[PATCH v5 05/20] x86/bugs: Add attack vector controls for MDS

From: David Kaplan
Date: Fri May 09 2025 - 12:29:19 EST


Use attack vector controls to determine if MDS mitigation is required.
The global mitigations=off command now simply disables all attack vectors
so explicit checking of mitigations=off is no longer needed.

If cross-thread attack mitigations are required, disable SMT.

Signed-off-by: David Kaplan <david.kaplan@xxxxxxx>
---
arch/x86/kernel/cpu/bugs.c | 14 +++++++++-----
1 file changed, 9 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-)

diff --git a/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/bugs.c b/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/bugs.c
index 3dce7c3126ea..97d152c33e9e 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/bugs.c
+++ b/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/bugs.c
@@ -419,13 +419,17 @@ static bool verw_clear_cpu_buf_mitigation_selected __ro_after_init;

static void __init mds_select_mitigation(void)
{
- if (!boot_cpu_has_bug(X86_BUG_MDS) || cpu_mitigations_off()) {
+ if (!boot_cpu_has_bug(X86_BUG_MDS)) {
mds_mitigation = MDS_MITIGATION_OFF;
return;
}

- if (mds_mitigation == MDS_MITIGATION_AUTO)
- mds_mitigation = MDS_MITIGATION_FULL;
+ if (mds_mitigation == MDS_MITIGATION_AUTO) {
+ if (should_mitigate_vuln(X86_BUG_MDS))
+ mds_mitigation = MDS_MITIGATION_FULL;
+ else
+ mds_mitigation = MDS_MITIGATION_OFF;
+ }

if (mds_mitigation == MDS_MITIGATION_OFF)
return;
@@ -435,7 +439,7 @@ static void __init mds_select_mitigation(void)

static void __init mds_update_mitigation(void)
{
- if (!boot_cpu_has_bug(X86_BUG_MDS) || cpu_mitigations_off())
+ if (!boot_cpu_has_bug(X86_BUG_MDS))
return;

/* If TAA, MMIO, or RFDS are being mitigated, MDS gets mitigated too. */
@@ -456,7 +460,7 @@ static void __init mds_apply_mitigation(void)
mds_mitigation == MDS_MITIGATION_VMWERV) {
setup_force_cpu_cap(X86_FEATURE_CLEAR_CPU_BUF);
if (!boot_cpu_has(X86_BUG_MSBDS_ONLY) &&
- (mds_nosmt || cpu_mitigations_auto_nosmt()))
+ (mds_nosmt || smt_mitigations == SMT_MITIGATIONS_ON))
cpu_smt_disable(false);
}
}
--
2.34.1