From: Ard Biesheuvel <ardb+git@google.com>
To: linux-hardening@vger.kernel.org
Cc: linux-arm-kernel@lists.infradead.org,
linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org, Ard Biesheuvel <ardb@kernel.org>,
Kees Cook <kees@kernel.org>, Ryan Roberts <ryan.roberts@arm.com>,
Will Deacon <will@kernel.org>, Arnd Bergmann <arnd@arndb.de>,
Jeremy Linton <jeremy.linton@arm.com>,
Catalin Marinas <Catalin.Marinas@arm.com>,
Mark Rutland <mark.rutland@arm.com>,
"Jason A. Donenfeld" <Jason@zx2c4.com>
Subject: [RFC/RFT PATCH 0/6] Improve get_random_u8() for use in randomize kstack
Date: Thu, 27 Nov 2025 10:22:27 +0100 [thread overview]
Message-ID: <20251127092226.1439196-8-ardb+git@google.com> (raw)
From: Ard Biesheuvel <ardb@kernel.org>
Ryan reports that get_random_u16() is dominant in the performance
profiling of syscall entry when kstack randomization is enabled [0].
This is the reason many architectures rely on a counter instead, and
that, in turn, is the reason for the convoluted way the (pseudo-)entropy
is gathered and recorded in a per-CPU variable.
Let's try to make the get_random_uXX() fast path faster, and switch to
get_random_u8() so that we'll hit the slow path 2x less often. Then,
wire it up in the syscall entry path, replacing the per-CPU variable,
making the logic at syscall exit redundant.
[0] https://lore.kernel.org/all/dd8c37bc-795f-4c7a-9086-69e584d8ab24@arm.com/
Cc: Kees Cook <kees@kernel.org>
Cc: Ryan Roberts <ryan.roberts@arm.com>
Cc: Will Deacon <will@kernel.org>
Cc: Arnd Bergmann <arnd@arndb.de>
Cc: Jeremy Linton <jeremy.linton@arm.com>
Cc: Catalin Marinas <Catalin.Marinas@arm.com>
Cc: Mark Rutland <mark.rutland@arm.com>
Cc: Jason A. Donenfeld <Jason@zx2c4.com>
Ard Biesheuvel (6):
hexagon: Wire up cmpxchg64_local() to generic implementation
arc: Wire up cmpxchg64_local() to generic implementation
random: Use u32 to keep track of batched entropy generation
random: Use a lockless fast path for get_random_uXX()
random: Plug race in preceding patch
randomize_kstack: Use get_random_u8() at entry for entropy
arch/Kconfig | 9 ++--
arch/arc/include/asm/cmpxchg.h | 3 ++
arch/hexagon/include/asm/cmpxchg.h | 4 ++
drivers/char/random.c | 49 ++++++++++++++------
include/linux/randomize_kstack.h | 36 ++------------
init/main.c | 1 -
6 files changed, 49 insertions(+), 53 deletions(-)
base-commit: ac3fd01e4c1efce8f2c054cdeb2ddd2fc0fb150d
--
2.52.0.107.ga0afd4fd5b-goog
next reply other threads:[~2025-11-27 9:23 UTC|newest]
Thread overview: 28+ messages / expand[flat|nested] mbox.gz Atom feed top
2025-11-27 9:22 Ard Biesheuvel [this message]
2025-11-27 9:22 ` [RFC/RFT PATCH 1/6] hexagon: Wire up cmpxchg64_local() to generic implementation Ard Biesheuvel
2025-11-27 9:22 ` [RFC/RFT PATCH 2/6] arc: " Ard Biesheuvel
2025-11-27 15:06 ` Joey Gouly
2025-12-03 16:59 ` Ard Biesheuvel
2025-11-27 9:22 ` [RFC/RFT PATCH 3/6] random: Use u32 to keep track of batched entropy generation Ard Biesheuvel
2025-11-27 10:11 ` david laight
2025-11-27 10:15 ` Ard Biesheuvel
2025-11-27 9:22 ` [RFC/RFT PATCH 4/6] random: Use a lockless fast path for get_random_uXX() Ard Biesheuvel
2025-11-27 10:32 ` Ard Biesheuvel
2025-11-27 9:22 ` [RFC/RFT PATCH 5/6] random: Plug race in preceding patch Ard Biesheuvel
2025-11-28 11:13 ` david laight
2025-11-28 11:18 ` Ard Biesheuvel
2025-11-27 9:22 ` [RFC/RFT PATCH 6/6] randomize_kstack: Use get_random_u8() at entry for entropy Ard Biesheuvel
2025-11-27 12:12 ` [RFC/RFT PATCH 0/6] Improve get_random_u8() for use in randomize kstack Ryan Roberts
2025-11-27 12:28 ` Ard Biesheuvel
2025-11-27 13:08 ` Ryan Roberts
2025-11-27 14:18 ` Ryan Roberts
2025-11-27 15:03 ` Ard Biesheuvel
2025-11-27 15:40 ` Ard Biesheuvel
2025-11-27 15:56 ` Ryan Roberts
2025-11-27 16:58 ` Mark Rutland
2025-11-27 19:01 ` Ard Biesheuvel
2025-11-28 10:36 ` Ryan Roberts
2025-11-28 11:44 ` Mark Rutland
2025-11-28 10:07 ` Ard Biesheuvel
2025-11-28 10:32 ` Ryan Roberts
2025-11-28 10:36 ` Ard Biesheuvel
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