linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH 00/17] ARMv8.3 pointer authentication support

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Date:   Tue, 23 Oct 2018 08:39:19 +0000
From:   Ramana Radhakrishnan <Ramana.Radhakrishnan@....com>
To:     Will Deacon <Will.Deacon@....com>,
        Kristina Martsenko <Kristina.Martsenko@....com>
CC:     "linux-arm-kernel@...ts.infradead.org" 
        <linux-arm-kernel@...ts.infradead.org>,
        Adam Wallis <awallis@...eaurora.org>,
        Amit Kachhap <Amit.Kachhap@....com>,
        Andrew Jones <drjones@...hat.com>,
        Ard Biesheuvel <ard.biesheuvel@...aro.org>,
        Arnd Bergmann <arnd@...db.de>,
        Catalin Marinas <Catalin.Marinas@....com>,
        Christoffer Dall <Christoffer.Dall@....com>,
        Dave P Martin <Dave.Martin@....com>,
        Jacob Bramley <Jacob.Bramley@....com>,
        Kees Cook <keescook@...omium.org>,
        Marc Zyngier <Marc.Zyngier@....com>,
        Mark Rutland <Mark.Rutland@....com>,
        Suzuki Poulose <Suzuki.Poulose@....com>,
        "kvmarm@...ts.cs.columbia.edu" <kvmarm@...ts.cs.columbia.edu>,
        "linux-arch@...r.kernel.org" <linux-arch@...r.kernel.org>,
        "linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org" <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>,
        nd <nd@....com>
Subject: Re: [PATCH 00/17] ARMv8.3 pointer authentication support

On 19/10/2018 13:36, Will Deacon wrote:
> On Fri, Oct 05, 2018 at 09:47:37AM +0100, Kristina Martsenko wrote:
>> 1) Key support
>>
>> This series enables the use of instructions using APIAKey, which is
>> initialised and maintained per-process (shared by all threads). GCC
>> currently only makes use of APIAKey.
>>
>> This series does not add support for APIBKey, APDAKey, APDBKey, nor
>> APGAKey. HINT-space instructions using these keys will currently execute
>> as NOPs. Support for these keys can be added as users appear.
>>
>> Note that while we expose the cpuid register (ID_AA64ISAR1_EL1) to
>> userspace, it only contains one feature for address authentication
>> (API/APA), so it cannot be used by userspace to tell which keys the
>> kernel supports. For this the kernel exposes HWCAP bits, one per key
>> (currently only APIAKey), which must be checked instead.
> 
> Given that the architecture doesn't provide an identification mechanism
> for the case where only one of the keys is available, I would much prefer
> that we expose both of the keys to userspace. Is the only downside of
> that a possible exception entry overhead if the kernel wants to use pointer
> authentication as well?
> 
> Having an initial implementation where the B key operations act as NOPs
> isn't ideal if we want to support future users -- chances are they'll
> be put off because deployed kernels don't give them whatever security
> guarantees they require. It's a bit of a chicken-and-egg problem, so
> unless we have good reasons to keep the B key hidden, I think we should
> be exposing it from the start.

There are patches in flight to get B key signing support in for GCC 9  - 
so exposing this to user space will be good.

Ramana

> 
> Will
>