aes_cmac_zeroize_key(9)

💖 aes_cmac_zeroize_key(9) 💖

okay so bestie, this one is from the Kernel API Manual and it’s here to teach you how to zeroize an aes_cmac_key structure before your secrets get messy. it’s giving “clean up your room before your mom sees it” energy, but for crypto material. 🧚✨

🌸 NAME 🌸

aes_cmac_zeroize_key — Zeroize an aes_cmac_key structure. 💅

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

void aes_cmac_zeroize_key (struct aes_cmac_key *key );

🎀 ARGUMENTS 🎀

• key — the location of the key structure that should be zeroized. yes bestie, the actual struct, not a vibe. 🫶

🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

okay so what this does is explicitly fills the aes_cmac_key with zeroes. literally overwrites it with zeroes. slay.

you should do this once the key is not required anymore. why? to avoid that its contents are leaked on the stack or heap (if not using kfree_sensitive). it’s the “log out and wipe the whiteboard” step, except the whiteboard is your key material and the marker is a security incident waiting to happen. 😭🔥

bestie, do the zeroize when the key is not required anymore. no cap, this is how you avoid leaked bytes. periodt. 💀

🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

• Kernel file ./include/crypto/aes-cbc-macs.h
• struct aes_cmac_key(9)
• struct aes_cmac_ctx(9)
• aes_cmac_zeroize_ctx(9)
• aes_cmac_preparekey(9)
• aes_xcbcmac_preparekey(9)
• aes_cmac_init(9)
• aes_cmac_update(9)
• aes_cmac_final(9)
• aes_cmac(9)

xoxo, your kernel bestie 💅 — source/version ./include/crypto, dated October 2026. stay zeroized and stay iconic. 💖🎀