linux-kernel - Re: new cmdline parameter disable_cpu

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Date:	Tue, 5 Jan 2016 01:27:21 +0100
From:	Piotr Dąbrowski <ultr@...r.pl>
To:	Borislav Petkov <bp@...en8.de>
Cc:	linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org
Subject: Re: new cmdline parameter disable_cpu_features= (microcode update?)

Thank you for your reply.

> You cannot change the microcode patches - they're supplied by the CPU
> vendors as is and are signed/encrypted.

Is the microcode's header encrypted too?
I thought there are two Processor Flags fields ('pf') available [1].
Are they what I think they are?
Is the header signed too, or only the actual microcode blob below the
headers is?
Sorry if I get it all wrong and there is no use for further discussion.

Do you think there is any point in actually implementing the
kernel-only disable_cpu_features= option upstream
and then somehow convince the userland to respect flags reported by
the kernel instead of those from the CPU?

[1] arch/x86/include/asm/microcode_intel.h:
struct microcode_header_intel {
unsigned int            hdrver;
unsigned int            rev;
unsigned int            date;
unsigned int            sig;
unsigned int            cksum;
unsigned int            ldrver;
unsigned int            pf;
unsigned int            datasize;
unsigned int            totalsize;
unsigned int            reserved[3];
};
[...]
/* microcode format is extended from prescott processors */
struct extended_signature {
unsigned int            sig;
unsigned int            pf;
unsigned int            cksum;
};

Best Regards,
Piotr Dąbrowski
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