Re: [PATCH] arm64: errata: Add Ampere erratum AC04_CPU_50 workaround alternative

From: Oliver Upton
Date: Tue Jan 28 2025 - 15:54:52 EST


On Tue, Jan 28, 2025 at 08:34:47AM +0000, Marc Zyngier wrote:
> > +config AMPERE_ERRATUM_AC03_CPU_50
> > + bool "AmpereOne: AC03_CPU_50: Certain checks for ICC_PMR_EL1 that expects the value 0xf0 may read 0xf8 instead"
> > + default y
> > + help
> > + This option adds an alternative code sequence to work around Ampere
> > + erratum AC03_CPU_50 on AmpereOne and Ampere1A.
> > +
> > + Due to AC03_CPU_50, when ICC_PMR_EL1 should have a value of 0xf0 a
> > + direct read of the register will return a value of 0xf8. An incorrect
> > + value from a direct read can only happen with the value 0xf0.
> > +
> > + The workaround for the erratum will do logical AND 0xf0 to the
> > + value read from ICC_PMR_EL1 register before returning the value.
> > +
> > + If unsure, say Y.
> > +
>
> An alternative for this would simply to prevent the enabling of pNMI
> on this platform.

There's also AC03_CPU_36, where the CPU goes into the weeds if you take
an asynchronous exception while fiddling with HCR_EL2. We don't have a
mitigation for it, and it can be pretty easily reproduced by using pNMIs
while running VMs.

So I agree, disabling pNMIs might be the easier way out.

[*] https://amperecomputing.com/assets/AmpereOne_Developer_ER_v0_80_20240823_28945022f4.pdf

--
Thanks,
Oliver