linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH v2 0/4] Enable SMEP CPU Feature

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Message-ID: <20110517092903.GJ22093@elte.hu>
Date:	Tue, 17 May 2011 11:29:03 +0200
From:	Ingo Molnar <mingo@...e.hu>
To:	Avi Kivity <avi@...hat.com>
Cc:	"H. Peter Anvin" <hpa@...or.com>,
	Fenghua Yu <fenghua.yu@...el.com>,
	Thomas Gleixner <tglx@...utronix.de>,
	Asit K Mallick <asit.k.mallick@...el.com>,
	Linus Torvalds <torvalds@...ux-foundation.org>,
	Arjan van de Ven <arjan@...radead.org>,
	Andrew Morton <akpm@...ux-foundation.org>,
	Andi Kleen <andi@...stfloor.org>,
	linux-kernel <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>,
	Pekka Enberg <penberg@...helsinki.fi>
Subject: Re: [PATCH v2 0/4] Enable SMEP CPU Feature


* Avi Kivity <avi@...hat.com> wrote:

> > Some programmable configurability seems necessary on the KVM side, as KVM 
> > has no control over how sane the guest kernel is.
> 
> We should simply expose the cpuid bit and cr4.smep.  If the guest kernel 
> feels it is up to it, it can enable smep itself.

Well, given that there's lots of legacy installations around it would be a neat 
KVM feature if it was possible to enable SMEP even if the guest kernel does not 
enable it. As an additional (optional) layer of security.

For example legacy Linux guests will work just fine, even if they do not enable 
SMEP themselves.

Thanks,

	Ingo
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