PR is descriptively titled 📑 and links the original issue above 🔗
  • Tests pass
  • Commits are in a uniquely named feature branch and have no merge conflicts 📁
  • Updated CHANGELOG.rst (if applicable)
  • Updated documentation pages (if applicable)

@OctavioValdiviaMendoza OctavioValdiviaMendoza changed the title Add Package Parser for Linux Kernel Module (.ko) files Add file-level scanner for Linux kernel module (.ko) metadata Aug 6, 2026
OctavioValdiviaMendoza and others added 6 commits August 17, 2026 10:31
@OctavioValdiviaMendoza
Initial Implementation of Linux kernel module package parser
d94c927 
Signed-off-by: OctavioValdiviaMendoza <octavio.valdiviamendoza@sjsu.edu>
@OctavioValdiviaMendoza
Add Linux kernel module package handler issue 625 Parsesthrough metad…
12a8e67 
…ata using .modinfo section found in ELF files to yield the module macros

Signed-off-by: OctavioValdiviaMendoza <octavio.valdiviamendoza@sjsu.edu>
@diana-galeana @OctavioValdiviaMendoza
Tests added for lkm.py
ec4195c
@OctavioValdiviaMendoza
Add Linux kernel module package parser, Added DependentPackage object…
e92a0bf 
…s that are now passed to PackageData

Signed-off-by: OctavioValdiviaMendoza <octavio.valdiviamendoza@sjsu.edu>
@OctavioValdiviaMendoza
Added test cases to ensure all data gets returned.Added test to verif…
2ade20a 
…y DependecyPackage and PAckageData are structured correctly

Signed-off-by: OctavioValdiviaMendoza <octavio.valdiviamendoza@sjsu.edu>
@OctavioValdiviaMendoza
Signed-off-by: OctavioValdiviaMendoza <octavio.valdiviamendoza@sjsu.edu>
12814ce 
Add Linux Kernel Module package parser

Add support for parsing Linux Kernel Module (.ko) files.
Add pyelftools as a runtime dependency for reading ELF
.modinfo sections, register the new handler, and add
unit tests.
@OctavioValdiviaMendoza
OctavioValdiviaMendoza force-pushed the feat/625-lkm-package-parser branch from 3d3746b to 1c40b49 Compare August 17, 2026 17:33
@TaslimOseni
TaslimOseni force-pushed the feat/625-lkm-package-parser branch from 1c598fd to 385ce41 Compare August 24, 2026 16:13
diana-galeana and others added 18 commits August 26, 2026 06:26
@diana-galeana diana-galeana
Add tests for alias pass-through and multi-value metadata fields in l…
0c072b9 
…km.py

Add self to AUTHORS.rst

Signed-off-by: diana-galeana <162429082+diana-galeana@users.noreply.github.com>
Signed-off-by: diana-galeana <dgaleana07@gmail.com>
@OctavioValdiviaMendoza diana-galeana
Add pyelftools to development dependencies
670a3dc 
Signed-off-by: OctavioValdiviaMendoza <octavio.valdiviamendoza@sjsu.edu>
Signed-off-by: diana-galeana <dgaleana07@gmail.com>
@OctavioValdiviaMendoza diana-galeana
Refactor Linux kernel module metadata as a file scan plugin
3c6926a 
Signed-off-by: OctavioValdiviaMendoza <octavio.valdiviamendoza@sjsu.edu>
Signed-off-by: diana-galeana <dgaleana07@gmail.com>
@OctavioValdiviaMendoza diana-galeana
Update tests for Linux kernel module scan plugin
16d2908 
Signed-off-by: OctavioValdiviaMendoza <octavio.valdiviamendoza@sjsu.edu>
Signed-off-by: diana-galeana <dgaleana07@gmail.com>
@AyanSinhaMahapatra diana-galeana
Update following referenced licenses and rules
b398149 
In case of referenced license files, update the logic to not follow
and de-reference licenses when all the license leys in the referenced
files are already present in the main license detection. This preserves
the license conditions in case there are extra license keys in an
expression.

Reference: aboutcode-org#3523
Signed-off-by: Ayan Sinha Mahapatra <asmahapatra@aboutcode.org>
Signed-off-by: diana-galeana <dgaleana07@gmail.com>
@gaoflow diana-galeana
Fix full-root path expectations
4752ea4 
Signed-off-by: Vincent Gao <gaobing1230@gmail.com>
Signed-off-by: diana-galeana <dgaleana07@gmail.com>
@AyanSinhaMahapatra diana-galeana
Move --ignore functionality to codebase creation
b96e124 
Deprecate --ingore and --include pre-scan plugins and move the
ignore/include functionality to codebase import stage to get rid
of multiple codebase walks.

Signed-off-by: Ayan Sinha Mahapatra <asmahapatra@aboutcode.org>
Signed-off-by: diana-galeana <dgaleana07@gmail.com>
@AyanSinhaMahapatra diana-galeana
Do not codebase walk outside input paths
6711077 
For multiple inputs, do not walk outside the input paths, from their
common prefix. Instead create only the directory relationships between
the common prefix and input paths and start the codebase walk from
every input paths.

Also deprecate --include options to only support ignoring paths
through path patterns.

Signed-off-by: Ayan Sinha Mahapatra <asmahapatra@aboutcode.org>
Signed-off-by: diana-galeana <dgaleana07@gmail.com>
@AyanSinhaMahapatra diana-galeana
Bump commoncode version for release
fc4b7e8 
Signed-off-by: Ayan Sinha Mahapatra <asmahapatra@aboutcode.org>
Signed-off-by: diana-galeana <dgaleana07@gmail.com>
@AyanSinhaMahapatra diana-galeana
Fix commoncode release scripts and bump version
e872379 
Signed-off-by: Ayan Sinha Mahapatra <asmahapatra@aboutcode.org>
Signed-off-by: diana-galeana <dgaleana07@gmail.com>
@AyanSinhaMahapatra diana-galeana
Bump version for commoncode v32.5.2
05a6033 
Signed-off-by: Ayan Sinha Mahapatra <asmahapatra@aboutcode.org>
Signed-off-by: diana-galeana <dgaleana07@gmail.com>
@AyanSinhaMahapatra diana-galeana
Fix test failures
b44068c 
Signed-off-by: Ayan Sinha Mahapatra <asmahapatra@aboutcode.org>
Signed-off-by: diana-galeana <dgaleana07@gmail.com>
@AyanSinhaMahapatra diana-galeana
Install commoncode locally in dev installation
65a3c0c 
Install commoncode from local source code instead of released
commoncode so this can be installed/tested directly. Also add
tests for released commoncode via azure pipelines.

Signed-off-by: Ayan Sinha Mahapatra <asmahapatra@aboutcode.org>
Signed-off-by: diana-galeana <dgaleana07@gmail.com>
@AyanSinhaMahapatra diana-galeana
Add new CLI option --config-file
dd529ac 
Signed-off-by: Ayan Sinha Mahapatra <asmahapatra@aboutcode.org>
Signed-off-by: diana-galeana <dgaleana07@gmail.com>
@AyanSinhaMahapatra diana-galeana
Update ignore/config documentation
32d860b 
Signed-off-by: Ayan Sinha Mahapatra <asmahapatra@aboutcode.org>
Signed-off-by: diana-galeana <dgaleana07@gmail.com>
@AyanSinhaMahapatra diana-galeana
Fix multiple path bug in windows
6bbc81c 
Signed-off-by: Ayan Sinha Mahapatra <asmahapatra@aboutcode.org>
Signed-off-by: diana-galeana <dgaleana07@gmail.com>
@OctavioValdiviaMendoza diana-galeana
Fix CI for Linux kernel module scan plugin
0d250bb 
Signed-off-by: OctavioValdiviaMendoza <octavio.valdiviamendoza@sjsu.edu>
Signed-off-by: diana-galeana <dgaleana07@gmail.com>
@TaslimOseni diana-galeana
Replace pyelftools dependency with custom minimal ELF parser in LKM p…
b2ec8e1 
…lugin

Signed-off-by: Taslim Oseni <tasleemoseni@gmail.com>
Signed-off-by: diana-galeana <dgaleana07@gmail.com>
@diana-galeana
diana-galeana force-pushed the feat/625-lkm-package-parser branch from 385ce41 to b2ec8e1 Compare August 26, 2026 06:34
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Add Package parser for LKMs

5 participants

@OctavioValdiviaMendoza @diana-galeana @AyanSinhaMahapatra @gaoflow @TaslimOseni