[PATCH 6.1 44/71] Documentation/hw-vuln: Add documentation for RFDS

Sasha Levin
2024-03-13T16:40:51Z

From: Pawan Gupta <pawan.kumar.gupta@linux.intel.com>

commit 4e42765d1be01111df0c0275bbaf1db1acef346e upstream.

Add the documentation for transient execution vulnerability Register
File Data Sampling (RFDS) that affects Intel Atom CPUs.

Signed-off-by: Pawan Gupta <pawan.kumar.gupta@linux.intel.com>
Signed-off-by: Dave Hansen <dave.hansen@linux.intel.com>
Reviewed-by: Thomas Gleixner <tglx@linutronix.de>
Acked-by: Josh Poimboeuf <jpoimboe@kernel.org>
Signed-off-by: Greg Kroah-Hartman <gregkh@linuxfoundation.org>
---
Documentation/admin-guide/hw-vuln/index.rst | 1 +
.../hw-vuln/reg-file-data-sampling.rst | 104 ++++++++++++++++++
2 files changed, 105 insertions(+)
create mode 100644 Documentation/admin-guide/hw-vuln/reg-file-data-sampling.rst

diff --git a/Documentation/admin-guide/hw-vuln/index.rst b/Documentation/admin-guide/hw-vuln/index.rst
index 6828102baaa7a..3e4a14e38b49e 100644
--- a/Documentation/admin-guide/hw-vuln/index.rst
+++ b/Documentation/admin-guide/hw-vuln/index.rst
@@ -21,3 +21,4 @@ are configurable at compile, boot or run time.
cross-thread-rsb.rst
gather_data_sampling.rst
srso
+ reg-file-data-sampling
diff --git a/Documentation/admin-guide/hw-vuln/reg-file-data-sampling.rst b/Documentation/admin-guide/hw-vuln/reg-file-data-sampling.rst
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..0585d02b9a6cb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Documentation/admin-guide/hw-vuln/reg-file-data-sampling.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,104 @@
+==================================
+Register File Data Sampling (RFDS)
+==================================
+
+Register File Data Sampling (RFDS) is a microarchitectural vulnerability that
+only affects Intel Atom parts(also branded as E-cores). RFDS may allow
+a malicious actor to infer data values previously used in floating point
+registers, vector registers, or integer registers. RFDS does not provide the
+ability to choose which data is inferred. CVE-2023-28746 is assigned to RFDS.
+
+Affected Processors
+===================
+Below is the list of affected Intel processors [#f1]_:
+
+ =================== ============
+ Common name Family_Model
+ =================== ============
+ ATOM_GOLDMONT 06_5CH
+ ATOM_GOLDMONT_D 06_5FH
+ ATOM_GOLDMONT_PLUS 06_7AH
+ ATOM_TREMONT_D 06_86H
+ ATOM_TREMONT 06_96H
+ ALDERLAKE 06_97H
+ ALDERLAKE_L 06_9AH
+ ATOM_TREMONT_L 06_9CH
+ RAPTORLAKE 06_B7H
+ RAPTORLAKE_P 06_BAH
+ ATOM_GRACEMONT 06_BEH
+ RAPTORLAKE_S 06_BFH
+ =================== ============
+
+As an exception to this table, Intel Xeon E family parts ALDERLAKE(06_97H) and
+RAPTORLAKE(06_B7H) codenamed Catlow are not affected. They are reported as
+vulnerable in Linux because they share the same family/model with an affected
+part. Unlike their affected counterparts, they do not enumerate RFDS_CLEAR or
+CPUID.HYBRID. This information could be used to distinguish between the
+affected and unaffected parts, but it is deemed not worth adding complexity as
+the reporting is fixed automatically when these parts enumerate RFDS_NO.
+
+Mitigation
+==========
+Intel released a microcode update that enables software to clear sensitive
+information using the VERW instruction. Like MDS, RFDS deploys the same
+mitigation strategy to force the CPU to clear the affected buffers before an
+attacker can extract the secrets. This is achieved by using the otherwise
+unused and obsolete VERW instruction in combination with a microcode update.
+The microcode clears the affected CPU buffers when the VERW instruction is
+executed.
+
+Mitigation points
+-----------------
+VERW is executed by the kernel before returning to user space, and by KVM
+before VMentry. None of the affected cores support SMT, so VERW is not required
+at C-state transitions.
+
+New bits in IA32_ARCH_CAPABILITIES
+----------------------------------
+Newer processors and microcode update on existing affected processors added new
+bits to IA32_ARCH_CAPABILITIES MSR. These bits can be used to enumerate
+vulnerability and mitigation capability:
+
+- Bit 27 - RFDS_NO - When set, processor is not affected by RFDS.
+- Bit 28 - RFDS_CLEAR - When set, processor is affected by RFDS, and has the
+ microcode that clears the affected buffers on VERW execution.
+
+Mitigation control on the kernel command line
+---------------------------------------------
+The kernel command line allows to control RFDS mitigation at boot time with the
+parameter "reg_file_data_sampling=". The valid arguments are:
+
+ ========== =================================================================
+ on If the CPU is vulnerable, enable mitigation; CPU buffer clearing
+ on exit to userspace and before entering a VM.
+ off Disables mitigation.
+ ========== =================================================================
+
+Mitigation default is selected by CONFIG_MITIGATION_RFDS.
+
+Mitigation status information
+-----------------------------
+The Linux kernel provides a sysfs interface to enumerate the current
+vulnerability status of the system: whether the system is vulnerable, and
+which mitigations are active. The relevant sysfs file is:
+
+ /sys/devices/system/cpu/vulnerabilities/reg_file_data_sampling
+
+The possible values in this file are:
+
+ .. list-table::
+
+ * - 'Not affected'
+ - The processor is not vulnerable
+ * - 'Vulnerable'
+ - The processor is vulnerable, but no mitigation enabled
+ * - 'Vulnerable: No microcode'
+ - The processor is vulnerable but microcode is not updated.
+ * - 'Mitigation: Clear Register File'
+ - The processor is vulnerable and the CPU buffer clearing mitigation is
+ enabled.
+
+References
+----------
+.. [#f1] Affected Processors
+ https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/developer/topic-technology/software-security-guidance/processors-affected-consolidated-product-cpu-model.html
--
2.43.0