linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH] virtio: rng: add derating factor for use by hwrng core

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Message-ID: <20140813224440.GA10808@thunk.org>
Date:	Wed, 13 Aug 2014 18:44:40 -0400
From:	Theodore Ts'o <tytso@....edu>
To:	Rusty Russell <rusty@...tcorp.com.au>
Cc:	Linus Torvalds <torvalds@...ux-foundation.org>,
	linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org, hpa@...ux.intel.com,
	Amos Kong <akong@...hat.com>,
	ricardo.neri-calderon@...ux.intel.com,
	Amit Shah <amit.shah@...hat.com>
Subject: Re: [PATCH] virtio: rng: add derating factor for use by hwrng core

On Thu, Aug 14, 2014 at 04:39:07AM +0930, Rusty Russell wrote:
> The khwrngd thread is started when a hwrng device of sufficient
> quality is registered.  The virtio-rng device is backed by the
> hypervisor, and we trust the hypervisor to provide real entropy.
> 
> A malicious hypervisor is a scenario that's irrelevant -- such a setup
> is bound to cause all sorts of badness, and a compromised hwrng is not
> the biggest threat.

s/malicious/malicious or badly implemented/

s/is not the biggest threat/is the least of the user's worries/

> Given this, we are certain the quality of randomness we receive is
> perfectly trustworthy.  Hence, we use 100% for the factor, indicating
> maximum confidence in the source.

s/we are certain/we might as well assume that/

I won't insist on the wording changes, but I think it's a better way
of phrasing things.

Cheers,

						- Ted

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