Re: Module signing and post-quantum crypto public key algorithms

Eric Biggers
2025-06-13T17:05:23Z

On Fri, Jun 13, 2025 at 03:54:30PM +0100, David Howells wrote:
> Hi,
>
> So we need to do something about the impending quantum-related obsolescence of
> the RSA signatures that we use for module signing, kexec, BPF signing, IMA and
> a bunch of other things.
>
> From my point of view, the simplest way would be to implement key verification
> in the kernel for one (or more) of the available post-quantum algorithms (of
> which there are at least three), driving this with appropriate changes to the
> X.509 certificate to indicate that's what we want to use.
>
> The good news is that Stephan Mueller has an implemementation that includes
> kernel bits that we can use, or, at least, adapt:
>
> https://github.com/smuellerDD/leancrypto/
>
> Note that we only need the signature verification bits. One question, though:
> he's done it as a standalone "leancrypto" module, not integrated into crypto/,
> but should it be integrated into crypto/ or is the standalone fine?

The proper place for crypto algorithm implementations, both new and existing, is
lib/crypto/. crypto/ should contain only the compatibility code to integrate
the algorithm implementations into the generic APIs like crypto_akcipher, *if*
it's needed.

ML-DSA a.k.a. Dilithium support is fairly low on my priority list at the moment,
so if someone really wants it soon they would need to drive that effort.

- Eric