From 5f882f3b0a8bf0788d5a0ee44b1191de5319bb8a Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Josh Poimboeuf Date: Wed, 10 Apr 2024 22:40:48 -0700 Subject: x86/bugs: Clarify that syscall hardening isn't a BHI mitigation While syscall hardening helps prevent some BHI attacks, there's still other low-hanging fruit remaining. Don't classify it as a mitigation and make it clear that the system may still be vulnerable if it doesn't have a HW or SW mitigation enabled. Fixes: ec9404e40e8f ("x86/bhi: Add BHI mitigation knob") Signed-off-by: Josh Poimboeuf Signed-off-by: Ingo Molnar Cc: Linus Torvalds Cc: Sean Christopherson Link: https://lore.kernel.org/r/b5951dae3fdee7f1520d5136a27be3bdfe95f88b.1712813475.git.jpoimboe@kernel.org --- Documentation/admin-guide/hw-vuln/spectre.rst | 11 +++++------ Documentation/admin-guide/kernel-parameters.txt | 3 +-- 2 files changed, 6 insertions(+), 8 deletions(-) (limited to 'Documentation') diff --git a/Documentation/admin-guide/hw-vuln/spectre.rst b/Documentation/admin-guide/hw-vuln/spectre.rst index 3cf18e4a1d9a..5a39acf82483 100644 --- a/Documentation/admin-guide/hw-vuln/spectre.rst +++ b/Documentation/admin-guide/hw-vuln/spectre.rst @@ -441,10 +441,10 @@ The possible values in this file are: - System is protected by BHI_DIS_S * - BHI: SW loop, KVM SW loop - System is protected by software clearing sequence - * - BHI: Syscall hardening - - Syscalls are hardened against BHI - * - BHI: Syscall hardening, KVM: SW loop - - System is protected from userspace attacks by syscall hardening; KVM is protected by software clearing sequence + * - BHI: Vulnerable + - System is vulnerable to BHI + * - BHI: Vulnerable, KVM: SW loop + - System is vulnerable; KVM is protected by software clearing sequence Full mitigation might require a microcode update from the CPU vendor. When the necessary microcode is not available, the kernel will @@ -661,8 +661,7 @@ kernel command line. spectre_bhi= [X86] Control mitigation of Branch History Injection - (BHI) vulnerability. Syscalls are hardened against BHI - regardless of this setting. This setting affects the deployment + (BHI) vulnerability. This setting affects the deployment of the HW BHI control and the SW BHB clearing sequence. on diff --git a/Documentation/admin-guide/kernel-parameters.txt b/Documentation/admin-guide/kernel-parameters.txt index a029ad6c4963..a3874cc97892 100644 --- a/Documentation/admin-guide/kernel-parameters.txt +++ b/Documentation/admin-guide/kernel-parameters.txt @@ -6065,8 +6065,7 @@ See Documentation/admin-guide/laptops/sonypi.rst spectre_bhi= [X86] Control mitigation of Branch History Injection - (BHI) vulnerability. Syscalls are hardened against BHI - reglardless of this setting. This setting affects the + (BHI) vulnerability. This setting affects the deployment of the HW BHI control and the SW BHB clearing sequence. -- cgit v1.2.3