[kevinushey]

Fixes #1523.

Converting an R object to a C++ class exposed by a module (as<T>, as<T&>, as<const T&>, as<T*>, as<const T*>, so any module function or method parameter of such a type, and // [[Rcpp::export]] functions taking one) returned the object's .pointer address without any checks. Objects of the wrong class were reinterpreted (silent memory corruption), and deserialized objects handed C++ a NULL pointer (segfault). See #1523 for the reprex.

Changes:

• inst/include/Rcpp/api/meat/as.h:
  • as_module_object_internal(SEXP) now checks that the object is a live module object: it raises Expecting a C++ module object for non-module arguments, C++ object not initialized. (Missing default constructor?) for the dummy object of a class without a default constructor, and external pointer is not valid for a NULL pointer, e.g. after saveRDS()/readRDS(). The last two match the errors a method call on such an object already gives. This overload is kept because packages call it directly (e.g. MPCR).
  • A new overload as_module_object_internal(SEXP, const char* typeinfo_name) additionally checks the object's class (via .cppclass): it must be the requested C++ type, or a class that derives from it through class_<>::derives<T>() (parents are resolved through the object's module, so multi-level hierarchies work). Otherwise: Expecting an object of C++ class 'Point', got an object of class 'Label'.
• inst/include/Rcpp/as.h: the module-object as<> dispatch passes typeid(T).name() to the new overload.

Everything is header code compiled into the calling package; nothing in Rcpp.so or in the layout of the module classes changes.

Behavior change to be aware of: passing an object of an unrelated module class is now an error. That includes a C++ subclass that is exposed without .derives<Base>() and passed where a Base& is expected. That case only worked by accident (the base subobject happened to sit at offset 0), but code relying on it would now need a .derives<Base>("Base"), so this warrants a reverse-dependency check.

Tests (inst/tinytest/test_module.R, with a ModuleBase/ModuleDerived pair added to cpp/Module.cpp):

• wrong class, for both a module function and a // [[Rcpp::export]] function
• deserialized object, uninitialized object, and a non-module argument
• an object of a class that derives() from the expected class is accepted

Verification:

• The reprex from module object arguments are converted without any validity or class checks #1523 segfaults against current master. On this branch every call errors cleanly instead (and label$text is left intact):

  norm2(<Label>):              Expecting an object of C++ class 'Point', got an object of class 'Label'
  shift(<Label>, 1e6):         Expecting an object of C++ class 'Point', got an object of class 'Label'
  label$text:                  hello
  norm2(<deserialized Point>): external pointer is not valid
  norm2(1):                    Expecting an object of C++ class 'Point'
  norm2(<Point>):              25
  

• Against master the new tests segfault; on this branch test_module.R (52/52), test_modref.R, test_expose_class.R, test_module_client_package.R, test_attributes.R, test_rcpp_package_skeleton.R, test_wrap.R and test_as.R pass with RunAllRcppTests=yes RunVerboseRcppTests=yes (R 4.6.1, macOS). test_module.R still prints Error: Expecting an external pointer: [type=environment]. at exit for its uninitialized objects; that is the finalizer issue fixed separately in make finalize() a no-op for never-constructed module objects #1518.

• Overhead on the success path is within noise: ~1.15-1.24 us per call of norm2(p) on both master and this branch.

Checklist

• Code compiles correctly
• R CMD check still passes all tests (the test files listed above, run locally)
• Preferably, new tests were added which fail without the change (without the fix, the new tests segfault)
• Document the changes by file in ChangeLog