Re: [PATCH v3 1/3] SROP Mitigation: Architecture independent code for signal cookies

From: Ingo Molnar
Date: Thu Mar 10 2016 - 04:44:01 EST



* Jonathan Corbet <corbet@xxxxxxx> wrote:

> On Wed, 9 Mar 2016 15:07:07 -0700
> Scotty Bauer <sbauer@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> > On 03/09/2016 01:32 AM, Ingo Molnar wrote:
> > >
> > > Could you please add a high level description in Documentation
> > > that explains the attack and the way how this mitigation code
> > > prevents that kind of attack?
> > >
> > > Also, the first changelogs should contain more high level
> > > description as well. For example, what does the 'verification'
> > > of the signal cookie mean, and how does it prevent an SROP
> > > attempt?
> > >
> > > All of these patches seem to assume that people reading this code
> > > know what SROP is and how we defend against it - that is not so.
> >
> > I'm going to submit v4 to fix some nits where I'll include the explanation
> > and a change log, I apologize for not doing that here. In the meantime if
> > you don't mind visiting a link I included a brief explanation on previous
> > versions of the patch set.
> >
> > https://lkml.org/lkml/2016/2/6/166
>
> The curious might also find background information in my article about this
> patch set:
>
> https://lwn.net/Articles/676803/

Scott, mind including a prominent link to the (excellent!) LWN.net article in the
changelog/documentation as well?

Thanks,

Ingo