Re: [PATCH 1/2] x86/fpu: Reset MXCSR to default in kernel_fpu_begin()

From: Borislav Petkov
Date: Mon Jun 22 2020 - 13:09:16 EST


On Fri, Jun 19, 2020 at 11:01:44AM -0700, Andy Lutomirski wrote:
> On Fri, Jun 19, 2020 at 10:41 AM Borislav Petkov <bp@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> >
> > From: Petteri Aimonen <jpa@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> >
> > Previously, kernel floating point code would run with the MXCSR control
> > register value last set by userland code by the thread that was active
> > on the CPU core just before kernel call. This could affect calculation
> > results if rounding mode was changed, or a crash if a FPU/SIMD exception
> > was unmasked.
> >
> > Restore MXCSR to the kernel's default value.
> >
> > [ bp: Carve out from a bigger patch by Petteri, add feature check, add
> > FNINIT call too (amluto). ]
>
> Acked-by: Andy Lutomirski <luto@xxxxxxxxxx>
>
> but:
>
> shouldn't kernel_fpu_begin() end with a barrier()?

the "fninit" thing is already asm volatile or do you want the explicit
memory clobber of barrier?

If so, why?

The LDMXCSR and FNINIT have effect only on hardware state...

--
Regards/Gruss,
Boris.

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