linux-kernel - Re: CET shadow stack app compatibility

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Date:   Tue, 15 Nov 2022 17:04:40 +0000
From:   "Edgecombe, Rick P" <rick.p.edgecombe@...el.com>
To:     "peterz@...radead.org" <peterz@...radead.org>
CC:     "Torvalds, Linus" <torvalds@...ux-foundation.org>,
        "keescook@...omium.org" <keescook@...omium.org>,
        "linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org" <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>,
        "fweimer@...hat.com" <fweimer@...hat.com>,
        "hjl.tools@...il.com" <hjl.tools@...il.com>,
        "x86@...nel.org" <x86@...nel.org>
Subject: Re: CET shadow stack app compatibility

On Tue, 2022-11-15 at 10:43 +0100, Peter Zijlstra wrote:
> CET is two things, ideally we're fully eradicate the term CET, never
> again mention CET, ever. Whoever at Intel decided to push that term
> has
> created so much confusion it's not funny :/
> 
> The feature at hand here is backward edge control flow -- or shadow
> stacks (the means to implement this). Be explicit about this, do
> *NOT*
> use CET ever again.
> 
> The other thing CET has is forward edge control flow -- or indirect
> branch tracking, this is a completely different and independent
> feature
> and not advertised or implemented here.
> 
> These things are obviously related, but since they're two independent
> features there's the endless confusion as to which is actually meant.
> 
> (go (re)watch the last plumbers conf talks on the subject -- there's
> always someone who gets is wrong)
> 
> The only things that should have CET in their name are the CR4 bit
> and
> the two MSRs, nothing more.

The only other place in the kernel where it has to be that way is the
"control protection" fault handler.

I agree it's confusing, but when you talk about "shadow stacks", a lot
of people don't connect it to the HW feature. Where as they have heard
of CET. So for contexts like this, I thought it was useful to jog
memories. I could put more distance between it... "x86 shadow stacks
(you may have heard of CET)".

> 
> ELF bits should not, must not, be called CET. API, not CET, Compiler
> features, also not CET.

So the arch_prctl()s can't be shared between shadow stack and IBT? They
don't have to be, but this is a new thing after a fair amount of
earlier discussion.

> 
> (and I know it's too late to eradicate some of it, but please, at
> least
> make sure the kernel doesn't propagate this nonsense).