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Diffstat (limited to 'Documentation')
| -rw-r--r-- | Documentation/x86/mds.rst | 27 |
1 files changed, 27 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/Documentation/x86/mds.rst b/Documentation/x86/mds.rst index 87ce8ac9f36e..3d6f943f1afb 100644 --- a/Documentation/x86/mds.rst +++ b/Documentation/x86/mds.rst @@ -93,11 +93,38 @@ The kernel provides a function to invoke the buffer clearing: The mitigation is invoked on kernel/userspace, hypervisor/guest and C-state (idle) transitions. +As a special quirk to address virtualization scenarios where the host has +the microcode updated, but the hypervisor does not (yet) expose the +MD_CLEAR CPUID bit to guests, the kernel issues the VERW instruction in the +hope that it might actually clear the buffers. The state is reflected +accordingly. + According to current knowledge additional mitigations inside the kernel itself are not required because the necessary gadgets to expose the leaked data cannot be controlled in a way which allows exploitation from malicious user space or VM guests. +Kernel internal mitigation modes +-------------------------------- + + ======= ============================================================ + off Mitigation is disabled. Either the CPU is not affected or + mds=off is supplied on the kernel command line + + full Mitigation is eanbled. CPU is affected and MD_CLEAR is + advertised in CPUID. + + vmwerv Mitigation is enabled. CPU is affected and MD_CLEAR is not + advertised in CPUID. That is mainly for virtualization + scenarios where the host has the updated microcode but the + hypervisor does not expose MD_CLEAR in CPUID. It's a best + effort approach without guarantee. + ======= ============================================================ + +If the CPU is affected and mds=off is not supplied on the kernel command +line then the kernel selects the appropriate mitigation mode depending on +the availability of the MD_CLEAR CPUID bit. + Mitigation points ----------------- |