Re: [PATCH v2] x86/kvm: Disable KVM_ASYNC_PF_SEND_ALWAYS

[Andy Lutomirski <luto@kernel.org>]

On Fri, Mar 6, 2020 at 6:26 PM Andy Lutomirski <luto@kernel.org> wrote:
>
> The ABI is broken and we cannot support it properly.  Turn it off.
>
> If this causes a meaningful performance regression for someone, KVM
> can introduce an improved ABI that is supportable.
>
> Cc: stable@vger.kernel.org
> Signed-off-by: Andy Lutomirski <luto@kernel.org>
> ---
>  arch/x86/kernel/kvm.c | 21 ++++++++++++++++++---
>  1 file changed, 18 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)
>
> diff --git a/arch/x86/kernel/kvm.c b/arch/x86/kernel/kvm.c
> index 93ab0cbd304e..e6f2aefa298b 100644
> --- a/arch/x86/kernel/kvm.c
> +++ b/arch/x86/kernel/kvm.c
> @@ -318,11 +318,26 @@ static void kvm_guest_cpu_init(void)
>
>                 pa = slow_virt_to_phys(this_cpu_ptr(&apf_reason));
>
> -#ifdef CONFIG_PREEMPTION
> -               pa |= KVM_ASYNC_PF_SEND_ALWAYS;
> -#endif
>                 pa |= KVM_ASYNC_PF_ENABLED;
>
> +               /*
> +                * We do not set KVM_ASYNC_PF_SEND_ALWAYS.  With the current
> +                * KVM paravirt ABI, the following scenario is possible:
> +                *
> +                * #PF: async page fault (KVM_PV_REASON_PAGE_NOT_PRESENT)
> +                *  NMI before CR2 or KVM_PF_REASON_PAGE_NOT_PRESENT
> +                *   NMI accesses user memory, e.g. due to perf
> +                *    #PF: normal page fault
> +                *     #PF reads CR2 and apf_reason -- apf_reason should be 0
> +                *
> +                *  outer #PF reads CR2 and apf_reason -- apf_reason should be
> +                *  KVM_PV_REASON_PAGE_NOT_PRESENT
> +                *
> +                * There is no possible way that both reads of CR2 and
> +                * apf_reason get the correct values.  Fixing this would
> +                * require paravirt ABI changes.
> +                */
> +

Upon re-reading my own comment, I think the problem is real, but I
don't think my patch fixes it.  The outer #PF could just as easily
have come from user mode.  We may actually need the NMI code (and
perhaps MCE and maybe #DB too) to save, clear, and restore apf_reason.
If we do this, then maybe CPL0 async PFs are actually okay, but the
semantics are so poorly defined that I'm not very confident about
that.