linux-kernel - Re: [RFC v4][PATCH 2/2] intel_txt: Intel(R) TXT and tboot kernel support

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Message-ID: <20090619183414.GG19771@sequoia.sous-sol.org>
Date:	Fri, 19 Jun 2009 11:34:14 -0700
From:	Chris Wright <chrisw@...s-sol.org>
To:	Pavel Machek <pavel@....cz>
Cc:	James Morris <jmorris@...ei.org>,
	Joseph Cihula <joseph.cihula@...el.com>,
	Ingo Molnar <mingo@...e.hu>, linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org,
	arjan@...ux.intel.com, hpa@...or.com, andi@...stfloor.org,
	Chris Wright <chrisw@...s-sol.org>, jbeulich@...ell.com,
	peterm@...hat.com, gang.wei@...el.com, shane.wang@...el.com
Subject: Re: [RFC v4][PATCH 2/2] intel_txt: Intel(R) TXT and tboot kernel
	support

* Pavel Machek (pavel@....cz) wrote:
> What are non-evil uses of this code?

The most common use case I've heard requested from real live
customers[1] is...you guessed it...trusted boot.

This is typically in the context of virtualization and data centers or
clouds.  The concerns being addressed are:

* confidence that the hardware is running the VMM that the hardware
  owner configured it w/, since they are on the hook for providing a
  safe service for each VM running on that hardware

* flip side of that is an additional layer protecting against malicious
  VM that is using some VMM hole to try and subvert the host w/ a VMM
  of their own

thanks,
-chris
--

[1] as opposed to hardware vendors pushing a feature
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