Date:	Mon, 29 Sep 2008 18:38:01 -0400
From:	Neil Horman <nhorman@...driver.com>
To:	Eric Dumazet <dada1@...mosbay.com>
Cc:	netdev@...r.kernel.org, kuznet@....inr.ac.ru, davem@...emloft.net,
	pekkas@...core.fi, jmorris@...ei.org, yoshfuji@...ux-ipv6.org,
	kaber@...sh.net
Subject: Re: [PATCH] net: implement emergency route cache rebulds when
	gc_elasticity is exceeded

On Mon, Sep 29, 2008 at 11:00:35PM +0200, Eric Dumazet wrote:
> Neil Horman a écrit :
>> On Mon, Sep 29, 2008 at 10:22:03PM +0200, Eric Dumazet wrote:
>>> Neil Horman a écrit :
>>>> Hey all-
>>>> 	We currently have the ability to disable our route cache secret interval
>>>> rebuild timer (by setting it to zero), but if we do that its possible for an
>>>> attacker (if they guess our route cache hash secret, to fill our system with
>>>> routes that all hash to the same bucket, destroying our performance.  This patch
>>>> provides a backstop for that issues.  In the event that our rebuild interval is
>>>> disabled (or very large), if any hash chain exceeds ip_rt_gc_elasticity, we do
>>>> an emergency hash rebuild.  During the hash rebuild we:
>>>> 1) warn the user of the emergency
>>>> 2) disable the rebuild timer
>>>> 3) invalidate the route caches
>>>> 4) re-enable the rebuild timer with its old value
>>>>
>>>> Regards
>>>> Neil
>>> This sounds not good at all to me.
>>>
>>> 1) Dont set ip_rt_secret_interval to zero, this is plain silly, since
>>>   you give attackers infinite time to break your machine.
>>>
>>> To quote Herbert (who allowed to set this interval to 0)
>>>
>>>    "Let me first state that disabling the route cache hash rebuild
>>>     should not be done without extensive analysis on the risk profile
>>>     and careful deliberation.
>>>
>>>     However, there are times when this can be done safely or for
>>>     testing.  For example, when you have mechanisms for ensuring
>>>     that offending parties do not exist in your network."
>>>
>> Thats really rather the motivation behind this.  The patch that Herbert
>> submitted with that commit explicitly lets one disable their rebuild timer.  I
>> agree its stupid to do that, but we added code to allow it.  This provides a
>> patch to help people who are victimized because they've done exactly this
>> (additionaly providing them a warning to stop doing it).
>
> Strange... many kernel parameters can be set to hazardous values that make machine unusable...
>
> ip_rt_gc_interval can also be set to a very large value : No more route cache gc
>
If you want to talk philosophy, then I accept your premise: we can tune the
kernel in ways that make it unusable.  Does that mean we should avoid doing
things to prevent that and maintain usibility.  Ithink this patch accomplishes
that goal in its small way.
 
>>
>>
>>> 2) Many machines have ip_rt_gc_elasticity set to 2,
>>>   because they have a huge hash table, but low chain depths.
>> Ok, that seem reasonable, and this isn't going to disallow that.  By the same
>> resoning, people who have huge hash tables, and low chain depths won't
>> want their low chain length being violated, would they?  This patch will warn
>> them if their assumptions are being violated.
>
> Warn only ? If I read your patch, you not only warn in this case.
No, not warn only, Warn and correct is the clear intent here

> (you invalidate cache for each struct net, potentially wraping rt_genid)
>
If you overflow your elasticity 2^16 times, yes (I think rt_genid is a 16 bit
value, but I don't have the kernel in front of me).  I would hope that would be
enough warnings to make a sysadmin address the problem

> When you have 2^20 slots in route cache hash table, you dont care if few slots have 3 or 4 elements.
> And chance is very high that more than one slot has 3 or even 4 elements, no need for an attacker.
Ok, then I would assert if your ok with a few chains getting to be X entries in
length, then you should set your elasticity to be X.

>
> Now if you change your code to something like
>
> if (unlikely(chain_length > some_quite_big_number &&
>     ip_rt_secret_interval == 0)) {
> 	do_something();
> }
>
> some_quite_big_number could be >= 30 or something...
>
I'd be ok with that, if some others chimed in with consensus on the matter.  I
felt that we had a value definining what chain length should be
(ip_rt_gc_elasticity is already used in comparison on chain length in
rt_intern_hash, so I was keeping with that).  But if some others speak up and
support a new sysctl, I can get behind that

> then it might be OK (at least it wont break common setups)
>
I don't think it will break many setups, the default value is 8 for this sysctl.
If someone has set it lower, and sees a warning, they won't loose their system
altogether, they'll just see a momentary reduction in throughput, and a
warning to increase the value they have set.  Its going to far to say anything
will 'break'.

Thanks & Regards
Neil

>
>
>

-- 
/****************************************************
 * Neil Horman <nhorman@...driver.com>
 * Software Engineer, Red Hat
 ****************************************************/
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