linux-kernel - [PATCH v5 4/4] Documentation/x86: Explain the state component permission for guests

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: <20220922195810.23248-5-chang.seok.bae@intel.com>
Date:   Thu, 22 Sep 2022 12:58:10 -0700
From:   "Chang S. Bae" <chang.seok.bae@...el.com>
To:     x86@...nel.org, tglx@...utronix.de, mingo@...hat.com, bp@...en8.de,
        dave.hansen@...ux.intel.com
Cc:     hpa@...or.com, corbet@....net, bagasdotme@...il.com,
        tony.luck@...el.com, yang.zhong@...el.com,
        linux-doc@...r.kernel.org, linux-man@...r.kernel.org,
        linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org, chang.seok.bae@...el.com
Subject: [PATCH v5 4/4] Documentation/x86: Explain the state component permission for guests

Commit 980fe2fddcff ("x86/fpu: Extend fpu_xstate_prctl() with guest
permissions") extends a couple of arch_prctl(2) options for VCPU threads.
Add description for them.

Signed-off-by: Chang S. Bae <chang.seok.bae@...el.com>
Reviewed-by: Thiago Macieira <thiago.macieira@...el.com>
Reviewed-by: Yang Zhong <yang.zhong@...el.com>
Reviewed-by: Tony Luck <tony.luck@...el.com>
Cc: x86@...nel.org
Cc: linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org
Cc: linux-doc@...r.kernel.org
---
Changes from v1:
* Add the reason for the guest options (Dave Hansen).
* Add a note to allude some VMM policy, i.e. KVM_X86_XCOMP_GUEST_SUPP.
* Move it in the separate section.

Note the correspondent attributes were also proposed for the KVM API. But,
it was seen as inessential:
    https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/20220823231402.7839-1-chang.seok.bae@intel.com/
---
 Documentation/x86/xstate.rst | 29 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 1 file changed, 29 insertions(+)

diff --git a/Documentation/x86/xstate.rst b/Documentation/x86/xstate.rst
index 23b1c9f3efb2..ae5c69e48b11 100644
--- a/Documentation/x86/xstate.rst
+++ b/Documentation/x86/xstate.rst
@@ -143,3 +143,32 @@ entry if the feature is in its initial configuration.  This differs from
 non-dynamic features which are always written regardless of their
 configuration.  Signal handlers can examine the XSAVE buffer's XSTATE_BV
 field to determine if a features was written.
+
+Dynamic features for virtual machines
+-------------------------------------
+
+The permission for the guest state component needs to be managed separately
+from the host, as they are exclusive to each other. A coupled of options
+are extended to control the guest permission:
+
+-ARCH_GET_XCOMP_GUEST_PERM
+
+ arch_prctl(ARCH_GET_XCOMP_GUEST_PERM, &features);
+
+ ARCH_GET_XCOMP_GUEST_PERM is a variant of ARCH_GET_XCOMP_PERM. So it
+ provides the same semantics and functionality but for the guest
+ components.
+
+-ARCH_REQ_XCOMP_GUEST_PERM
+
+ arch_prctl(ARCH_REQ_XCOMP_GUEST_PERM, feature_nr);
+
+ ARCH_REQ_XCOMP_GUEST_PERM is a variant of ARCH_REQ_XCOMP_PERM. It has the
+ same semantics for the guest permission. While providing a similar
+ functionality, this comes with a constraint. Permission is frozen when the
+ first VCPU is created. Any attempt to change permission after that point
+ is going to be rejected. So, the permission has to be requested before the
+ first VCPU creation.
+
+Note that some VMMs may have already established a set of supported state
+components. These options are not presumed to support any particular VMM.
-- 
2.17.1