Re: [PATCH v4 4/6] x86/bugs: Use ALTERNATIVE() instead of mds_user_clear static key

[Pawan Gupta]

On Fri, Dec 01, 2023 at 11:59:54AM -0800, Josh Poimboeuf wrote:
> On Fri, Oct 27, 2023 at 07:38:59AM -0700, Pawan Gupta wrote:
> > The VERW mitigation at exit-to-user is enabled via a static branch
> > mds_user_clear. This static branch is never toggled after boot, and can
> > be safely replaced with an ALTERNATIVE() which is convenient to use in
> > asm.
> > 
> > Switch to ALTERNATIVE() to use the VERW mitigation late in exit-to-user
> > path. Also remove the now redundant VERW in exc_nmi() and
> > arch_exit_to_user_mode().
> > 
> > Signed-off-by: Pawan Gupta <pawan.kumar.gupta@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> > ---
> >  Documentation/arch/x86/mds.rst       | 38 +++++++++++++++++++++++++-----------
> >  arch/x86/include/asm/entry-common.h  |  1 -
> >  arch/x86/include/asm/nospec-branch.h | 12 ------------
> >  arch/x86/kernel/cpu/bugs.c           | 15 ++++++--------
> >  arch/x86/kernel/nmi.c                |  2 --
> >  arch/x86/kvm/vmx/vmx.c               |  2 +-
> >  6 files changed, 34 insertions(+), 36 deletions(-)
> > 
> > diff --git a/Documentation/arch/x86/mds.rst b/Documentation/arch/x86/mds.rst
> > index e73fdff62c0a..a5c5091b9ccd 100644
> > --- a/Documentation/arch/x86/mds.rst
> > +++ b/Documentation/arch/x86/mds.rst
> > @@ -95,6 +95,9 @@ The kernel provides a function to invoke the buffer clearing:
> >  
> >      mds_clear_cpu_buffers()
> >  
> > +Also macro CLEAR_CPU_BUFFERS is meant to be used in ASM late in exit-to-user
> > +path. This macro works for cases where GPRs can't be clobbered.
> 
> What does this last sentence mean?  Is it trying to say that the macro
> doesn't clobber registers (other than ZF)?

Yes. I will rephrase it to say that macro doesn't clobber registers
other than ZF.