Re: [PATCH 6/8] kvm: svm: pass MSR_IA32_SPEC_CTRL and MSR_IA32_PRED_CMD down to guest

From: Paolo Bonzini
Date: Thu Jan 11 2018 - 05:33:26 EST


On 10/01/2018 21:13, Tom Lendacky wrote:
> On 1/9/2018 6:03 AM, Paolo Bonzini wrote:
>> Direct access to MSR_IA32_SPEC_CTRL and MSR_IA32_PRED_CMD is important
>> for performance. Allow load/store of MSR_IA32_SPEC_CTRL, restore guest
>> IBRS on VM entry and set it to 0 on VM exit (because Linux does not use
>> it yet).
>>
>> Signed-off-by: Paolo Bonzini <pbonzini@xxxxxxxxxx>
>> ---
>> arch/x86/kvm/svm.c | 42 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>> 1 file changed, 42 insertions(+)
>>
>> diff --git a/arch/x86/kvm/svm.c b/arch/x86/kvm/svm.c
>> index 31ace8d7774a..934a21e02e03 100644
>> --- a/arch/x86/kvm/svm.c
>> +++ b/arch/x86/kvm/svm.c
>
> ...
>
>> @@ -5015,6 +5045,18 @@ static void svm_vcpu_run(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu)
>> #endif
>> );
>>
>> + if (have_spec_ctrl) {
>> + rdmsrl(MSR_IA32_SPEC_CTRL, svm->spec_ctrl);
>> + if (svm->spec_ctrl != 0)
>> + wrmsrl(MSR_IA32_SPEC_CTRL, 0);
>> + }
>> + /*
>> + * Speculative execution past the above wrmsrl might encounter
>> + * an indirect branch and use guest-controlled contents of the
>> + * indirect branch predictor; block it.
>> + */
>> + asm("lfence");
>
> This will end up needing to be an alternative macro based on the
> LFENCE_RDTSC or MFENCE_RDTSC features [1]. You'll probably just want to
> use the speculation barrier macro that ends up being defined to control
> the speculation here.

Yes. Though, is there any processor that has spec_ctrl (which is none
on AMD) but needs a full fence?

Paolo

> Thanks,
> Tom
>
> [1] https://marc.info/?l=linux-kernel&m=151545930207815&w=2
>
>> +
>> #ifdef CONFIG_X86_64
>> wrmsrl(MSR_GS_BASE, svm->host.gs_base);
>> #else
>>