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diff --git a/Documentation/crypto/userspace-if.rst b/Documentation/crypto/userspace-if.rst new file mode 100644 index 000000000..ff86befa6 --- /dev/null +++ b/Documentation/crypto/userspace-if.rst @@ -0,0 +1,387 @@ +User Space Interface +==================== + +Introduction +------------ + +The concepts of the kernel crypto API visible to kernel space is fully +applicable to the user space interface as well. Therefore, the kernel +crypto API high level discussion for the in-kernel use cases applies +here as well. + +The major difference, however, is that user space can only act as a +consumer and never as a provider of a transformation or cipher +algorithm. + +The following covers the user space interface exported by the kernel +crypto API. A working example of this description is libkcapi that can +be obtained from [1]. That library can be used by user space +applications that require cryptographic services from the kernel. + +Some details of the in-kernel kernel crypto API aspects do not apply to +user space, however. This includes the difference between synchronous +and asynchronous invocations. The user space API call is fully +synchronous. + +[1] http://www.chronox.de/libkcapi.html + +User Space API General Remarks +------------------------------ + +The kernel crypto API is accessible from user space. Currently, the +following ciphers are accessible: + +- Message digest including keyed message digest (HMAC, CMAC) + +- Symmetric ciphers + +- AEAD ciphers + +- Random Number Generators + +The interface is provided via socket type using the type AF_ALG. In +addition, the setsockopt option type is SOL_ALG. In case the user space +header files do not export these flags yet, use the following macros: + +:: + + #ifndef AF_ALG + #define AF_ALG 38 + #endif + #ifndef SOL_ALG + #define SOL_ALG 279 + #endif + + +A cipher is accessed with the same name as done for the in-kernel API +calls. This includes the generic vs. unique naming schema for ciphers as +well as the enforcement of priorities for generic names. + +To interact with the kernel crypto API, a socket must be created by the +user space application. User space invokes the cipher operation with the +send()/write() system call family. The result of the cipher operation is +obtained with the read()/recv() system call family. + +The following API calls assume that the socket descriptor is already +opened by the user space application and discusses only the kernel +crypto API specific invocations. + +To initialize the socket interface, the following sequence has to be +performed by the consumer: + +1. Create a socket of type AF_ALG with the struct sockaddr_alg + parameter specified below for the different cipher types. + +2. Invoke bind with the socket descriptor + +3. Invoke accept with the socket descriptor. The accept system call + returns a new file descriptor that is to be used to interact with the + particular cipher instance. When invoking send/write or recv/read + system calls to send data to the kernel or obtain data from the + kernel, the file descriptor returned by accept must be used. + +In-place Cipher operation +------------------------- + +Just like the in-kernel operation of the kernel crypto API, the user +space interface allows the cipher operation in-place. That means that +the input buffer used for the send/write system call and the output +buffer used by the read/recv system call may be one and the same. This +is of particular interest for symmetric cipher operations where a +copying of the output data to its final destination can be avoided. + +If a consumer on the other hand wants to maintain the plaintext and the +ciphertext in different memory locations, all a consumer needs to do is +to provide different memory pointers for the encryption and decryption +operation. + +Message Digest API +------------------ + +The message digest type to be used for the cipher operation is selected +when invoking the bind syscall. bind requires the caller to provide a +filled struct sockaddr data structure. This data structure must be +filled as follows: + +:: + + struct sockaddr_alg sa = { + .salg_family = AF_ALG, + .salg_type = "hash", /* this selects the hash logic in the kernel */ + .salg_name = "sha1" /* this is the cipher name */ + }; + + +The salg_type value "hash" applies to message digests and keyed message +digests. Though, a keyed message digest is referenced by the appropriate +salg_name. Please see below for the setsockopt interface that explains +how the key can be set for a keyed message digest. + +Using the send() system call, the application provides the data that +should be processed with the message digest. The send system call allows +the following flags to be specified: + +- MSG_MORE: If this flag is set, the send system call acts like a + message digest update function where the final hash is not yet + calculated. If the flag is not set, the send system call calculates + the final message digest immediately. + +With the recv() system call, the application can read the message digest +from the kernel crypto API. If the buffer is too small for the message +digest, the flag MSG_TRUNC is set by the kernel. + +In order to set a message digest key, the calling application must use +the setsockopt() option of ALG_SET_KEY. If the key is not set the HMAC +operation is performed without the initial HMAC state change caused by +the key. + +Symmetric Cipher API +-------------------- + +The operation is very similar to the message digest discussion. During +initialization, the struct sockaddr data structure must be filled as +follows: + +:: + + struct sockaddr_alg sa = { + .salg_family = AF_ALG, + .salg_type = "skcipher", /* this selects the symmetric cipher */ + .salg_name = "cbc(aes)" /* this is the cipher name */ + }; + + +Before data can be sent to the kernel using the write/send system call +family, the consumer must set the key. The key setting is described with +the setsockopt invocation below. + +Using the sendmsg() system call, the application provides the data that +should be processed for encryption or decryption. In addition, the IV is +specified with the data structure provided by the sendmsg() system call. + +The sendmsg system call parameter of struct msghdr is embedded into the +struct cmsghdr data structure. See recv(2) and cmsg(3) for more +information on how the cmsghdr data structure is used together with the +send/recv system call family. That cmsghdr data structure holds the +following information specified with a separate header instances: + +- specification of the cipher operation type with one of these flags: + + - ALG_OP_ENCRYPT - encryption of data + + - ALG_OP_DECRYPT - decryption of data + +- specification of the IV information marked with the flag ALG_SET_IV + +The send system call family allows the following flag to be specified: + +- MSG_MORE: If this flag is set, the send system call acts like a + cipher update function where more input data is expected with a + subsequent invocation of the send system call. + +Note: The kernel reports -EINVAL for any unexpected data. The caller +must make sure that all data matches the constraints given in +/proc/crypto for the selected cipher. + +With the recv() system call, the application can read the result of the +cipher operation from the kernel crypto API. The output buffer must be +at least as large as to hold all blocks of the encrypted or decrypted +data. If the output data size is smaller, only as many blocks are +returned that fit into that output buffer size. + +AEAD Cipher API +--------------- + +The operation is very similar to the symmetric cipher discussion. During +initialization, the struct sockaddr data structure must be filled as +follows: + +:: + + struct sockaddr_alg sa = { + .salg_family = AF_ALG, + .salg_type = "aead", /* this selects the symmetric cipher */ + .salg_name = "gcm(aes)" /* this is the cipher name */ + }; + + +Before data can be sent to the kernel using the write/send system call +family, the consumer must set the key. The key setting is described with +the setsockopt invocation below. + +In addition, before data can be sent to the kernel using the write/send +system call family, the consumer must set the authentication tag size. +To set the authentication tag size, the caller must use the setsockopt +invocation described below. + +Using the sendmsg() system call, the application provides the data that +should be processed for encryption or decryption. In addition, the IV is +specified with the data structure provided by the sendmsg() system call. + +The sendmsg system call parameter of struct msghdr is embedded into the +struct cmsghdr data structure. See recv(2) and cmsg(3) for more +information on how the cmsghdr data structure is used together with the +send/recv system call family. That cmsghdr data structure holds the +following information specified with a separate header instances: + +- specification of the cipher operation type with one of these flags: + + - ALG_OP_ENCRYPT - encryption of data + + - ALG_OP_DECRYPT - decryption of data + +- specification of the IV information marked with the flag ALG_SET_IV + +- specification of the associated authentication data (AAD) with the + flag ALG_SET_AEAD_ASSOCLEN. The AAD is sent to the kernel together + with the plaintext / ciphertext. See below for the memory structure. + +The send system call family allows the following flag to be specified: + +- MSG_MORE: If this flag is set, the send system call acts like a + cipher update function where more input data is expected with a + subsequent invocation of the send system call. + +Note: The kernel reports -EINVAL for any unexpected data. The caller +must make sure that all data matches the constraints given in +/proc/crypto for the selected cipher. + +With the recv() system call, the application can read the result of the +cipher operation from the kernel crypto API. The output buffer must be +at least as large as defined with the memory structure below. If the +output data size is smaller, the cipher operation is not performed. + +The authenticated decryption operation may indicate an integrity error. +Such breach in integrity is marked with the -EBADMSG error code. + +AEAD Memory Structure +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + +The AEAD cipher operates with the following information that is +communicated between user and kernel space as one data stream: + +- plaintext or ciphertext + +- associated authentication data (AAD) + +- authentication tag + +The sizes of the AAD and the authentication tag are provided with the +sendmsg and setsockopt calls (see there). As the kernel knows the size +of the entire data stream, the kernel is now able to calculate the right +offsets of the data components in the data stream. + +The user space caller must arrange the aforementioned information in the +following order: + +- AEAD encryption input: AAD \|\| plaintext + +- AEAD decryption input: AAD \|\| ciphertext \|\| authentication tag + +The output buffer the user space caller provides must be at least as +large to hold the following data: + +- AEAD encryption output: ciphertext \|\| authentication tag + +- AEAD decryption output: plaintext + +Random Number Generator API +--------------------------- + +Again, the operation is very similar to the other APIs. During +initialization, the struct sockaddr data structure must be filled as +follows: + +:: + + struct sockaddr_alg sa = { + .salg_family = AF_ALG, + .salg_type = "rng", /* this selects the symmetric cipher */ + .salg_name = "drbg_nopr_sha256" /* this is the cipher name */ + }; + + +Depending on the RNG type, the RNG must be seeded. The seed is provided +using the setsockopt interface to set the key. For example, the +ansi_cprng requires a seed. The DRBGs do not require a seed, but may be +seeded. + +Using the read()/recvmsg() system calls, random numbers can be obtained. +The kernel generates at most 128 bytes in one call. If user space +requires more data, multiple calls to read()/recvmsg() must be made. + +WARNING: The user space caller may invoke the initially mentioned accept +system call multiple times. In this case, the returned file descriptors +have the same state. + +Zero-Copy Interface +------------------- + +In addition to the send/write/read/recv system call family, the AF_ALG +interface can be accessed with the zero-copy interface of +splice/vmsplice. As the name indicates, the kernel tries to avoid a copy +operation into kernel space. + +The zero-copy operation requires data to be aligned at the page +boundary. Non-aligned data can be used as well, but may require more +operations of the kernel which would defeat the speed gains obtained +from the zero-copy interface. + +The system-inherent limit for the size of one zero-copy operation is 16 +pages. If more data is to be sent to AF_ALG, user space must slice the +input into segments with a maximum size of 16 pages. + +Zero-copy can be used with the following code example (a complete +working example is provided with libkcapi): + +:: + + int pipes[2]; + + pipe(pipes); + /* input data in iov */ + vmsplice(pipes[1], iov, iovlen, SPLICE_F_GIFT); + /* opfd is the file descriptor returned from accept() system call */ + splice(pipes[0], NULL, opfd, NULL, ret, 0); + read(opfd, out, outlen); + + +Setsockopt Interface +-------------------- + +In addition to the read/recv and send/write system call handling to send +and retrieve data subject to the cipher operation, a consumer also needs +to set the additional information for the cipher operation. This +additional information is set using the setsockopt system call that must +be invoked with the file descriptor of the open cipher (i.e. the file +descriptor returned by the accept system call). + +Each setsockopt invocation must use the level SOL_ALG. + +The setsockopt interface allows setting the following data using the +mentioned optname: + +- ALG_SET_KEY -- Setting the key. Key setting is applicable to: + + - the skcipher cipher type (symmetric ciphers) + + - the hash cipher type (keyed message digests) + + - the AEAD cipher type + + - the RNG cipher type to provide the seed + +- ALG_SET_AEAD_AUTHSIZE -- Setting the authentication tag size for + AEAD ciphers. For a encryption operation, the authentication tag of + the given size will be generated. For a decryption operation, the + provided ciphertext is assumed to contain an authentication tag of + the given size (see section about AEAD memory layout below). + +User space API example +---------------------- + +Please see [1] for libkcapi which provides an easy-to-use wrapper around +the aforementioned Netlink kernel interface. [1] also contains a test +application that invokes all libkcapi API calls. + +[1] http://www.chronox.de/libkcapi.html |