linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH net-next] vhost: use "checked" versions of get_user() and put

lists.openwall.net		lists / announce owl-users owl-dev john-users john-dev passwdqc-users yescrypt popa3d-users / oss-security kernel-hardening musl sabotage tlsify passwords / crypt-dev xvendor / Bugtraq Full-Disclosure linux-kernel linux-netdev linux-ext4 linux-hardening linux-cve-announce PHC
Open Source and information security mailing list archives

Hash Suite for Android: free password hash cracker in your pocket

[<prev] [next>] [<thread-prev] [thread-next>] [day] [month] [year] [list]

Message-ID: <0D4EA459-C3E5-4557-97EB-17ABB4F817E5@nutanix.com>
Date: Wed, 26 Nov 2025 21:42:51 +0000
From: Jon Kohler <jon@...anix.com>
To: Arnd Bergmann <arnd@...db.de>
CC: Jason Wang <jasowang@...hat.com>, "Michael S. Tsirkin" <mst@...hat.com>,
        Eugenio Pérez <eperezma@...hat.com>,
        "kvm@...r.kernel.org"
	<kvm@...r.kernel.org>,
        "virtualization@...ts.linux.dev"
	<virtualization@...ts.linux.dev>,
        Netdev <netdev@...r.kernel.org>,
        "linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org" <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>,
        Linus Torvalds
	<torvalds@...ux-foundation.org>,
        Borislav Petkov <bp@...en8.de>,
        Sean
 Christopherson <seanjc@...gle.com>,
        "linux-arm-kernel@...ts.infradead.org"
	<linux-arm-kernel@...ts.infradead.org>,
        Russell King <linux@...linux.org.uk>,
        Catalin Marinas <catalin.marinas@....com>,
        Will Deacon <will@...nel.org>, Krzysztof Kozlowski <krzk@...nel.org>,
        Alexandre Belloni
	<alexandre.belloni@...tlin.com>,
        Linus Walleij <linus.walleij@...aro.org>,
        Drew Fustini <fustini@...nel.org>
Subject: Re: [PATCH net-next] vhost: use "checked" versions of get_user() and
 put_user()



> On Nov 26, 2025, at 2:58 PM, Arnd Bergmann <arnd@...db.de> wrote:
> 
> On Wed, Nov 26, 2025, at 20:47, Jon Kohler wrote:
>>> On Nov 26, 2025, at 5:25 AM, Arnd Bergmann <arnd@...db.de> wrote:
>>> On Wed, Nov 26, 2025, at 07:04, Jason Wang wrote:
>>>> On Wed, Nov 26, 2025 at 3:45 AM Jon Kohler <jon@...anix.com> wrote:
>>> I think the more relevant commit is for 64-bit Arm here, but this does
>>> the same thing, see 84624087dd7e ("arm64: uaccess: Don't bother
>>> eliding access_ok checks in __{get, put}_user").
>> 
>> Ah! Right, this is definitely the important bit, as it makes it
>> crystal clear that these are exactly the same thing. The current
>> code is:
>> #define get_user __get_user
>> #define put_user __put_user
>> 
>> So, this patch changing from __* to regular versions is a no-op
>> on arm side of the house, yea?
> 
> Certainly on 64-bit, and almost always on 32-bit, yes.
> 
>>> I would think that if we change the __get_user() to get_user()
>>> in this driver, the same should be done for the
>>> __copy_{from,to}_user(), which similarly skips the access_ok()
>>> check but not the PAN/SMAP handling.
>> 
>> Perhaps, thats a good call out. I’d file that under one battle
>> at a time. Let’s get get/put user dusted first, then go down
>> that road?
> 
> It depends on what your bigger plan is. Are you working on
> improving the vhost driver specifically, or are you trying
> to kill off the __get_user/__put_user calls across the
> entire kernel?

I’m working on vhost / virtualized networking improvements
at the moment, not the broader kernel wide work.

Linus mentioned he might get into the mix and do a bulk
change and kill the whole thing once and for all, so I’m
simply trying to help knock an incremental amount of work
off the pile in advance of that (and reap some performance
benefits at the same time, at least on the x86 side).

Thanks for the info and back n forth here, I appreciate it!