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author | Daniel Baumann <daniel.baumann@progress-linux.org> | 2024-04-27 10:05:51 +0000 |
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committer | Daniel Baumann <daniel.baumann@progress-linux.org> | 2024-04-27 10:05:51 +0000 |
commit | 5d1646d90e1f2cceb9f0828f4b28318cd0ec7744 (patch) | |
tree | a94efe259b9009378be6d90eb30d2b019d95c194 /Documentation/admin-guide/hw-vuln/srso.rst | |
parent | Initial commit. (diff) | |
download | linux-upstream/5.10.209.tar.xz linux-upstream/5.10.209.zip |
Adding upstream version 5.10.209.upstream/5.10.209upstream
Signed-off-by: Daniel Baumann <daniel.baumann@progress-linux.org>
Diffstat (limited to 'Documentation/admin-guide/hw-vuln/srso.rst')
-rw-r--r-- | Documentation/admin-guide/hw-vuln/srso.rst | 133 |
1 files changed, 133 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/Documentation/admin-guide/hw-vuln/srso.rst b/Documentation/admin-guide/hw-vuln/srso.rst new file mode 100644 index 000000000..f79cb11b0 --- /dev/null +++ b/Documentation/admin-guide/hw-vuln/srso.rst @@ -0,0 +1,133 @@ +.. SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0 + +Speculative Return Stack Overflow (SRSO) +======================================== + +This is a mitigation for the speculative return stack overflow (SRSO) +vulnerability found on AMD processors. The mechanism is by now the well +known scenario of poisoning CPU functional units - the Branch Target +Buffer (BTB) and Return Address Predictor (RAP) in this case - and then +tricking the elevated privilege domain (the kernel) into leaking +sensitive data. + +AMD CPUs predict RET instructions using a Return Address Predictor (aka +Return Address Stack/Return Stack Buffer). In some cases, a non-architectural +CALL instruction (i.e., an instruction predicted to be a CALL but is +not actually a CALL) can create an entry in the RAP which may be used +to predict the target of a subsequent RET instruction. + +The specific circumstances that lead to this varies by microarchitecture +but the concern is that an attacker can mis-train the CPU BTB to predict +non-architectural CALL instructions in kernel space and use this to +control the speculative target of a subsequent kernel RET, potentially +leading to information disclosure via a speculative side-channel. + +The issue is tracked under CVE-2023-20569. + +Affected processors +------------------- + +AMD Zen, generations 1-4. That is, all families 0x17 and 0x19. Older +processors have not been investigated. + +System information and options +------------------------------ + +First of all, it is required that the latest microcode be loaded for +mitigations to be effective. + +The sysfs file showing SRSO mitigation status is: + + /sys/devices/system/cpu/vulnerabilities/spec_rstack_overflow + +The possible values in this file are: + + - 'Not affected' The processor is not vulnerable + + - 'Vulnerable: no microcode' The processor is vulnerable, no + microcode extending IBPB functionality + to address the vulnerability has been + applied. + + - 'Mitigation: microcode' Extended IBPB functionality microcode + patch has been applied. It does not + address User->Kernel and Guest->Host + transitions protection but it does + address User->User and VM->VM attack + vectors. + + (spec_rstack_overflow=microcode) + + - 'Mitigation: safe RET' Software-only mitigation. It complements + the extended IBPB microcode patch + functionality by addressing User->Kernel + and Guest->Host transitions protection. + + Selected by default or by + spec_rstack_overflow=safe-ret + + - 'Mitigation: IBPB' Similar protection as "safe RET" above + but employs an IBPB barrier on privilege + domain crossings (User->Kernel, + Guest->Host). + + (spec_rstack_overflow=ibpb) + + - 'Mitigation: IBPB on VMEXIT' Mitigation addressing the cloud provider + scenario - the Guest->Host transitions + only. + + (spec_rstack_overflow=ibpb-vmexit) + +In order to exploit vulnerability, an attacker needs to: + + - gain local access on the machine + + - break kASLR + + - find gadgets in the running kernel in order to use them in the exploit + + - potentially create and pin an additional workload on the sibling + thread, depending on the microarchitecture (not necessary on fam 0x19) + + - run the exploit + +Considering the performance implications of each mitigation type, the +default one is 'Mitigation: safe RET' which should take care of most +attack vectors, including the local User->Kernel one. + +As always, the user is advised to keep her/his system up-to-date by +applying software updates regularly. + +The default setting will be reevaluated when needed and especially when +new attack vectors appear. + +As one can surmise, 'Mitigation: safe RET' does come at the cost of some +performance depending on the workload. If one trusts her/his userspace +and does not want to suffer the performance impact, one can always +disable the mitigation with spec_rstack_overflow=off. + +Similarly, 'Mitigation: IBPB' is another full mitigation type employing +an indrect branch prediction barrier after having applied the required +microcode patch for one's system. This mitigation comes also at +a performance cost. + +Mitigation: safe RET +-------------------- + +The mitigation works by ensuring all RET instructions speculate to +a controlled location, similar to how speculation is controlled in the +retpoline sequence. To accomplish this, the __x86_return_thunk forces +the CPU to mispredict every function return using a 'safe return' +sequence. + +To ensure the safety of this mitigation, the kernel must ensure that the +safe return sequence is itself free from attacker interference. In Zen3 +and Zen4, this is accomplished by creating a BTB alias between the +untraining function srso_alias_untrain_ret() and the safe return +function srso_alias_safe_ret() which results in evicting a potentially +poisoned BTB entry and using that safe one for all function returns. + +In older Zen1 and Zen2, this is accomplished using a reinterpretation +technique similar to Retbleed one: srso_untrain_ret() and +srso_safe_ret(). |