linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH 3/5] vhost: support upto 509 memory regions

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Message-ID: <20150617182917-mutt-send-email-mst@redhat.com>
Date:	Wed, 17 Jun 2015 18:30:02 +0200
From:	"Michael S. Tsirkin" <mst@...hat.com>
To:	Igor Mammedov <imammedo@...hat.com>
Cc:	Paolo Bonzini <pbonzini@...hat.com>, linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org,
	kvm@...r.kernel.org
Subject: Re: [PATCH 3/5] vhost: support upto 509 memory regions

On Wed, Jun 17, 2015 at 06:09:21PM +0200, Igor Mammedov wrote:
> On Wed, 17 Jun 2015 17:38:40 +0200
> "Michael S. Tsirkin" <mst@...hat.com> wrote:
> 
> > On Wed, Jun 17, 2015 at 05:12:57PM +0200, Igor Mammedov wrote:
> > > On Wed, 17 Jun 2015 16:32:02 +0200
> > > "Michael S. Tsirkin" <mst@...hat.com> wrote:
> > > 
> > > > On Wed, Jun 17, 2015 at 03:20:44PM +0200, Paolo Bonzini wrote:
> > > > > 
> > > > > 
> > > > > On 17/06/2015 15:13, Michael S. Tsirkin wrote:
> > > > > > > > Considering userspace can be malicious, I guess yes.
> > > > > > > I don't think it's a valid concern in this case,
> > > > > > > setting limit back from 509 to 64 will not help here in any
> > > > > > > way, userspace still can create as many vhost instances as
> > > > > > > it needs to consume memory it desires.
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > Not really since vhost char device isn't world-accessible.
> > > > > > It's typically opened by a priveledged tool, the fd is
> > > > > > then passed to an unpriveledged userspace, or permissions
> > > > > > dropped.
> > > > > 
> > > > > Then what's the concern anyway?
> > > > > 
> > > > > Paolo
> > > > 
> > > > Each fd now ties up 16K of kernel memory.  It didn't use to, so
> > > > priveledged tool could safely give the unpriveledged userspace
> > > > a ton of these fds.
> > > if privileged tool gives out unlimited amount of fds then it
> > > doesn't matter whether fd ties 4K or 16K, host still could be DoSed.
> > > 
> > 
> > Of course it does not give out unlimited fds, there's a way
> > for the sysadmin to specify the number of fds. Look at how libvirt
> > uses vhost, it should become clear I think.
> then it just means that tool has to take into account a new limits
> to partition host in sensible manner.

Meanwhile old tools are vulnerable to OOM attacks.

> Exposing limit as module parameter might be of help to tool for
> getting/setting it in a way it needs.

-- 
MST
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