linux-kernel - Re: [RFC][PATCH 02/17] x86/cpu: Clean up SRSO return thunk mess

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Date:   Wed, 9 Aug 2023 18:45:55 +0300
From:   Nikolay Borisov <nik.borisov@...e.com>
To:     Peter Zijlstra <peterz@...radead.org>, x86@...nel.org
Cc:     linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org, David.Kaplan@....com,
        Andrew.Cooper3@...rix.com, jpoimboe@...nel.org,
        gregkh@...uxfoundation.org
Subject: Re: [RFC][PATCH 02/17] x86/cpu: Clean up SRSO return thunk mess



On 9.08.23 г. 10:12 ч., Peter Zijlstra wrote:
> Use the existing configurable return thunk. There is absolute no
> justification for having created this __x86_return_thunk alternative.
> 
> To clarify, the whole thing looks like:
> 
> Zen3/4 does:
> 
>    srso_alias_untrain_ret:
> 	  nop2
> 	  lfence
> 	  jmp srso_alias_return_thunk
> 	  int3
> 
>    srso_alias_safe_ret: // aliasses srso_alias_untrain_ret just so
> 	  add $8, %rsp
> 	  ret
> 	  int3
> 
>    srso_alias_return_thunk:
> 	  call srso_alias_safe_ret
> 	  ud2
> 
> While Zen1/2 does:
> 
>    srso_untrain_ret:
> 	  movabs $foo, %rax
> 	  lfence
> 	  call srso_safe_ret           (jmp srso_return_thunk ?)
> 	  int3
> 
>    srso_safe_ret: // embedded in movabs immediate
> 	  add $8,%rsp
>            ret
>            int3
> 
>    srso_return_thunk:
> 	  call srso_safe_ret
> 	  ud2
> 
> While retbleed does:
> 
>    zen_untrain_ret:
> 	  test $0xcc, %bl
> 	  lfence
> 	  jmp zen_return_thunk
>            int3
> 
>    zen_return_thunk: // embedded in the test instruction
> 	  ret
>            int3
> 
> Where Zen1/2 flush the BTB using the instruction decoder trick
> (test,movabs) Zen3/4 use instruction aliasing. SRSO adds RSB (RAP in
> AMD speak) stuffing to force a return mis-predict.
> 
> That is; the AMD retbleed is a form of Speculative-Type-Confusion
> where the branch predictor is trained to use the BTB to predict the
> RET address, while AMD inception/SRSO is a form of
> Speculative-Type-Confusion where another instruction is trained to be
> treated like a CALL instruction and poison the RSB (RAP).
> 
> Pick one of three options at boot.
> 


So this boils down to simply removing one level of indirection, instead 
of patching the body of __x86_return_thunk you directly patch the return 
sites with the correct thunk.


Reviewed-by: Nikolay Borisov <nik.borisov@...e.com>