linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH 3/3] KVM: x86: Explicitly zero kvm

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Date: Wed, 24 Apr 2024 08:33:43 -0700
From: Sean Christopherson <seanjc@...gle.com>
To: Kai Huang <kai.huang@...el.com>
Cc: "pbonzini@...hat.com" <pbonzini@...hat.com>, "kvm@...r.kernel.org" <kvm@...r.kernel.org>, 
	"linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org" <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>
Subject: Re: [PATCH 3/3] KVM: x86: Explicitly zero kvm_caps during vendor
 module load

On Wed, Apr 24, 2024, Kai Huang wrote:
> On Tue, 2024-04-23 at 09:53 -0700, Sean Christopherson wrote:
> > Zero out all of kvm_caps when loading a new vendor module to ensure that
> > KVM can't inadvertently rely on global initialization of a field, and add
> > a comment above the definition of kvm_caps to call out that all fields
> > needs to be explicitly computed during vendor module load.
> > 
> > Signed-off-by: Sean Christopherson <seanjc@...gle.com>
> > ---
> >  arch/x86/kvm/x86.c | 7 +++++++
> >  1 file changed, 7 insertions(+)
> > 
> > diff --git a/arch/x86/kvm/x86.c b/arch/x86/kvm/x86.c
> > index 44ce187bad89..8f3979d5fc80 100644
> > --- a/arch/x86/kvm/x86.c
> > +++ b/arch/x86/kvm/x86.c
> > @@ -92,6 +92,11 @@
> >  #define MAX_IO_MSRS 256
> >  #define KVM_MAX_MCE_BANKS 32
> >  
> > +/*
> > + * Note, kvm_caps fields should *never* have default values, all fields must be
> > + * recomputed from scratch during vendor module load, e.g. to account for a
> > + * vendor module being reloaded with different module parameters.
> > + */
> >  struct kvm_caps kvm_caps __read_mostly;
> >  EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(kvm_caps);
> >  
> > @@ -9755,6 +9760,8 @@ int kvm_x86_vendor_init(struct kvm_x86_init_ops *ops)
> >  		return -EIO;
> >  	}
> >  
> > +	memset(&kvm_caps, 0, sizeof(kvm_caps));
> > +
> >  	x86_emulator_cache = kvm_alloc_emulator_cache();
> >  	if (!x86_emulator_cache) {
> >  		pr_err("failed to allocate cache for x86 emulator\n");
> 
> Why do the memset() here particularly?

So that it happens as early as possible, e.g. in case kvm_mmu_vendor_module_init()
or some other function comes along and modifies kvm_caps.

> Isn't it better to put ...
> 
> 	memset(&kvm_caps, 0, sizeof(kvm_caps));
> 	kvm_caps.supported_vm_types = BIT(KVM_X86_DEFAULT_VM);
> 	kvm_caps.supported_mce_cap = MCG_CTL_P | MCG_SER_P;
> 
> ... together so it can be easily seen?
> 
> We can even have a helper to do above to "reset kvm_caps to default
> values" I think.

Hmm, I don't think a helper is necessary, but I do agree that having all of the
explicit initialization in one place would be better.  The alternative would be
to use |= for BIT(KVM_X86_DEFAULT_VM), and MCG_CTL_P | MCG_SER_P, but I don't
think that would be an improvement.  I'll tweak the first two patches to set the
hardcoded caps earlier.

The main reason I don't want to add a helper is that coming up with a name would
be tricky.  E.g. "kvm_reset_caps()" isn't a great fit because the caps are "reset"
throughout module loading.  "kvm_set_default_caps()" kinda fits, but they aren't
so much that they are KVM's defaults, rather they are the caps that KVM can always
support regardless of hardware support, e.g. supported_xcr0 isn't optional, it
just depends on hardware.