[PATCH ipsec-next v9 16/16] xfrm: add documentation for XFRM_MSG_MIGRATE_STATE

[Antony Antony]

Add documentation for the new XFRM_MSG_MIGRATE_STATE netlink message,
which migrates a single SA identified by SPI and mark without involving
policies.

The document covers the motivation and design differences from the
existing XFRM_MSG_MIGRATE, the SA lookup mechanism, supported attributes
with their omit-to-inherit semantics, and usage examples.

Signed-off-by: Antony Antony <antony.antony@xxxxxxxxxxx>

---
v8->v9: document -ESRCH error when SA is deleted before migration completes
	- reject unknown flags with -EINVAL, report bad bits in extack
	- split Migration Steps into Outgoing SA and Incoming SA subsections
	- split migration steps by direction, fix feature detection errors, -EEXIST safe to retry
	- rename flags
v7->v8: unknown flags ignored
v6->v7: update docs to reflect the flags
v5->v6: added this patch
---
 Documentation/networking/xfrm/index.rst            |   1 +
 .../networking/xfrm/xfrm_migrate_state.rst         | 274 +++++++++++++++++++++
 2 files changed, 275 insertions(+)

diff --git a/Documentation/networking/xfrm/index.rst b/Documentation/networking/xfrm/index.rst
index 7d866da836fe..90191848f8db 100644
--- a/Documentation/networking/xfrm/index.rst
+++ b/Documentation/networking/xfrm/index.rst
@@ -9,5 +9,6 @@ XFRM Framework
 
    xfrm_device
    xfrm_proc
+   xfrm_migrate_state
    xfrm_sync
    xfrm_sysctl
diff --git a/Documentation/networking/xfrm/xfrm_migrate_state.rst b/Documentation/networking/xfrm/xfrm_migrate_state.rst
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..9d53cb22b007
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Documentation/networking/xfrm/xfrm_migrate_state.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,274 @@
+.. SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0
+
+=====================
+XFRM SA Migrate State
+=====================
+
+Overview
+========
+
+``XFRM_MSG_MIGRATE_STATE`` migrates a single SA, looked up using SPI and
+mark, without involving policies. Unlike ``XFRM_MSG_MIGRATE``, which couples
+SA and policy migration and allows migrating multiple SAs in one call, this
+interface identifies the SA unambiguously via SPI and supports changing
+the reqid, addresses, encapsulation, selector, and offload.
+
+Because IKE daemons can manage policies independently of
+the kernel, this interface allows precise per-SA migration without
+requiring policy involvement. Optional netlink attributes follow an
+omit-to-inherit model: omitting an attribute preserves the value from
+the old SA. The ``flags`` field controls two exceptions: hardware offload
+is inherited by default and can be suppressed with
+``XFRM_MIGRATE_STATE_CLEAR_OFFLOAD`` or overridden with ``XFRMA_OFFLOAD_DEV``;
+the new selector is taken from ``new_sel`` by default and can instead be
+derived from the new addresses with ``XFRM_MIGRATE_STATE_UPDATE_H2H_SEL``.
+
+SA Identification
+=================
+
+The struct is defined in ``include/uapi/linux/xfrm.h``. The SA is looked
+up using ``xfrm_state_lookup()`` with ``id.spi``,
+``id.daddr``, ``id.proto``, ``id.family``, and
+``old_mark.v & old_mark.m`` as the mark key::
+
+    struct xfrm_user_migrate_state {
+        struct xfrm_usersa_id  id;       /* spi, daddr, proto, family */
+        xfrm_address_t         new_daddr;
+        xfrm_address_t         new_saddr;
+        struct xfrm_mark       old_mark; /* SA lookup: key = v & m */
+        struct xfrm_selector   new_sel;  /* new selector (see Flags) */
+        __u32                  new_reqid;
+        __u32                  flags;    /* XFRM_MIGRATE_STATE_* */
+        __u16                  new_family;
+        __u16                  reserved;  /* must be zero */
+    };
+
+The ``reserved`` field must be set to zero; the kernel rejects any
+other value with ``-EINVAL``.
+
+Supported Attributes
+====================
+
+The following fields in ``xfrm_user_migrate_state`` are always explicit
+and are not inherited from the existing SA. Passing zero is not equivalent
+to "keep unchanged" — zero is used as-is:
+
+- ``new_daddr`` - new destination address
+- ``new_saddr`` - new source address
+- ``new_family`` - new address family
+- ``new_reqid`` - new reqid (0 = no reqid)
+- ``new_sel`` - new selector; used when ``XFRM_MIGRATE_STATE_UPDATE_H2H_SEL`` is
+  not set (see `Flags`_ below)
+- ``flags`` - bitmask of ``XFRM_MIGRATE_STATE_*`` flags (see `Flags`_ below)
+
+The following netlink attributes are also accepted. Omitting an attribute
+inherits the value from the existing SA (omit-to-inherit).
+
+.. list-table::
+   :widths: 30 70
+   :header-rows: 1
+
+   * - Attribute
+     - Description
+   * - ``XFRMA_MARK``
+     - Mark on the migrated SA (``struct xfrm_mark``). Absent inherits
+       ``old_mark``. To use no mark on the new SA, send ``XFRMA_MARK``
+       with ``{0, 0}``.
+   * - ``XFRMA_ENCAP``
+     - UDP encapsulation template; only ``UDP_ENCAP_ESPINUDP`` is supported.
+       Set ``encap_type=0`` to remove encap.
+   * - ``XFRMA_OFFLOAD_DEV``
+     - Hardware offload configuration (``struct xfrm_user_offload``). Absent
+       copies offload from the existing SA. When
+       ``XFRM_MIGRATE_STATE_CLEAR_OFFLOAD`` is set in ``flags``, the new SA has
+       no offload; this flag is mutually exclusive with ``XFRMA_OFFLOAD_DEV``
+       and sending both returns ``-EINVAL``.
+   * - ``XFRMA_SET_MARK``
+     - Output mark on the migrated SA; pair with ``XFRMA_SET_MARK_MASK``.
+       Send 0 to clear.
+   * - ``XFRMA_NAT_KEEPALIVE_INTERVAL``
+     - NAT keepalive interval in seconds. Requires encap. Send 0 to clear.
+       Automatically cleared when encap is removed; setting a non-zero
+       value without encap returns ``-EINVAL``.
+   * - ``XFRMA_MTIMER_THRESH``
+     - Mapping maxage threshold. Only valid on input SAs; setting on an
+       output SA returns ``-EINVAL``. Requires encap. Send 0 to clear.
+       Automatically cleared when encap is removed; setting a non-zero
+       value without encap returns ``-EINVAL``.
+
+The following SA properties are immutable and cannot be changed via
+``XFRM_MSG_MIGRATE_STATE``: algorithms (``XFRMA_ALG_*``), replay state,
+direction (``XFRMA_SA_DIR``), and security context (``XFRMA_SEC_CTX``).
+
+Flags
+=====
+
+The ``flags`` field in ``xfrm_user_migrate_state`` controls optional
+migration behaviour. Unknown flag bits are rejected with ``-EINVAL``; the
+extended ACK message identifies the unrecognised bits (e.g. ``"Unknown flags:
+0x4"``). Userspace can use ``XFRM_MIGRATE_STATE_KNOWN_FLAGS`` (defined in
+``<linux/xfrm.h>``) to validate flags before sending; note that this constant
+reflects the flags known to the header version userspace was compiled against,
+which may differ from what the running kernel accepts.
+
+.. list-table::
+   :widths: 40 60
+   :header-rows: 1
+
+   * - Flag
+     - Description
+   * - ``XFRM_MIGRATE_STATE_CLEAR_OFFLOAD``
+     - When set, the new SA has no hardware offload even when
+       ``XFRMA_OFFLOAD_DEV`` is absent. Without this flag, omitting
+       ``XFRMA_OFFLOAD_DEV`` copies the existing offload to the new SA.
+       Mutually exclusive with ``XFRMA_OFFLOAD_DEV``; sending both
+       returns ``-EINVAL``.
+   * - ``XFRM_MIGRATE_STATE_UPDATE_H2H_SEL``
+     - When set, the kernel validates that the existing SA selector is a
+       single-host entry matching the SA addresses (``prefixlen_s ==
+       prefixlen_d`` equal to 32 for IPv4 or 128 for IPv6, and addresses
+       matching ``id.daddr`` and ``props.saddr``). If the check passes,
+       the new selector is derived from ``new_daddr`` and ``new_saddr``
+       with the single-host mask for ``new_family``. A mismatch returns
+       ``-EINVAL``. When this flag is not set, ``new_sel`` is used as-is
+       for the migrated SA.
+
+Migration Steps
+===============
+
+Outgoing SA
+-----------
+
+To prevent cleartext traffic leaks, install a block policy before
+migrating:
+
+#. Install a block policy to drop traffic on the affected selector.
+#. Remove the old policy.
+#. Call ``XFRM_MSG_MIGRATE_STATE`` for each SA.
+#. Reinstall the policies.
+#. Remove the block policy.
+
+If AES-GCM is in use, the block policy also prevents IV reuse during
+the migration window. For other AEADs this step is not required for
+IV safety, but skipping it allows a brief cleartext window.
+
+Incoming SA
+-----------
+
+No block policy is needed. ``XFRM_MSG_MIGRATE_STATE`` atomically
+transfers the sequence number and replay window from the old SA to
+the new SA, so the new SA continues replay protection without a gap.
+Call ``XFRM_MSG_MIGRATE_STATE`` for each SA directly.
+
+When accepting incoming traffic, be liberal during the migration
+window: packets sent by the remote peer before it completed its own
+migration may arrive out of order or slightly late. Dropping them
+unnecessarily causes packet loss. A generous replay window reduces
+the impact of reordering during migration.
+
+Block Policy and IV Safety
+--------------------------
+
+AES-GCM IV uniqueness is critical: reusing a (key, IV) pair allows
+an attacker to recover the authentication subkey and forge
+authentication tags, breaking both confidentiality and integrity.
+This concern applies to outgoing SAs only — the remote peer controls
+IV generation on incoming traffic.
+
+``XFRM_MSG_MIGRATE_STATE`` atomically copies the sequence number and
+replay window from the old SA to the new SA and deletes the old SA.
+The block policy serves two purposes: it prevents cleartext traffic
+leaks during the migration window, and for AES-GCM it prevents IV
+reuse by ensuring no outgoing packets are sent under the same key.
+The atomic copy of the sequence number and replay window complements
+this — together they eliminate both risks during migration.
+The atomic copy also serves incoming SAs, ensuring replay protection
+continues without a gap across the migration.
+
+Feature Detection
+=================
+
+Userspace can probe for kernel support by sending a minimal
+``XFRM_MSG_MIGRATE_STATE`` message with a non-zero non-existent SPI:
+
+- ``-EINVAL``: kernel predates ``XFRM_MSG_MIGRATE_STATE``; message type
+  is out of range
+- ``-ENOPROTOOPT``: message type is known but ``CONFIG_XFRM_MIGRATE``
+  is not enabled
+- ``-ESRCH``: supported (SPI not found)
+
+Userspace Notification on Success
+=================================
+
+On successful migration the kernel multicasts an
+``XFRM_MSG_MIGRATE_STATE`` message to the ``XFRMNLGRP_MIGRATE`` group.
+The fixed header is ``struct xfrm_user_migrate_state`` copied from the
+request, followed by the same set of netlink attributes that are
+accepted as input, with the differences noted below.
+
+Differences from the request
+-----------------------------
+
+.. list-table::
+   :widths: 25 75
+   :header-rows: 1
+
+   * - Field / Attribute
+     - Difference
+   * - ``new_sel``
+     - Contains the actual selector of the newly installed SA, not the
+       ``new_sel`` from the request. When
+       ``XFRM_MIGRATE_STATE_UPDATE_H2H_SEL`` is set the kernel derives the
+       selector from ``new_daddr`` / ``new_saddr``; the caller's
+       ``new_sel`` field is ignored in that case. The notification
+       always carries the real selector of the new SA.
+   * - ``XFRMA_SA_DIR``
+     - Present in the notification (set from the direction of the new
+       SA) but **not accepted as input** — direction is immutable.
+   * - ``flags``
+     - Echoed back as-is. ``XFRM_MIGRATE_STATE_CLEAR_OFFLOAD`` and
+       ``XFRM_MIGRATE_STATE_UPDATE_H2H_SEL`` describe the request that was
+       made, not a property of the resulting SA.
+
+Attributes in the notification
+-------------------------------
+
+.. list-table::
+   :widths: 30 70
+   :header-rows: 1
+
+   * - Attribute
+     - Description
+   * - ``XFRMA_ENCAP``
+     - UDP encapsulation template, if configured on the new SA.
+   * - ``XFRMA_OFFLOAD_DEV``
+     - Hardware offload configuration, if active on the new SA.
+   * - ``XFRMA_MARK``
+     - Mark on the new SA, if set.
+   * - ``XFRMA_SET_MARK``
+     - Output mark on the new SA, if set.
+   * - ``XFRMA_SET_MARK_MASK``
+     - Output mark mask, present together with ``XFRMA_SET_MARK``.
+   * - ``XFRMA_MTIMER_THRESH``
+     - Mapping maxage threshold, if non-zero.
+   * - ``XFRMA_NAT_KEEPALIVE_INTERVAL``
+     - NAT keepalive interval, if non-zero.
+   * - ``XFRMA_SA_DIR``
+     - Direction of the new SA.
+
+Error Handling
+==============
+
+If the target SA tuple (new daddr, SPI, proto, new family) is already
+occupied, the operation returns ``-EEXIST`` before the migration begins.
+The old SA remains intact and the operation is safe to retry after
+resolving the conflict.
+
+If the target SA is deleted before the migration completes, the operation
+returns ``-ESRCH``. No new SA is installed. Userspace should verify the
+current SA state before retrying.
+
+If the multicast notification (``XFRMNLGRP_MIGRATE``) fails to send,
+the migration itself has already completed successfully and the new SA
+is installed. The operation returns success, 0, with an extack warning,
+but listeners will not receive the migration event.

-- 
2.47.3