Messages in this thread | | | Subject | Re: [PATCH] x86: vmx: Allow direct access to MSR_IA32_SPEC_CTRL | From | David Woodhouse <> | Date | Sun, 28 Jan 2018 20:56:53 +0000 |
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On Sun, 2018-01-28 at 12:53 -0800, Andy Lutomirski wrote: > > > I believe it does. Guest kernel is protected from any guest userspace > > predictions learned before IBRS was last set to 1 in *any* mode, > > including host. > > Hmm, you're probably right. > > I would love to know what awful hack Intel did that resulted in these semantics.
I am not convinced I ever really want to know. I just want it all to go away in a future CPU with a SPCTR_NO bit in IA32_ARCH_CAPABILITIES. (Not the IBRS_ALL interim hack).
I think it's a mixture of ongoing checking, and a barrier. And perhaps varying proportions of each, in different CPU generations. By defining it thus, they can actually implement it *either* way.[unhandled content-type:application/x-pkcs7-signature] | |