linux-kernel - Re: [RFD] linux-firmware key arrangement for firmware signing

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Message-ID: <20150521061453.GC30864@kroah.com>
Date:	Wed, 20 May 2015 23:14:53 -0700
From:	Greg Kroah-Hartman <gregkh@...uxfoundation.org>
To:	One Thousand Gnomes <gnomes@...rguk.ukuu.org.uk>,
	Seth Forshee <seth.forshee@...onical.com>,
	"Luis R. Rodriguez" <mcgrof@...e.com>,
	linux-security-module@...r.kernel.org, james.l.morris@...cle.com,
	serge@...lyn.com, linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org,
	linux-wireless@...r.kernel.org,
	David Howells <dhowells@...hat.com>,
	Kyle McMartin <kyle@...nel.org>,
	David Woodhouse <david.woodhouse@...el.com>,
	Joey Lee <jlee@...e.de>, Rusty Russell <rusty@...tcorp.com.au>,
	zohar@...ux.vnet.ibm.com, mricon@...nel.org
Subject: Re: [RFD] linux-firmware key arrangement for firmware signing

On Thu, May 21, 2015 at 08:41:02AM +0300, Petko Manolov wrote:
> > I too don't understand this need to sign something that you don't really know 
> > what it is from some other company, just to send it to a separate device that 
> > is going to do whatever it wants with it if it is signed or not.
> 
> This is not the point.  What you need to know is _where_ the firmware came from, 
> not _what_ it does once it reach your system.  If you don't care about such 
> things, just ignore the signature. :)

Ok, but how do we know "where"?  Who is going to start signing and
attesting to the validity of all of the firmware images in the
linux-firmware tree suddenly?  Why is it the kernel's job to attest this
"where"?  Shouldn't your distro/manufacturer be doing that as part of
their "put this file on this disk" responsibilities (i.e. the package
manager?)

What is verifying a firmware image signature in the kernel attesting
that isn't already known in userspace?

thanks,

greg k-h
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