Re: [PATCH 1/7] x86/feature: Detect the x86 feature to control Speculation

Tim Chen
2018-01-04T20:47:42Z

On 01/04/2018 11:58 AM, Greg KH wrote:
> On Thu, Jan 04, 2018 at 09:56:42AM -0800, Tim Chen wrote:
>> cpuid ax=0x7, return rdx bit 26 to indicate presence of this feature
>> IA32_SPEC_CTRL (0x48) and IA32_PRED_CMD (0x49)
>> IA32_SPEC_CTRL, bit0 – Indirect Branch Restricted Speculation (IBRS)
>> IA32_PRED_CMD, bit0 – Indirect Branch Prediction Barrier (IBPB)
>>
>> If IBRS is set, near returns and near indirect jumps/calls will not
>> allow their predicted target address to be controlled by code that
>> executed in a less privileged prediction mode before the IBRS mode was
>> last written with a value of 1 or on another logical processor so long
>> as all RSB entries from the previous less privileged prediction mode
>> are overwritten.
>>
>> Setting of IBPB ensures that earlier code's behavior does not control later
>> indirect branch predictions. It is used when context switching to new
>> untrusted address space. Unlike IBRS, it is a command MSR and does not retain
>> its state.
>>
>> * Thus a near indirect jump/call/return may be affected by code in a
>> less privileged prediction mode that executed AFTER IBRS mode was last
>> written with a value of 1
>>
>> * There is no need to clear IBRS before writing it with a value of
>> 1. Unconditionally writing it with a value of 1 after the prediction
>> mode change is sufficient
>>
>> * Note: IBRS is not required in order to isolate branch predictions for
>> SMM or SGX enclaves
>>
>> * Code executed by a sibling logical processor cannot control indirect
>> jump/call/return predicted target when IBRS is set
>>
>> * SMEP will prevent supervisor mode using RSB entries filled by user code;
>> this can reduce the need for software to overwrite RSB entries
>>
>> * IBRS is not guaranteed to differentiate two applications that use
>> the same CR3 due to recycling. Software can use an IBPB command when
>> recycling a page table base address.
>>
>> * VMM software can similarly use an IBPB when recycling a controlling
>> VMCS pointer address
>>
>> CPU performance could be reduced when running with IBRS set.
>>
>> Signed-off-by: Tim Chen <tim.c.chen@linux.intel.com>
>> ---
>> arch/x86/include/asm/cpufeatures.h | 1 +
>> arch/x86/include/asm/msr-index.h | 7 +++++++
>> arch/x86/kernel/cpu/scattered.c | 1 +
>> 3 files changed, 9 insertions(+)
>>
>> diff --git a/arch/x86/include/asm/cpufeatures.h b/arch/x86/include/asm/cpufeatures.h
>> index 86c68cb..431f393 100644
>> --- a/arch/x86/include/asm/cpufeatures.h
>> +++ b/arch/x86/include/asm/cpufeatures.h
>> @@ -209,6 +209,7 @@
>> #define X86_FEATURE_AVX512_4FMAPS ( 7*32+17) /* AVX-512 Multiply Accumulation Single precision */
>>
>> #define X86_FEATURE_MBA ( 7*32+18) /* Memory Bandwidth Allocation */
>> +#define X86_FEATURE_SPEC_CTRL ( 7*32+19) /* Control Speculation Control */
>>
>> /* Virtualization flags: Linux defined, word 8 */
>> #define X86_FEATURE_TPR_SHADOW ( 8*32+ 0) /* Intel TPR Shadow */
>
> You should have gotten a build warning with just this patch, please also
> update tools/arch/x86/include/asm/cpufeatures.h to fix that.

Sorry about that. Trying to get this patchset posted quickly
so I could have missed a few things.

>
> And why not use a free slot, (7*32+13) or (7*32+12) is free, right?
>
> Or were you just trying to make backports "easier"? :)
>
>

There are future features related to speculation control. So
putting it here so they can stay together.

Tim