Re: [PATCH RFC v1 00/10] KVM: nVMX: Use vmcs_config for setting up nested VMX MSRs

From: Vitaly Kuznetsov
Date: Mon Jun 27 2022 - 12:06:32 EST


Sean Christopherson <seanjc@xxxxxxxxxx> writes:

> On Wed, Jun 22, 2022, Vitaly Kuznetsov wrote:
>> vmcs_config is a sanitized version of host VMX MSRs where some controls are
>> filtered out (e.g. when Enlightened VMCS is enabled, some know bugs are
>> discovered, some inconsistencies in controls are detected,...) but
>> nested_vmx_setup_ctls_msrs() uses raw host MSRs instead. This may end up
>> in exposing undesired controls to L1. Switch to using vmcs_config instead.
>>
>> RFC part: vmcs_config's sanitization now is a mix of "what can't be enabled"
>> and "what KVM doesn't want" and we need to separate these as for nested VMX
>> MSRs only the first category makes sense. This gives vmcs_config a slightly
>> different meaning "controls which can be (theoretically) used". An alternative
>> approach would be to store sanitized host MSRs values separately, sanitize
>> them and and use in nested_vmx_setup_ctls_msrs() but currently I don't see
>> any benefits. Comments welcome!
>
> I like the idea overall, even though it's a decent amount of churn. It seems
> easier to maintain than separate paths for nested. The alternative would be to
> add common helpers to adjust the baseline configurations, but I don't see any
> way to programmatically make that approach more robust.
>
> An idea to further harden things. Or: an excuse to extend macro shenanigans :-)
>
> If we throw all of the "opt" and "min" lists into macros, e.g. KVM_REQUIRED_*
> and KVM_OPTIONAL_*, and then use those to define a KVM_KNOWN_* field, we can
> prevent using the mutators to set/clear unknown bits at runtime via BUILD_BUG_ON().
> The core builders, e.g. vmx_exec_control(), can still set unknown bits, i.e. set
> bits that aren't enumerated to L1, but that's easier to audit and this would catch
> regressions for the issues fixed in patches.
>
> It'll required making add_atomic_switch_msr_special() __always_inline (or just
> open code it), but that's not a big deal.
>
> E.g. if we have
>
> #define KVM_REQUIRED_CPU_BASED_VM_EXEC_CONTROL <blah blah blah>
> #define KVM_OPTIONAL_CPU_BASED_VM_EXEC_CONTROL <blah blah blah>
>
> Then the builders for the controls shadows can do:
>
> diff --git a/arch/x86/kvm/vmx/vmx.h b/arch/x86/kvm/vmx/vmx.h
> index 286c88e285ea..5eb75822a09e 100644
> --- a/arch/x86/kvm/vmx/vmx.h
> +++ b/arch/x86/kvm/vmx/vmx.h
> @@ -468,6 +468,8 @@ static inline u8 vmx_get_rvi(void)
> }
>
> #define BUILD_CONTROLS_SHADOW(lname, uname, bits) \
> +#define KVM_KNOWN_ ## uname \
> + (KVM_REQUIRED_ ## uname | KVM_OPTIONAL_ ## uname) \

I'm certainly not a macro jedi and I failed to make this compile as gcc
hates when I put '#define's in macros but I made a simpler version with
(presumeably) the same outcome. v1 is out, thanks for the suggestion!

> static inline void lname##_controls_set(struct vcpu_vmx *vmx, u##bits val) \
> { \
> if (vmx->loaded_vmcs->controls_shadow.lname != val) { \
> @@ -485,10 +487,12 @@ static inline u##bits lname##_controls_get(struct vcpu_vmx *vmx) \
> } \
> static inline void lname##_controls_setbit(struct vcpu_vmx *vmx, u##bits val) \
> { \
> + BUILD_BUG_ON(!(val & KVM_KNOWN_ ## uname)); \
> lname##_controls_set(vmx, lname##_controls_get(vmx) | val); \
> } \
> static inline void lname##_controls_clearbit(struct vcpu_vmx *vmx, u##bits val) \
> { \
> + BUILD_BUG_ON(!(val & KVM_KNOWN_ ## uname)); \
> lname##_controls_set(vmx, lname##_controls_get(vmx) & ~val); \
> }
> BUILD_CONTROLS_SHADOW(vm_entry, VM_ENTRY_CONTROLS, 32)
>
>
>
> Handling the controls that are restricted to CONFIG_X86_64=y will be midly annoying,
> but adding a base set isn't too bad, e.g.
>
> #define __KVM_REQUIRED_CPU_BASED_VM_EXEC_CONTROL <blah blah blah>
> #ifdef CONFIG_X86_64
> #define KVM_REQUIRED_CPU_BASED_VM_EXEC_CONTROL (__KVM_REQUIRED_CPU_BASED_VM_EXEC_CONTROL | \
> CPU_BASED_CR8_LOAD_EXITING | \
> CPU_BASED_CR8_STORE_EXITING)
> #else
> #define KVM_REQUIRED_CPU_BASED_VM_EXEC_CONTROL __KVM_REQUIRED_CPU_BASED_VM_EXEC_CONTROL
> #endif
>

--
Vitaly