Re: [PATCH V6 1/2] dt-bindings: mailbox: add binding doc for the ARM SMC/HVC mailbox

Jassi Brar
2019-09-18T15:32:12Z

On Wed, Sep 18, 2019 at 9:46 AM Andre Przywara <andre.przywara@arm.com> wrote:
>
> On Wed, 18 Sep 2019 09:19:46 -0500
> Jassi Brar <jassisinghbrar@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Hi,
>
> > On Wed, Sep 18, 2019 at 4:44 AM Andre Przywara <andre.przywara@arm.com> wrote:
> >
> > >
> > > > which needs 9 arguments to work. The fact that the fist argument is
> > > > always going to be same on a platform is just the way we use this
> > > > instruction.
> > > >
> > > > > We should be as strict as possible to avoid any security issues.
> > > > >
> > > > Any example of such a security issue?
> > >
> > > Someone finds a way to trick some mailbox client to send a crafted message to the mailbox.
> > >
> > What if someone finds a way to trick the block layer to erase 'sda' ?
>
> Yes, the Linux block driver control the whole block device, it can do whatever it wants.
>
Sorry, it doesn't make any sense.

> > That is called "bug in the code".
> > It does happen in every subsystem but we don't stop implementing new
> > features .... we write flexible code and then fix any bug.
> >
> >
> > > Do you have any example of a use case where the mailbox client needs to provide the function ID?
> > >
> > FSL_SIP_SCMI_1/2 ?
>
> Huh? Where does the SCPI or SCMI driver provide this? Those clients don't even provide any arguments. Adding some would defeat the whole point of having this mailbox in the first place, which was to provide a drop-in replacement for a hardware mailbox device used on other platforms.
>
SCPI/SCMI implementation is broken. I did NAK it.
With the 'smc' mailbox you may get away without have to program the
channel before transmit, but not every controller is natively so.

> > But that is not the main point, which is to be consistent (not
> > ignoring first argument because someone may find a bug to exploit) and
> > flexible.
>
> Please read the SMCCC[1]: The first argument is in r1/w1/x1. r0/w0 is the function ID, and this is a specific value (fixed by the firmware implementation, see Peng's ATF patch) and not up to be guessed by a client.
>
The first argument of smc call is the function-id
arm_smccc_hvc(function_id, arg0, arg1, arg2, arg3, arg4, arg5, 0, &res);

>
> That's why I think the function ID (which is part of the SMCCC protocol, not of the mailbox service!) should just be set in the controller DT node and nowhere else.
>
Actually that is the very reason func-id should be a client thing and
passed via client's DT node :)
It is general understanding that protocol specific bits should not be
a part of controller driver, but the client(protocol) driver.

Page-7 Function-ID specifies :-
1) The service to be invoked.
2) The function to be invoked.
3) The calling convention (32-bit or 64-bit) that is in use.
4) The call type (fast or yielding) that is in use.

Even if we turn blind to 2,3 & 4, but (1) shouts like a runtime property.

Thanks.