summaryrefslogtreecommitdiffstats
path: root/Documentation/security/sak.rst
diff options
context:
space:
mode:
authorTim Chen <tim.c.chen@linux.intel.com>2026-09-21 17:37:22 -0700
committerIngo Molnar <mingo@kernel.org>2026-09-22 10:49:53 +0200
commit0d6526f82c3cdefcca47f73f5fc08dc6f335eac6 (patch)
tree176dc2d685debcfb082c151ee94f2425ac96b364 /Documentation/security/sak.rst
downloadlinux-stable-0d6526f82c3cdefcca47f73f5fc08dc6f335eac6.tar.gz
linux-stable-0d6526f82c3cdefcca47f73f5fc08dc6f335eac6.zip
sched/cache: Keep nr_pref_llc_running in the runnable domain, to fix LLC mis-scheduling buggrafted
alb_break_llc() decides whether to break LLC preference during active load balance. It does so by testing that every runnable fair task on the source rq prefers its LLC: env->src_rq->nr_pref_llc_running == env->src_rq->cfs.h_nr_runnable But the two counters cover different sets. nr_pref_llc_running is updated in account_llc_enqueue()/account_llc_dequeue(), next to cfs_rq->nr_queued, so it follows queued tasks. h_nr_runnable is updated in set_delayed()/ clear_delayed() and drops delay-dequeued tasks. So under DELAY_DEQUEUE, a preferring task that goes to sleep stays counted in nr_pref_llc_running while h_nr_runnable falls. The equality then breaks, alb_break_llc() returns false, and active balance is free to pull a task off its preferred LLC. Active balance only moves runnable tasks, and this is the only LLC check it consults: once the stopper runs, LBF_ACTIVE_LB skips the per-task test in can_migrate_task(). The runnable set is the one we want. Fix it on the counter side. A task should be counted in nr_pref_llc_running exactly while it is both queued on its preferred LLC (pref_llc_queued) and runnable (!sched_delayed). Define that membership once in task_pref_llc_runnable(), and adjust the counter only through pref_llc_running_inc()/pref_llc_running_dec() from the four sites that change either input: account_llc_enqueue(), account_llc_dequeue(), set_delayed() and clear_delayed(). Gating every update on the same predicate keeps the delay, wake and dequeue paths from double-counting or underflowing; see the comments at those sites for the ordering. nr_llc_running and sd->llc_counts are not touched and stay on queued semantics. Fixes: 714059f79ff0 ("sched/cache: Handle moving single tasks to/from their preferred LLC") Closes: https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/20260827135000.735138-1-zhanxusheng@xiaomi.com/ Reported-by: Zhan Xusheng <zhanxusheng@xiaomi.com> Suggested-by: Chen Yu <yu.c.chen@intel.com> Signed-off-by: Tim Chen <tim.c.chen@linux.intel.com> Signed-off-by: Peter Zijlstra (Intel) <peterz@infradead.org> Signed-off-by: Ingo Molnar <mingo@kernel.org> Reviewed-by: Kayra Cizmeci <kayracizmeci@gmail.com> Cc: <stable@kernel.org> # v7.2.x Link: https://patch.msgid.link/06af61afedac32e6477f57feb4d658f6c411c3af.1790035273.git.tim.c.chen@linux.intel.com
Diffstat (limited to 'Documentation/security/sak.rst')
-rw-r--r--Documentation/security/sak.rst91
1 files changed, 91 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/Documentation/security/sak.rst b/Documentation/security/sak.rst
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..260e1d368
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Documentation/security/sak.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,91 @@
+=========================================
+Linux Secure Attention Key (SAK) handling
+=========================================
+
+:Date: 18 March 2001
+:Author: Andrew Morton
+
+An operating system's Secure Attention Key is a security tool which is
+provided as protection against trojan password capturing programs. It
+is an undefeatable way of killing all programs which could be
+masquerading as login applications. Users need to be taught to enter
+this key sequence before they log in to the system.
+
+From the PC keyboard, Linux has two similar but different ways of
+providing SAK. One is the ALT-SYSRQ-K sequence. You shouldn't use
+this sequence. It is only available if the kernel was compiled with
+sysrq support.
+
+The proper way of generating a SAK is to define the key sequence using
+``loadkeys``. This will work whether or not sysrq support is compiled
+into the kernel.
+
+SAK works correctly when the keyboard is in raw mode. This means that
+once defined, SAK will kill a running X server. If the system is in
+run level 5, the X server will restart. This is what you want to
+happen.
+
+What key sequence should you use? Well, CTRL-ALT-DEL is used to reboot
+the machine. CTRL-ALT-BACKSPACE is magical to the X server. We'll
+choose CTRL-ALT-PAUSE.
+
+In your rc.sysinit (or rc.local) file, add the command::
+
+ echo "control alt keycode 101 = SAK" | /bin/loadkeys
+
+And that's it! Only the superuser may reprogram the SAK key.
+
+
+.. note::
+
+ 1. Linux SAK is said to be not a "true SAK" as is required by
+ systems which implement C2 level security. This author does not
+ know why.
+
+
+ 2. On the PC keyboard, SAK kills all applications which have
+ /dev/console opened.
+
+ Unfortunately this includes a number of things which you don't
+ actually want killed. This is because these applications are
+ incorrectly holding /dev/console open. Be sure to complain to your
+ Linux distributor about this!
+
+ You can identify processes which will be killed by SAK with the
+ command::
+
+ # ls -l /proc/[0-9]*/fd/* | grep console
+ l-wx------ 1 root root 64 Mar 18 00:46 /proc/579/fd/0 -> /dev/console
+
+ Then::
+
+ # ps aux|grep 579
+ root 579 0.0 0.1 1088 436 ? S 00:43 0:00 gpm -t ps/2
+
+ So ``gpm`` will be killed by SAK. This is a bug in gpm. It should
+ be closing standard input. You can work around this by finding the
+ initscript which launches gpm and changing it thusly:
+
+ Old::
+
+ daemon gpm
+
+ New::
+
+ daemon gpm < /dev/null
+
+ Vixie cron also seems to have this problem, and needs the same treatment.
+
+ Also, one prominent Linux distribution has the following three
+ lines in its rc.sysinit and rc scripts::
+
+ exec 3<&0
+ exec 4>&1
+ exec 5>&2
+
+ These commands cause **all** daemons which are launched by the
+ initscripts to have file descriptors 3, 4 and 5 attached to
+ /dev/console. So SAK kills them all. A workaround is to simply
+ delete these lines, but this may cause system management
+ applications to malfunction - test everything well.
+