Re: [PATCH v12 17/24] KVM: VMX: Set up interception for CET MSRs

[Sean Christopherson]

On Mon, Aug 11, 2025, Chao Gao wrote:
> From: Yang Weijiang <weijiang.yang@xxxxxxxxx>
> 
> Enable/disable CET MSRs interception per associated feature configuration.
> 
> Shadow Stack feature requires all CET MSRs passed through to guest to make
> it supported in user and supervisor mode 

I doubt that SS _requires_ CET MSRs to be passed through.  IIRC, the actual
reason for passing through most of the MSRs is that they are managed via XSAVE,
i.e. _can't_ be intercepted without also intercepting XRSTOR.

> while IBT feature only depends on
> MSR_IA32_{U,S}_CETS_CET to enable user and supervisor IBT.
> 
> Note, this MSR design introduced an architectural limitation of SHSTK and
> IBT control for guest, i.e., when SHSTK is exposed, IBT is also available
> to guest from architectural perspective since IBT relies on subset of SHSTK
> relevant MSRs.
> 
> Suggested-by: Sean Christopherson <seanjc@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Signed-off-by: Yang Weijiang <weijiang.yang@xxxxxxxxx>
> Tested-by: Mathias Krause <minipli@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Tested-by: John Allen <john.allen@xxxxxxx>
> Signed-off-by: Chao Gao <chao.gao@xxxxxxxxx>
> ---
>  arch/x86/kvm/vmx/vmx.c | 20 ++++++++++++++++++++
>  1 file changed, 20 insertions(+)
> 
> diff --git a/arch/x86/kvm/vmx/vmx.c b/arch/x86/kvm/vmx/vmx.c
> index bd572c8c7bc3..130ffbe7dc1a 100644
> --- a/arch/x86/kvm/vmx/vmx.c
> +++ b/arch/x86/kvm/vmx/vmx.c
> @@ -4088,6 +4088,8 @@ void pt_update_intercept_for_msr(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu)
>  
>  void vmx_recalc_msr_intercepts(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu)
>  {
> +	bool set;

s/set/intercept

> +
>  	if (!cpu_has_vmx_msr_bitmap())
>  		return;
>  
> @@ -4133,6 +4135,24 @@ void vmx_recalc_msr_intercepts(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu)
>  		vmx_set_intercept_for_msr(vcpu, MSR_IA32_FLUSH_CMD, MSR_TYPE_W,
>  					  !guest_cpu_cap_has(vcpu, X86_FEATURE_FLUSH_L1D));
>  
> +	if (kvm_cpu_cap_has(X86_FEATURE_SHSTK)) {
> +		set = !guest_cpu_cap_has(vcpu, X86_FEATURE_SHSTK);
> +
> +		vmx_set_intercept_for_msr(vcpu, MSR_IA32_PL0_SSP, MSR_TYPE_RW, set);
> +		vmx_set_intercept_for_msr(vcpu, MSR_IA32_PL1_SSP, MSR_TYPE_RW, set);
> +		vmx_set_intercept_for_msr(vcpu, MSR_IA32_PL2_SSP, MSR_TYPE_RW, set);
> +		vmx_set_intercept_for_msr(vcpu, MSR_IA32_PL3_SSP, MSR_TYPE_RW, set);
> +		vmx_set_intercept_for_msr(vcpu, MSR_IA32_INT_SSP_TAB, MSR_TYPE_RW, set);

MSR_IA32_INT_SSP_TAB isn't managed via XSAVE, so why is it being passed through?

> +	}
> +
> +	if (kvm_cpu_cap_has(X86_FEATURE_SHSTK) || kvm_cpu_cap_has(X86_FEATURE_IBT)) {
> +		set = !guest_cpu_cap_has(vcpu, X86_FEATURE_IBT) &&
> +		      !guest_cpu_cap_has(vcpu, X86_FEATURE_SHSTK);
> +
> +		vmx_set_intercept_for_msr(vcpu, MSR_IA32_U_CET, MSR_TYPE_RW, set);
> +		vmx_set_intercept_for_msr(vcpu, MSR_IA32_S_CET, MSR_TYPE_RW, set);
> +	}
> +
>  	/*
>  	 * x2APIC and LBR MSR intercepts are modified on-demand and cannot be
>  	 * filtered by userspace.
> -- 
> 2.47.1
>