linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH] x86/boot/KASLR: skip the specified crashkernel reserved region

lists.openwall.net		lists / announce owl-users owl-dev john-users john-dev passwdqc-users yescrypt popa3d-users / oss-security kernel-hardening musl sabotage tlsify passwords / crypt-dev xvendor / Bugtraq Full-Disclosure linux-kernel linux-netdev linux-ext4 linux-hardening linux-cve-announce PHC
Open Source and information security mailing list archives

Hash Suite: Windows password security audit tool. GUI, reports in PDF.

[<prev] [next>] [<thread-prev] [thread-next>] [day] [month] [year] [list]

Message-ID: <CAFgQCTtR1YvzScYYj4LyLdZnWo5o-HCgatZLvP401EQ6hEpBxA@mail.gmail.com>
Date:   Wed, 6 Mar 2019 15:58:33 +0800
From:   Pingfan Liu <kernelfans@...il.com>
To:     Borislav Petkov <bp@...en8.de>
Cc:     Baoquan He <bhe@...hat.com>, Kees Cook <keescook@...omium.org>,
        x86@...nel.org, Thomas Gleixner <tglx@...utronix.de>,
        Ingo Molnar <mingo@...hat.com>,
        "H. Peter Anvin" <hpa@...or.com>,
        Will Deacon <will.deacon@....com>,
        Nicolas Pitre <nico@...aro.org>,
        Chao Fan <fanc.fnst@...fujitsu.com>,
        "Kirill A. Shutemov" <kirill.shutemov@...ux.intel.com>,
        Ard Biesheuvel <ard.biesheuvel@...aro.org>,
        LKML <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>
Subject: Re: [PATCH] x86/boot/KASLR: skip the specified crashkernel reserved region

On Wed, Feb 27, 2019 at 3:40 PM Borislav Petkov <bp@...en8.de> wrote:
>
> + Kees.
>
> @Kees, you might want to go upthread a bit for context.
>
Seems not reply from Kees.
> On Wed, Feb 27, 2019 at 09:30:34AM +0800, Baoquan He wrote:
> > Agree that 'crashkernel=x' should be encouraged to use as the first
> > choice when reserve crashkernel. If we decide to not obsolete
> > 'crashkernel=x@y', it will leave a unstable kernel parameter.
>
> Is anyone even talking about obsoleting this?
>
> And if anyone is, anyone can think a bit why we can't do this.
>
As Dave said, some un-relocatable code should be loaded to a specified
space. Also the param is used by archs beside x86
> > Another worry is that KASLR won't always fail 'crashkernel=x@y',
> > customer may set and check in testing stage, then later in production
> > environment one time of neglect to not check may cause carashed kernel
> > uncaptured.
> >
> > IMHO, 'crashkernel=x@y' is similar to those specified memmap=ss[#$!]nn
> > which have been avoided in boot stage KASLR.
>
> So my worry is that by specifying too many exclusion ranges, we might
> limit the kaslr space too much and make it too predictable. Especially
> since distros slap those things automatically and most users take them
> for granted.
>
Kernel has already done this excluding 1gb pages. Do we need to worry
about 200-400 MB for crashkernel? And I think if a user specify the
region, then he/she should be aware of the limit of KASLR (can printk
to warn him/her).

> But I might be way off here because of something else I'm missing ...
>
So how do you think about this now? Just leaving a unstable kernel
parameter, or printk some info when crashkernel=x@y fails.

Thanks,
Pingfan
> --
> Regards/Gruss,
>     Boris.
>
> Good mailing practices for 400: avoid top-posting and trim the reply.