linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH net V2 4/4] vhost: log dirty page correctly

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Date:   Fri, 14 Dec 2018 08:20:40 -0500
From:   "Michael S. Tsirkin" <mst@...hat.com>
To:     Jason Wang <jasowang@...hat.com>
Cc:     kvm@...r.kernel.org, virtualization@...ts.linux-foundation.org,
        netdev@...r.kernel.org, linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org,
        Jintack Lim <jintack@...columbia.edu>
Subject: Re: [PATCH net V2 4/4] vhost: log dirty page correctly

On Fri, Dec 14, 2018 at 10:43:03AM +0800, Jason Wang wrote:
> 
> On 2018/12/13 下午10:31, Michael S. Tsirkin wrote:
> > > Just to make sure I understand this. It looks to me we should:
> > > 
> > > - allow passing GIOVA->GPA through UAPI
> > > 
> > > - cache GIOVA->GPA somewhere but still use GIOVA->HVA in device IOTLB for
> > > performance
> > > 
> > > Is this what you suggest?
> > > 
> > > Thanks
> > Not really. We already have GPA->HVA, so I suggested a flag to pass
> > GIOVA->GPA in the IOTLB.
> > 
> > This has advantages for security since a single table needs
> > then to be validated to ensure guest does not corrupt
> > QEMU memory.
> > 
> 
> I wonder how much we can gain through this. Currently, qemu IOMMU gives
> GIOVA->GPA mapping, and qemu vhost code will translate GPA to HVA then pass
> GIOVA->HVA to vhost. It looks no difference to me.
> 
> Thanks

The difference is in security not in performance.  Getting a bad HVA
corrupts QEMU memory and it might be guest controlled. Very risky.  If
translations to HVA are done in a single place through a single table
it's safer as there's a single risky place.

-- 
MST