linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH] lib/crypto: Add FIPS pre-operational self-test for SHA algorithms

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Message-ID: <20251007032706.GB77681@sol>
Date: Mon, 6 Oct 2025 20:27:06 -0700
From: Eric Biggers <ebiggers@...nel.org>
To: Joachim Vandersmissen <git@...sn.com>
Cc: linux-crypto@...r.kernel.org, linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org,
	Ard Biesheuvel <ardb@...nel.org>,
	"Jason A . Donenfeld" <Jason@...c4.com>,
	Vegard Nossum <vegard.nossum@...cle.com>,
	David Howells <dhowells@...hat.com>,
	Linus Torvalds <torvalds@...ux-foundation.org>
Subject: Re: [PATCH] lib/crypto: Add FIPS pre-operational self-test for SHA
 algorithms

On Mon, Oct 06, 2025 at 10:03:44PM -0500, Joachim Vandersmissen wrote:
> Hi Eric,
> 
> It's a very minor change but I suggest not using "pre-operational
> self-test". That term specifically refers to a different type of self-test
> in FIPS 140-3 and it could lead to some confusion here. "cryptographic
> algorithm self-test" may be better (if you want to be formal), or just
> "self-test" or "known-answer test".
> 

I don't think that's quite correct.  FIPS 140-3 divides self-tests into
two categories, pre-operational (executed unconditionally at start-up
time) and conditional (executed only when conditions are met, such as an
algorithm being used for the first time).  This patch chooses the first
option, pre-operational.

We could just call them algorithm self-tests if we don't want to be
specific as to what time they run at, though.

- Eric