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| author | Linus Torvalds <torvalds@linux-foundation.org> | 2026-08-30 09:22:00 -0700 |
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| committer | Linus Torvalds <torvalds@linux-foundation.org> | 2026-08-30 09:22:00 -0700 |
| commit | 034dd340b08be1f2f0477ad16131d609f9dbd53c (patch) | |
| tree | 2536f4b2d7893ccd916b5abdf3c454ad6edc03c2 /Documentation/crypto/libcrypto.rst | |
| download | linux-stable-034dd340b08be1f2f0477ad16131d609f9dbd53c.tar.gz linux-stable-034dd340b08be1f2f0477ad16131d609f9dbd53c.zip | |
Merge tag 'trace-v7.3-2' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/trace/linux-tracegrafted
Pull tracing fixes from Steven Rostedt:
- Fix error output of boot instance creation failure
Currently if a boot instance creation fails, instead of printing out
the name of the instance that failed, it prints "(null)". That is
because it prints "cur_str" that had already been processed by
strsep(). Print the saved name instead.
While at it, print the error code of the failure.
- Fix use-after-free for same named historgrams
Histograms can be named so that they can be used in multiple events.
But if the named histogram has a variable attached, the second event
that uses the named histogram which duplicates it and needs to free
the original after duplication leaves the old variable in place and
still visible. If another histogram uses than variable, it will use
the stale one which will try to reference the freed duplicate
histogram and crash the kernel.
Free the duplicate variables along with the duplicated histogram
data.
- Check return value of kthread_run() in event self test
The events self tests uses a kthread for testing but does not check
if it succeeded in creating a kthread. If the kthread creation were
to fail, the code will still try to call kthread_stop() on the error
returned.
- Fix race between reading trace_pipe and updating subbuffer size
If a user is reading the trace_pipe file at the same time they update
the ring buffer sub-buffer size, can cause the trace_pipe read to
read stale data. Add trace_access_lock() around updating the ring
buffer sub-buffer size.
- Fix eventfs_inode on failure path in creation of the events directory
In the creation of the "events" directory, if after allocating the
eventfs_inode a failure is detected, it calls cleanup_ei() which
calls free_ei(). The free_ei() will test if eventfs_inode being freed
has no children. It is a bug if it does. But on the failure case of
the creation of the "events" directory, the children lists have not
yet been initialized and the free will trigger a warning because
list_empty() on an uninitialized list returns false.
Move the initialization into init_ei() where it makes more sense and
makes sure that a created eventfs_inode has its lists initialized
upon creation.
- Check return value of kthread_run() in ftrace direct sample code
The sample code that shows how to use the ftrace direct calls does
not test the return of kthread_run() to see if it succeeds. Return a
failure if the kthread_run() doesn't succeed.
- Clear user events state on fork in case of alloc failure
On fork, the child gets a pointer to the parent's user events state.
It makes a copy of it then updates the child's pointer to it. But if
the allocation fails, the duplication function leaves the child with
a pointer to its parent's descriptor. When the child cleans up its
data, it will free the parent's descriptor while the parent is still
using it.
In the duplication function, set the child's user_event_mm to NULL
before testing if the allocation succeeded, and when it exits it will
not free the parent's descriptor.
- Fix retry exhaustion in simple ring buffer reader swap
simple_ring_buffer_swap_reader_page() starts with retry set to 8 and
post-decrements it only after a failed link replacement. On the final
attempt, a successful replacement leaves retry at zero, while a
failed replacement leaves it at -1.
But the check for success expects the retry value to be non-zero and
exits with an error on zero. This is the opposite result. Fix it.
- Fail nicely when the remote swap_reader_page() returns an error
Currently, if the swap_reader_page() of a remote buffer fails, it
triggers a WARN_ON_ONCE() and continues normally. Instead, have it
exit with an error and a pr_warn() print instead of a full WARNING.
* tag 'trace-v7.3-2' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/trace/linux-trace:
ring-buffer: Stop remote reader update when page swap fails
tracing: Fix retry exhaustion in simple ring buffer reader swap
tracing/user_events: Clear copied tracing state before fork duplication
samples/ftrace: Fix kthread_stop() on ERR_PTR in ftrace-direct-multi-modify
samples/ftrace: Fix kthread_stop() on ERR_PTR in ftrace-direct-modify
eventfs: Initialize ei->children and ei->list in init_ei()
tracing: Fix use-after-free in trace_pipe read on sub-buffer order change
tracing: Fix crash passing ERR_PTR to kthread_stop()
tracing: Fix use-after-free with same-name named triggers
tracing: Fix logged instance name on creation failure
Diffstat (limited to 'Documentation/crypto/libcrypto.rst')
| -rw-r--r-- | Documentation/crypto/libcrypto.rst | 168 |
1 files changed, 168 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/Documentation/crypto/libcrypto.rst b/Documentation/crypto/libcrypto.rst new file mode 100644 index 000000000..e911e0521 --- /dev/null +++ b/Documentation/crypto/libcrypto.rst @@ -0,0 +1,168 @@ +.. SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0-or-later + +============== +Crypto library +============== + +The Linux kernel's crypto library (``lib/crypto/``) provides kernel-internal +users of cryptographic algorithms with faster and easier access to those +algorithms than the traditional kernel crypto API. + +Each cryptographic algorithm is supported via a set of dedicated functions. +"Crypto agility", where needed, is left to calling code. + +The crypto library functions are intended to be boring and straightforward, and +to follow familiar conventions. Their primary documentation is their (fairly +extensive) kernel-doc. This page just provides some extra high-level context. + +Note that the crypto library isn't entirely new. ``lib/`` has contained some +crypto functions since 2005. Rather, it's just an approach that's been expanded +over time as it's been found to work well. It also largely just matches how the +kernel already does things elsewhere. + +Scope and intended audience +=========================== + +The crypto library documentation is primarily meant for kernel developers who +need to use a particular cryptographic algorithm(s) in kernel code. For +example, "I just need to compute a SHA-256 hash." A secondary audience is +developers working on the crypto algorithm implementations themselves. + +If you're looking for more general information about cryptography, like the +differences between the different crypto algorithms or how to select an +appropriate algorithm, you should refer to external sources which cover that +type of information much more comprehensively. If you need help selecting +algorithms for a new kernel feature that doesn't already have its algorithms +predefined, please reach out to ``linux-crypto@vger.kernel.org`` for advice. + +Code organization +================= + +- ``lib/crypto/*.c``: the crypto algorithm implementations + +- ``lib/crypto/$(SRCARCH)/``: architecture-specific code for crypto algorithms. + It is here rather than somewhere in ``arch/`` partly because this allows + generic and architecture-optimized code to be easily built into a single + loadable module (when the algorithm is set to 'm' in the kconfig). + +- ``lib/crypto/tests/``: KUnit tests for the crypto algorithms + +- ``include/crypto/``: crypto headers, for both the crypto library and the + traditional crypto API + +Generally, there is one kernel module per algorithm. Sometimes related +algorithms are grouped into one module. There is intentionally no common +framework, though there are some utility functions that multiple algorithms use. + +Each algorithm module is controlled by a tristate kconfig symbol +``CRYPTO_LIB_$(ALGORITHM)``. As is the norm for library functions in the +kernel, these are hidden symbols which don't show up in the kconfig menu. +Instead, they are just selected by all the kconfig symbols that need them. + +Many of the algorithms have multiple implementations: a generic implementation +and architecture-optimized implementation(s). Each module initialization +function, or initcall in the built-in case, automatically enables the best +implementation based on the available CPU features. + +Note that the crypto library doesn't use the ``crypto/``, +``arch/$(SRCARCH)/crypto/``, or ``drivers/crypto/`` directories. These +directories are used by the traditional crypto API. When possible, algorithms +in the traditional crypto API are implemented by calls into the library. + +Advantages +========== + +Some of the advantages of the library over the traditional crypto API are: + +- The library functions tend to be much easier to use. For example, a hash + value can be computed using only a single function call. Most of the library + functions always succeed and return void, eliminating the need to write + error-handling code. Most also accept standard virtual addresses, rather than + scatterlists which are difficult and less efficient to work with. + +- The library functions are usually faster, especially for short inputs. They + call the crypto algorithms directly without inefficient indirect calls, memory + allocations, string parsing, lookups in an algorithm registry, and other + unnecessary API overhead. Architecture-optimized code is enabled by default. + +- The library functions use standard link-time dependencies instead of + error-prone dynamic loading by name. There's no need for workarounds such as + forcing algorithms to be built-in or adding module soft dependencies. + +- The library focuses on the approach that works the best on the vast majority + of systems: CPU-based implementations of the crypto algorithms, utilizing + on-CPU acceleration (such as AES instructions) when available. + +- The library uses standard KUnit tests, rather than custom ad-hoc tests. + +- The library tends to have higher assurance implementations of the crypto + algorithms. This is both due to its simpler design and because more of its + code is being regularly tested. + +- The library supports features that don't fit into the rigid framework of the + traditional crypto API, for example interleaved hashing and XOFs. + +When to use it +============== + +In-kernel users should use the library (rather than the traditional crypto API) +whenever possible. Many subsystems have already been converted. It usually +simplifies their code significantly and improves performance. + +Some kernel features allow userspace to provide an arbitrary string that selects +an arbitrary algorithm from the traditional crypto API by name. These features +generally will have to keep using the traditional crypto API for backwards +compatibility. + +Note: new kernel features shouldn't support every algorithm, but rather make a +deliberate choice about what algorithm(s) to support. History has shown that +making a deliberate, thoughtful choice greatly simplifies code maintenance, +reduces the chance for mistakes (such as using an obsolete, insecure, or +inappropriate algorithm), and makes your feature easier to use. + +Testing +======= + +The crypto library uses standard KUnit tests. Like many of the kernel's other +KUnit tests, they are included in the set of tests that is run by +``tools/testing/kunit/kunit.py run --alltests``. + +A ``.kunitconfig`` file is also provided to run just the crypto library tests. +For example, here's how to run them in user-mode Linux: + +.. code-block:: sh + + tools/testing/kunit/kunit.py run --kunitconfig=lib/crypto/ + +Many of the crypto algorithms have architecture-optimized implementations. +Testing those requires building an appropriate kernel and running the tests +either in QEMU or on appropriate hardware. Here's one example with QEMU: + +.. code-block:: sh + + tools/testing/kunit/kunit.py run --kunitconfig=lib/crypto/ --arch=arm64 --make_options LLVM=1 + +Depending on the code being tested, flags may need to be passed to QEMU to +emulate the correct type of hardware for the code to be reached. + +Since correctness is essential in cryptographic code, new architecture-optimized +code is accepted only if it can be tested in QEMU. + +Note: the crypto library also includes FIPS 140 self-tests. These are +lightweight, are designed specifically to meet FIPS 140 requirements, and exist +*only* to meet those requirements. Normal testing done by kernel developers and +integrators should use the much more comprehensive KUnit tests instead. + +API documentation +================= + +.. toctree:: + :maxdepth: 2 + + libcrypto-auth-encryption + libcrypto-blockcipher + libcrypto-hash + libcrypto-signature + libcrypto-unauth-encryption + libcrypto-utils + sha3 |
