Re: [PATCH v3 0/3] f2fs: support encrypted inline data

Re: [PATCH v3 0/3] f2fs: support encrypted inline data

[Eric Biggers]

[+Cc linux-ext4@vger.kernel.org]

On Mon, Jun 15, 2026 at 08:55:12PM +0800, LiaoYuanhong-vivo wrote:
> F2FS currently disables inline data for encrypted regular files because the
> inline payload is stored in the inode block and does not go through the
> regular bio-based fscrypt path.  This wastes space for small encrypted
> files on Android devices using F2FS inlinecrypt.
> 
> This series adds an encrypted_inline_data on-disk feature for F2FS.
> With this feature enabled, encrypted regular files may keep small contents
> in the inode block.  The inline payload is encrypted before being stored in
> the inode and decrypted back into page-cache plaintext on read.
> 
> The fscrypt changes are scoped to filesystem-managed data-unit crypto.
> F2FS first asks fscrypt whether the inode's key/policy supports this path.
> It prepares the software transform only when encrypted inline payloads are
> read or written.  Inlinecrypt support is limited to v2 IV_INO_LBLK_64 and
> IV_INO_LBLK_32 policies, including the hardware-wrapped key configurations
> supported by fscrypt.  Per-file inlinecrypt keys and DIRECT_KEY policies
> are not supported for encrypted inline data.

I still think we should hold off on this, for the reasons I gave at
https://lore.kernel.org/r/20260515184124.GA4903@quark/

As soon as you start using hardware-wrapped keys this will become
irrelevant, as it can't be used in that case.  I see you added "support"
for that case anyway by deriving contents encryption keys from the
sw_secret.  But that bypasses the security model, which isn't okay.

I'm also working to simplify ext4 and f2fs's file contents encryption
implementation by standardizing on blk-crypto.  That aligns well with
what btrfs encryption is going to do as well.  So this isn't a great
time to be making f2fs's file contents encryption implementation even
more complex by going in a different direction.

If there was demand for this feature from the ext4 side for
general-purpose Linux distros as well, that would make it a bit more
appealing, as it would show broader demand.  But with the proposal being
f2fs-specific and effectively just for Android devices that *don't* use
wrapped keys, that feels too narrow for the added complexity.

This proposal also lacks test cases in xfstests and/or Android's
vts_kernel_encryption_test that verify that the inline data is actually
being encrypted correctly.  Those tests are essential, and we *must not*
add new file contents encryption implementations without such tests.

- Eric