linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH v6 0/3] IMA: Deferred measurement of keys

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Date:   Fri, 03 Jan 2020 10:47:54 -0500
From:   Mimi Zohar <zohar@...ux.ibm.com>
To:     Lakshmi Ramasubramanian <nramas@...ux.microsoft.com>,
        James.Bottomley@...senPartnership.com,
        linux-integrity@...r.kernel.org
Cc:     eric.snowberg@...cle.com, dhowells@...hat.com,
        mathew.j.martineau@...ux.intel.com, matthewgarrett@...gle.com,
        sashal@...nel.org, jamorris@...ux.microsoft.com,
        linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org, keyrings@...r.kernel.org
Subject: Re: [PATCH v6 0/3] IMA: Deferred measurement of keys

On Fri, 2020-01-03 at 10:08 -0500, Mimi Zohar wrote:
> > This change adds support for queuing keys created or updated before
> > a custom IMA policy is loaded. The queued keys are processed when
> > a custom policy is loaded. Keys created or updated after a custom policy
> > is loaded are measured immediately (not queued).
> > 
> > If the kernel is built with both CONFIG_IMA and
> > CONFIG_ASYMMETRIC_PUBLIC_KEY_SUBTYPE enabled then the IMA policy
> > must be applied as a custom policy for the keys to be measured.
> > If a custom IMA policy is not provided within 5 minutes after
> > IMA is initialized, any queued keys will be freed.
> 
> As the merge message, this is too much information.  I would extend
> the previous paragraph and drop this one, like:
> "... (not queued).  In the case when a custom policy is not loaded
> within 5 minutes of IMA initialization, the queued keys are freed."
> 
> > This is by design.
> 
> It's unclear what "is by design" refers to.  Perhaps expand this
> sentence like: "Measuring the early boot keys, by design, requires
> loading a custom policy.

Instead of including this comment as the last sentence of the cover
letter, it would make a good opening sentence for the second
paragraph.

Mimi