From: Zhuoying Cai <zycai@linux.ibm.com>
To: thuth@redhat.com, berrange@redhat.com,
richard.henderson@linaro.org, jrossi@linux.ibm.com,
qemu-s390x@nongnu.org, qemu-devel@nongnu.org
Cc: david@kernel.org, walling@linux.ibm.com, jjherne@linux.ibm.com,
pasic@linux.ibm.com, borntraeger@linux.ibm.com,
farman@linux.ibm.com, mjrosato@linux.ibm.com, iii@linux.ibm.com,
eblake@redhat.com, armbru@redhat.com, zycai@linux.ibm.com,
alifm@linux.ibm.com, brueckner@linux.ibm.com
Subject: [PATCH v8 29/30] docs/specs: Add secure IPL documentation
Date: Thu, 12 Feb 2026 15:43:50 -0500 [thread overview]
Message-ID: <20260212204352.1044699-30-zycai@linux.ibm.com> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <20260212204352.1044699-1-zycai@linux.ibm.com>
Add documentation for secure IPL
Signed-off-by: Collin Walling <walling@linux.ibm.com>
---
docs/specs/s390x-secure-ipl.rst | 55 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
1 file changed, 55 insertions(+)
diff --git a/docs/specs/s390x-secure-ipl.rst b/docs/specs/s390x-secure-ipl.rst
index e7a93806f6..b20500529a 100644
--- a/docs/specs/s390x-secure-ipl.rst
+++ b/docs/specs/s390x-secure-ipl.rst
@@ -1,5 +1,60 @@
.. SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0-or-later
+s390 Secure IPL
+===============
+
+Secure IPL (a.k.a. secure boot) enables s390-ccw virtual machines to
+leverage qcrypto libraries and z/Architecture emulations to verify the
+integrity of signed kernels. The qcrypto libraries are used to perform
+certificate validation and signature-verification, whereas the
+z/Architecture emulations are used to ensure secure IPL data has not
+been tampered with, convey data between QEMU and userspace, and set up
+the relevant secure IPL data structures with verification results.
+
+To find out more about using this feature, see
+``docs/system/s390x/secure-ipl.rst``.
+
+Note that "userspace" will refer to the s390-ccw BIOS unless stated
+otherwise.
+
+Both QEMU and userspace work in cooperation to perform secure IPL. The Secure
+Loading Attributes Facility (SCLAF) is used to check the Secure Code
+Loading Attribute Block (SCLAB) and ensure that secure IPL data has not
+been tampered with. DIAGNOSE 'X'320' is invoked by userspace to query
+the certificate store info and retrieve specific certificates from QEMU.
+DIAGNOSE 'X'508' is used by userspace to leverage qcrypto libraries to
+perform signature-verification in QEMU. Lastly, userspace generates and
+appends an IPL Information Report Block (IIRB) at the end of the IPL
+Parameter Block, which is used by the kernel to store signed and
+verified entries.
+
+The logical steps are as follows:
+
+- Userspace reads data payload from disk (e.g. stage3 boot loader, kernel)
+- Userspace checks the validity of the SCLAB
+- Userspace invokes DIAG 508 subcode 1 and provides it the payload
+- QEMU handles DIAG 508 request by reading the payload and retrieving the
+ certificate store
+- QEMU DIAG 508 utilizes qcrypto libraries to perform signature-verification on
+ the payload, attempting with each cert in the store (until success or
+ exhausted)
+- QEMU DIAG 508 returns:
+
+ - success: index of cert used to verify payload
+ - failure: error code
+
+- Userspace responds to this operation:
+
+ - success: retrieves cert from store via DIAG 320 using returned index
+ - failure: reports with warning (audit mode), aborts with error (secure mode)
+
+- Userspace appends IIRB at the end of the IPLB
+- Userspace kicks off IPL
+
+More information regarding the respective DIAGNOSE commands and IPL data
+structures are outlined within this document.
+
+
s390 Certificate Store and Functions
====================================
--
2.52.0
next prev parent reply other threads:[~2026-02-12 20:46 UTC|newest]
Thread overview: 72+ messages / expand[flat|nested] mbox.gz Atom feed top
2026-02-12 20:43 [PATCH v8 00/30] Secure IPL Support for SCSI Scheme of virtio-blk/virtio-scsi Devices Zhuoying Cai
2026-02-12 20:43 ` [PATCH v8 01/30] Add boot-certs to s390-ccw-virtio machine type option Zhuoying Cai
2026-02-17 8:30 ` Markus Armbruster
2026-02-12 20:43 ` [PATCH v8 02/30] crypto/x509-utils: Refactor with GNUTLS fallback Zhuoying Cai
2026-02-12 20:43 ` [PATCH v8 03/30] crypto/x509-utils: Add helper functions for certificate store Zhuoying Cai
2026-02-12 20:43 ` [PATCH v8 04/30] hw/s390x/ipl: Create " Zhuoying Cai
2026-02-26 16:02 ` Thomas Huth
2026-02-28 1:45 ` Zhuoying Cai
2026-03-05 21:34 ` Farhan Ali
2026-02-12 20:43 ` [PATCH v8 05/30] s390x/diag: Introduce DIAG 320 for Certificate Store Facility Zhuoying Cai
2026-02-27 12:41 ` Thomas Huth
2026-02-28 1:47 ` Zhuoying Cai
2026-02-12 20:43 ` [PATCH v8 06/30] s390x/diag: Refactor address validation check from diag308_parm_check Zhuoying Cai
2026-02-27 12:46 ` Thomas Huth
2026-02-12 20:43 ` [PATCH v8 07/30] s390x/diag: Implement DIAG 320 subcode 1 Zhuoying Cai
2026-02-27 12:58 ` Thomas Huth
2026-02-28 2:15 ` Zhuoying Cai
2026-02-28 12:51 ` Thomas Huth
2026-02-12 20:43 ` [PATCH v8 08/30] crypto/x509-utils: Add helper functions for DIAG 320 subcode 2 Zhuoying Cai
2026-02-28 13:43 ` Thomas Huth
2026-03-03 21:02 ` Zhuoying Cai
2026-03-04 7:26 ` Thomas Huth
2026-02-12 20:43 ` [PATCH v8 09/30] s390x/diag: Implement " Zhuoying Cai
2026-02-17 8:18 ` Markus Armbruster
2026-02-17 21:29 ` Zhuoying Cai
2026-02-28 2:25 ` Zhuoying Cai
2026-02-28 14:07 ` Thomas Huth
2026-02-12 20:43 ` [PATCH v8 10/30] s390x/diag: Introduce DIAG 508 for secure IPL operations Zhuoying Cai
2026-02-12 20:43 ` [PATCH v8 11/30] crypto/x509-utils: Add helper functions for DIAG 508 subcode 1 Zhuoying Cai
2026-02-12 20:43 ` [PATCH v8 12/30] s390x/diag: Implement DIAG 508 subcode 1 for signature verification Zhuoying Cai
2026-03-03 20:22 ` Farhan Ali
2026-02-12 20:43 ` [PATCH v8 13/30] s390x/ipl: Introduce IPL Information Report Block (IIRB) Zhuoying Cai
2026-03-03 20:38 ` Farhan Ali
2026-02-12 20:43 ` [PATCH v8 14/30] pc-bios/s390-ccw: Define memory for IPLB and convert IPLB to pointers Zhuoying Cai
2026-03-02 9:56 ` Thomas Huth
2026-02-12 20:43 ` [PATCH v8 15/30] hw/s390x/ipl: Add IPIB flags to IPL Parameter Block Zhuoying Cai
2026-02-12 20:43 ` [PATCH v8 16/30] s390x: Guest support for Secure-IPL Facility Zhuoying Cai
2026-03-02 10:03 ` Thomas Huth
2026-02-12 20:43 ` [PATCH v8 17/30] pc-bios/s390-ccw: Refactor zipl_run() Zhuoying Cai
2026-02-12 20:43 ` [PATCH v8 18/30] pc-bios/s390-ccw: Rework zipl_load_segment function Zhuoying Cai
2026-02-12 20:43 ` [PATCH v8 19/30] pc-bios/s390-ccw: Add signature verification for secure IPL in audit mode Zhuoying Cai
2026-03-02 10:48 ` Thomas Huth
2026-03-03 21:46 ` Farhan Ali
2026-03-04 22:17 ` Zhuoying Cai
2026-02-12 20:43 ` [PATCH v8 20/30] pc-bios/s390-ccw: Add signed component address overlap checks Zhuoying Cai
2026-03-02 11:01 ` Thomas Huth
2026-03-03 22:07 ` Farhan Ali
2026-03-03 22:36 ` Zhuoying Cai
2026-02-12 20:43 ` [PATCH v8 21/30] s390x: Guest support for Secure-IPL Code Loading Attributes Facility (SCLAF) Zhuoying Cai
2026-02-17 8:06 ` Markus Armbruster
2026-02-17 8:19 ` Markus Armbruster
2026-02-12 20:43 ` [PATCH v8 22/30] pc-bios/s390-ccw: Add additional security checks for secure boot Zhuoying Cai
2026-03-02 11:24 ` Thomas Huth
2026-03-03 21:17 ` Zhuoying Cai
2026-02-12 20:43 ` [PATCH v8 23/30] Add secure-boot to s390-ccw-virtio machine type option Zhuoying Cai
2026-02-12 20:43 ` [PATCH v8 24/30] hw/s390x/ipl: Set IPIB flags for secure IPL Zhuoying Cai
2026-03-02 11:34 ` Thomas Huth
2026-02-12 20:43 ` [PATCH v8 25/30] pc-bios/s390-ccw: Handle true secure IPL mode Zhuoying Cai
2026-03-02 12:53 ` Thomas Huth
2026-02-12 20:43 ` [PATCH v8 26/30] hw/s390x/ipl: Handle secure boot with multiple boot devices Zhuoying Cai
2026-03-02 12:59 ` Thomas Huth
2026-02-12 20:43 ` [PATCH v8 27/30] hw/s390x/ipl: Handle secure boot without specifying a boot device Zhuoying Cai
2026-02-12 20:43 ` [PATCH v8 28/30] tests/functional/s390x: Add secure IPL functional test Zhuoying Cai
2026-03-02 13:35 ` Thomas Huth
2026-03-03 22:07 ` Zhuoying Cai
2026-02-12 20:43 ` Zhuoying Cai [this message]
2026-03-02 13:45 ` [PATCH v8 29/30] docs/specs: Add secure IPL documentation Thomas Huth
2026-02-12 20:43 ` [PATCH v8 30/30] docs/system/s390x: " Zhuoying Cai
2026-02-17 8:06 ` Markus Armbruster
2026-02-17 8:20 ` Markus Armbruster
2026-02-17 20:29 ` Zhuoying Cai
2026-03-02 16:24 ` Thomas Huth
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