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Subject: Re: [PATCH RFC v2 4/6] x86: Disable PTI on compatibility mode
To: Linus Torvalds <torvalds@linux-foundation.org>,
        Andy Lutomirski <luto@kernel.org>
Cc: Nadav Amit <nadav.amit@gmail.com>,
        Pavel Emelyanov <xemul@parallels.com>,
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        X86 ML <x86@kernel.org>, LKML <linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org>
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From: Andrew Cooper <andrew.cooper3@citrix.com>
Message-ID: <d1095ed0-1a4e-823e-d65a-558ea53dfce5@citrix.com>
Date: Fri, 16 Feb 2018 00:35:28 +0000
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On 16/02/2018 00:08, Linus Torvalds wrote:
> On Thu, Feb 15, 2018 at 3:29 PM, Andy Lutomirski <luto@kernel.org> wrote:
>> Linus, how would you feel about, by default, preventing 64-bit
>> programs from long-jumping to __USER32_CS and vice versa?
> How? It's a standard GDT entry. Are you going to start switching the
> GDT around every context switch?
>
> I *thought* that user space can just do a far jump on its own. But
> it's so long since I had to care that I may have forgotten all the
> requirements for going between "compatibility mode" and real long
> mode.

Yes - it is just a straight far jump to switch between compat and long mode.

A evil^W cunning programmer can use the 286 world view and disable
segments by clearing the present bit to yield #NP[sel] on use, which is
liable to be rather faster than LGDT on a context switch.

Alternatively, set both the L and D (code segments only), or playing
with DPL/type can all yield #GP[sel] on use, but these probably aren't
as good options.

~Andrew