Re: [tip: x86/urgent] x86/bugs: Use code segment selector for VERW operand

From: Borislav Petkov
Date: Wed Oct 09 2024 - 09:42:44 EST


On Wed, Oct 09, 2024 at 11:24:19AM +0100, Andrew Cooper wrote:
> I'll bite.  Why do you think this form is is better?

Smaller, shorter ifdeffery block. An example speaks more than 1000 words:

arch/x86/include/asm/asm.h

> You've now got VERW_ARG leaking across the whole kernel, and a layer of
> obfuscatio^W indirection in CLEAR_CPU_BUFFERS.

We have that all around the kernel anyway.

> Admittedly, when I wrote this fragment as a suggestion[1], the 32bit
> comment was in the main comment because there really is no need for it
> to be separate.
>
> But abstracting away VERW_ARG like this hampers legibility/clarity,
> rather than improving it IMO.

I guess we see it differently.

I don't care all that much to continue this - I'll just say that having the
CLEAR_CPU_BUFFERS macro text simpler and putting the argument complexity
abstracted away in macros reads better to me.

Oh well.

--
Regards/Gruss,
Boris.

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