linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH v1 2/3] x86/msr: Switch between WRMSRNS and WRMSR with the alternatives mechanism

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Message-ID: <81CE6282-4791-42AB-9A51-4535E094D67C@zytor.com>
Date: Fri, 09 Aug 2024 17:01:06 -0700
From: "H. Peter Anvin" <hpa@...or.com>
To: Andrew Cooper <andrew.cooper3@...rix.com>,
        "Xin Li (Intel)" <xin@...or.com>, linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org
CC: tglx@...utronix.de, mingo@...hat.com, bp@...en8.de,
        dave.hansen@...ux.intel.com, x86@...nel.org, peterz@...radead.org,
        seanjc@...gle.com
Subject: Re: [PATCH v1 2/3] x86/msr: Switch between WRMSRNS and WRMSR with the alternatives mechanism

On August 9, 2024 4:07:35 PM PDT, Andrew Cooper <andrew.cooper3@...rix.com> wrote:
>On 07/08/2024 6:47 am, Xin Li (Intel) wrote:
>> From: Andrew Cooper <andrew.cooper3@...rix.com>
>>
>> Per the discussion about FRED MSR writes with WRMSRNS instruction [1],
>> use the alternatives mechanism to choose WRMSRNS when it's available,
>> otherwise fallback to WRMSR.
>>
>> [1] https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/15f56e6a-6edd-43d0-8e83-bb6430096514@citrix.com/
>>
>> Signed-off-by: Andrew Cooper <andrew.cooper3@...rix.com>
>> Signed-off-by: Xin Li (Intel) <xin@...or.com>
>> ---
>>  arch/x86/include/asm/msr.h | 28 ++++++++++++++--------------
>>  1 file changed, 14 insertions(+), 14 deletions(-)
>>
>> diff --git a/arch/x86/include/asm/msr.h b/arch/x86/include/asm/msr.h
>> index d642037f9ed5..3e402d717815 100644
>> --- a/arch/x86/include/asm/msr.h
>> +++ b/arch/x86/include/asm/msr.h
>> @@ -99,19 +99,6 @@ static __always_inline void __wrmsr(unsigned int msr, u32 low, u32 high)
>>  		     : : "c" (msr), "a"(low), "d" (high) : "memory");
>>  }
>>  
>> -/*
>> - * WRMSRNS behaves exactly like WRMSR with the only difference being
>> - * that it is not a serializing instruction by default.
>> - */
>> -static __always_inline void __wrmsrns(u32 msr, u32 low, u32 high)
>> -{
>> -	/* Instruction opcode for WRMSRNS; supported in binutils >= 2.40. */
>> -	asm volatile("1: .byte 0x0f,0x01,0xc6\n"
>> -		     "2:\n"
>> -		     _ASM_EXTABLE_TYPE(1b, 2b, EX_TYPE_WRMSR)
>> -		     : : "c" (msr), "a"(low), "d" (high));
>> -}
>> -
>>  #define native_rdmsr(msr, val1, val2)			\
>>  do {							\
>>  	u64 __val = __rdmsr((msr));			\
>> @@ -312,9 +299,22 @@ do {							\
>>  
>>  #endif	/* !CONFIG_PARAVIRT_XXL */
>>  
>> +/* Instruction opcode for WRMSRNS supported in binutils >= 2.40 */
>> +#define WRMSRNS _ASM_BYTES(0x0f,0x01,0xc6)
>> +
>> +/* Non-serializing WRMSR, when available.  Falls back to a serializing WRMSR. */
>>  static __always_inline void wrmsrns(u32 msr, u64 val)
>>  {
>> -	__wrmsrns(msr, val, val >> 32);
>> +	/*
>> +	 * WRMSR is 2 bytes.  WRMSRNS is 3 bytes.  Pad WRMSR with a redundant
>> +	 * DS prefix to avoid a trailing NOP.
>> +	 */
>> +	asm volatile("1: "
>> +		     ALTERNATIVE("ds wrmsr",
>
>This isn't the version I presented, and there's no discussion of the
>alteration.
>
>The choice of CS over DS was deliberate, and came from Intel:
>
>https://www.intel.com/content/dam/support/us/en/documents/processors/mitigations-jump-conditional-code-erratum.pdf
>
>So unless Intel want to retract that whitepaper, and all the binutils
>work with it, I'd suggest keeping it as CS like we use elsewhere, and as
>explicitly instructed by Intel.
>
>~Andrew

I looked around the kernel, and I believe we are inconsistent. I see both 0x2e (CS) and 0x3e (DS) prefixes used for padding where open-coded.

We can't use cs in all cases, since you can't do a store to the code segment (always readonly) so we use 0x3e (DS) to patch out LOCK.

In the paper you describe, it only mentions 0x2e as a "benign prefix" in a specific example, not as any kind of specific recommendation. It is particularly irrelevant when it comes to padding a two instructions to the same length as the paper deals with assignment. 

If you want, I'm perfectly happy to go and ask if there is any general recommendation (except for direct conditional branch hints, of course.)