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

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] [day] [month] [year] [list]

Message-Id: <1578066474.5874.174.camel@linux.ibm.com>
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