Adding upstream version 5.10.209.upstream/5.10.209upstream

Signed-off-by: Daniel Baumann <daniel.baumann@progress-linux.org>

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+.. _perf_security:
+
+Perf events and tool security
+=============================
+
+Overview
+--------
+
+Usage of Performance Counters for Linux (perf_events) [1]_ , [2]_ , [3]_
+can impose a considerable risk of leaking sensitive data accessed by
+monitored processes. The data leakage is possible both in scenarios of
+direct usage of perf_events system call API [2]_ and over data files
+generated by Perf tool user mode utility (Perf) [3]_ , [4]_ . The risk
+depends on the nature of data that perf_events performance monitoring
+units (PMU) [2]_ and Perf collect and expose for performance analysis.
+Collected system and performance data may be split into several
+categories:
+
+1. System hardware and software configuration data, for example: a CPU
+   model and its cache configuration, an amount of available memory and
+   its topology, used kernel and Perf versions, performance monitoring
+   setup including experiment time, events configuration, Perf command
+   line parameters, etc.
+
+2. User and kernel module paths and their load addresses with sizes,
+   process and thread names with their PIDs and TIDs, timestamps for
+   captured hardware and software events.
+
+3. Content of kernel software counters (e.g., for context switches, page
+   faults, CPU migrations), architectural hardware performance counters
+   (PMC) [8]_ and machine specific registers (MSR) [9]_ that provide
+   execution metrics for various monitored parts of the system (e.g.,
+   memory controller (IMC), interconnect (QPI/UPI) or peripheral (PCIe)
+   uncore counters) without direct attribution to any execution context
+   state.
+
+4. Content of architectural execution context registers (e.g., RIP, RSP,
+   RBP on x86_64), process user and kernel space memory addresses and
+   data, content of various architectural MSRs that capture data from
+   this category.
+
+Data that belong to the fourth category can potentially contain
+sensitive process data. If PMUs in some monitoring modes capture values
+of execution context registers or data from process memory then access
+to such monitoring modes requires to be ordered and secured properly.
+So, perf_events performance monitoring and observability operations are
+the subject for security access control management [5]_ .
+
+perf_events access control
+-------------------------------
+
+To perform security checks, the Linux implementation splits processes
+into two categories [6]_ : a) privileged processes (whose effective user
+ID is 0, referred to as superuser or root), and b) unprivileged
+processes (whose effective UID is nonzero). Privileged processes bypass
+all kernel security permission checks so perf_events performance
+monitoring is fully available to privileged processes without access,
+scope and resource restrictions.
+
+Unprivileged processes are subject to a full security permission check
+based on the process's credentials [5]_ (usually: effective UID,
+effective GID, and supplementary group list).
+
+Linux divides the privileges traditionally associated with superuser
+into distinct units, known as capabilities [6]_ , which can be
+independently enabled and disabled on per-thread basis for processes and
+files of unprivileged users.
+
+Unprivileged processes with enabled CAP_PERFMON capability are treated
+as privileged processes with respect to perf_events performance
+monitoring and observability operations, thus, bypass *scope* permissions
+checks in the kernel. CAP_PERFMON implements the principle of least
+privilege [13]_ (POSIX 1003.1e: 2.2.2.39) for performance monitoring and
+observability operations in the kernel and provides a secure approach to
+perfomance monitoring and observability in the system.
+
+For backward compatibility reasons the access to perf_events monitoring and
+observability operations is also open for CAP_SYS_ADMIN privileged
+processes but CAP_SYS_ADMIN usage for secure monitoring and observability
+use cases is discouraged with respect to the CAP_PERFMON capability.
+If system audit records [14]_ for a process using perf_events system call
+API contain denial records of acquiring both CAP_PERFMON and CAP_SYS_ADMIN
+capabilities then providing the process with CAP_PERFMON capability singly
+is recommended as the preferred secure approach to resolve double access
+denial logging related to usage of performance monitoring and observability.
+
+Unprivileged processes using perf_events system call are also subject
+for PTRACE_MODE_READ_REALCREDS ptrace access mode check [7]_ , whose
+outcome determines whether monitoring is permitted. So unprivileged
+processes provided with CAP_SYS_PTRACE capability are effectively
+permitted to pass the check.
+
+Other capabilities being granted to unprivileged processes can
+effectively enable capturing of additional data required for later
+performance analysis of monitored processes or a system. For example,
+CAP_SYSLOG capability permits reading kernel space memory addresses from
+/proc/kallsyms file.
+
+Privileged Perf users groups
+---------------------------------
+
+Mechanisms of capabilities, privileged capability-dumb files [6]_ and
+file system ACLs [10]_ can be used to create dedicated groups of
+privileged Perf users who are permitted to execute performance monitoring
+and observability without scope limits. The following steps can be
+taken to create such groups of privileged Perf users.
+
+1. Create perf_users group of privileged Perf users, assign perf_users
+   group to Perf tool executable and limit access to the executable for
+   other users in the system who are not in the perf_users group:
+
+::
+
+   # groupadd perf_users
+   # ls -alhF
+   -rwxr-xr-x  2 root root  11M Oct 19 15:12 perf
+   # chgrp perf_users perf
+   # ls -alhF
+   -rwxr-xr-x  2 root perf_users  11M Oct 19 15:12 perf
+   # chmod o-rwx perf
+   # ls -alhF
+   -rwxr-x---  2 root perf_users  11M Oct 19 15:12 perf
+
+2. Assign the required capabilities to the Perf tool executable file and
+   enable members of perf_users group with monitoring and observability
+   privileges [6]_ :
+
+::
+
+   # setcap "cap_perfmon,cap_sys_ptrace,cap_syslog=ep" perf
+   # setcap -v "cap_perfmon,cap_sys_ptrace,cap_syslog=ep" perf
+   perf: OK
+   # getcap perf
+   perf = cap_sys_ptrace,cap_syslog,cap_perfmon+ep
+
+If the libcap installed doesn't yet support "cap_perfmon", use "38" instead,
+i.e.:
+
+::
+
+   # setcap "38,cap_ipc_lock,cap_sys_ptrace,cap_syslog=ep" perf
+
+Note that you may need to have 'cap_ipc_lock' in the mix for tools such as
+'perf top', alternatively use 'perf top -m N', to reduce the memory that
+it uses for the perf ring buffer, see the memory allocation section below.
+
+Using a libcap without support for CAP_PERFMON will make cap_get_flag(caps, 38,
+CAP_EFFECTIVE, &val) fail, which will lead the default event to be 'cycles:u',
+so as a workaround explicitly ask for the 'cycles' event, i.e.:
+
+::
+
+  # perf top -e cycles
+
+To get kernel and user samples with a perf binary with just CAP_PERFMON.
+
+As a result, members of perf_users group are capable of conducting
+performance monitoring and observability by using functionality of the
+configured Perf tool executable that, when executes, passes perf_events
+subsystem scope checks.
+
+This specific access control management is only available to superuser
+or root running processes with CAP_SETPCAP, CAP_SETFCAP [6]_
+capabilities.
+
+Unprivileged users
+-----------------------------------
+
+perf_events *scope* and *access* control for unprivileged processes
+is governed by perf_event_paranoid [2]_ setting:
+
+-1:
+     Impose no *scope* and *access* restrictions on using perf_events
+     performance monitoring. Per-user per-cpu perf_event_mlock_kb [2]_
+     locking limit is ignored when allocating memory buffers for storing
+     performance data. This is the least secure mode since allowed
+     monitored *scope* is maximized and no perf_events specific limits
+     are imposed on *resources* allocated for performance monitoring.
+
+>=0:
+     *scope* includes per-process and system wide performance monitoring
+     but excludes raw tracepoints and ftrace function tracepoints
+     monitoring. CPU and system events happened when executing either in
+     user or in kernel space can be monitored and captured for later
+     analysis. Per-user per-cpu perf_event_mlock_kb locking limit is
+     imposed but ignored for unprivileged processes with CAP_IPC_LOCK
+     [6]_ capability.
+
+>=1:
+     *scope* includes per-process performance monitoring only and
+     excludes system wide performance monitoring. CPU and system events
+     happened when executing either in user or in kernel space can be
+     monitored and captured for later analysis. Per-user per-cpu
+     perf_event_mlock_kb locking limit is imposed but ignored for
+     unprivileged processes with CAP_IPC_LOCK capability.
+
+>=2:
+     *scope* includes per-process performance monitoring only. CPU and
+     system events happened when executing in user space only can be
+     monitored and captured for later analysis. Per-user per-cpu
+     perf_event_mlock_kb locking limit is imposed but ignored for
+     unprivileged processes with CAP_IPC_LOCK capability.
+
+Resource control
+---------------------------------
+
+Open file descriptors
++++++++++++++++++++++
+
+The perf_events system call API [2]_ allocates file descriptors for
+every configured PMU event. Open file descriptors are a per-process
+accountable resource governed by the RLIMIT_NOFILE [11]_ limit
+(ulimit -n), which is usually derived from the login shell process. When
+configuring Perf collection for a long list of events on a large server
+system, this limit can be easily hit preventing required monitoring
+configuration. RLIMIT_NOFILE limit can be increased on per-user basis
+modifying content of the limits.conf file [12]_ . Ordinarily, a Perf
+sampling session (perf record) requires an amount of open perf_event
+file descriptors that is not less than the number of monitored events
+multiplied by the number of monitored CPUs.
+
+Memory allocation
++++++++++++++++++
+
+The amount of memory available to user processes for capturing
+performance monitoring data is governed by the perf_event_mlock_kb [2]_
+setting. This perf_event specific resource setting defines overall
+per-cpu limits of memory allowed for mapping by the user processes to
+execute performance monitoring. The setting essentially extends the
+RLIMIT_MEMLOCK [11]_ limit, but only for memory regions mapped
+specifically for capturing monitored performance events and related data.
+
+For example, if a machine has eight cores and perf_event_mlock_kb limit
+is set to 516 KiB, then a user process is provided with 516 KiB * 8 =
+4128 KiB of memory above the RLIMIT_MEMLOCK limit (ulimit -l) for
+perf_event mmap buffers. In particular, this means that, if the user
+wants to start two or more performance monitoring processes, the user is
+required to manually distribute the available 4128 KiB between the
+monitoring processes, for example, using the --mmap-pages Perf record
+mode option. Otherwise, the first started performance monitoring process
+allocates all available 4128 KiB and the other processes will fail to
+proceed due to the lack of memory.
+
+RLIMIT_MEMLOCK and perf_event_mlock_kb resource constraints are ignored
+for processes with the CAP_IPC_LOCK capability. Thus, perf_events/Perf
+privileged users can be provided with memory above the constraints for
+perf_events/Perf performance monitoring purpose by providing the Perf
+executable with CAP_IPC_LOCK capability.
+
+Bibliography
+------------
+
+.. [1] `<https://lwn.net/Articles/337493/>`_
+.. [2] `<http://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man2/perf_event_open.2.html>`_
+.. [3] `<http://web.eece.maine.edu/~vweaver/projects/perf_events/>`_
+.. [4] `<https://perf.wiki.kernel.org/index.php/Main_Page>`_
+.. [5] `<https://www.kernel.org/doc/html/latest/security/credentials.html>`_
+.. [6] `<http://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man7/capabilities.7.html>`_
+.. [7] `<http://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man2/ptrace.2.html>`_
+.. [8] `<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardware_performance_counter>`_
+.. [9] `<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Model-specific_register>`_
+.. [10] `<http://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man5/acl.5.html>`_
+.. [11] `<http://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man2/getrlimit.2.html>`_
+.. [12] `<http://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man5/limits.conf.5.html>`_
+.. [13] `<https://sites.google.com/site/fullycapable>`_
+.. [14] `<http://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man8/auditd.8.html>`_