Re: [PATCH v6 00/11] Intel SGX Driver

From: Jarkko Sakkinen
Date: Tue Jan 09 2018 - 09:25:25 EST


On Thu, Jan 04, 2018 at 03:06:43AM -0600, Dr. Greg Wettstein wrote:
> If we are talking about the issues motivating the KPTI work I don't
> have any useful information beyond what is raging through the industry
> right now.
>
> With respect to SGX, the issues giving rise to KPTI are characteristic
> of what this technology is designed to address. The technical 'news'
> sites, which are even more of an abomination then usual with this
> issue, are talking about privileged information such as credentials,
> passwords et.al being leaked by this vulnerability.
>
> Data committed to enclaves are only accessible by the enclave, even
> the kernel, by definition, can't access the memory. Given current
> events that is an arguably useful behavior.

Exactly. You could think adversary using meltdown leak utilizing malware
as having same capabilities as peripheral connected to a bus, which we
can defend against with SGX.

/Jarkko