Re: [RFC] x86_64: A real proposal for iret-less return to kernel

From: Andy Lutomirski
Date: Wed May 21 2014 - 11:21:34 EST


On May 21, 2014 2:46 AM, "Borislav Petkov" <bp@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> On Tue, May 20, 2014 at 07:39:31PM -0700, Andy Lutomirski wrote:
> > So the issue here is that we can have an NMI followed immediately by
> > an MCE.
>
> That part might need clarification for me: #MC is higher prio interrupt
> than NMI so a machine check exception can interrupt the NMI handler at
> any point.

Except that NMI can interrupt #MC at any point as well, I think.

>
> But you're talking only about the small window when nmi_mce_nest_count
> hasn't been incremented yet, right? I.e., this:
>
> "The result is that the only interrupt that can happen with
> `nmi_mce_nest_count == 0` in NMI context is an MCE at the beginning or
> end of the NMI handler."
>
> Correct?

Exactly.

>
> --
> Regards/Gruss,
> Boris.
>
> Sent from a fat crate under my desk. Formatting is fine.
> --
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