The possible values in this file are:
- - 'Not affected' The processor is not vulnerable
+ * 'Not affected':
- - 'Vulnerable: no microcode' The processor is vulnerable, no
- microcode extending IBPB functionality
- to address the vulnerability has been
- applied.
+ The processor is not vulnerable
- - 'Mitigation: microcode' Extended IBPB functionality microcode
- patch has been applied. It does not
- address User->Kernel and Guest->Host
- transitions protection but it does
- address User->User and VM->VM attack
- vectors.
+ * 'Vulnerable: no microcode':
- (spec_rstack_overflow=microcode)
+ The processor is vulnerable, no microcode extending IBPB
+ functionality to address the vulnerability has been applied.
- - 'Mitigation: safe RET' Software-only mitigation. It complements
- the extended IBPB microcode patch
- functionality by addressing User->Kernel
- and Guest->Host transitions protection.
+ * 'Mitigation: microcode':
- Selected by default or by
- spec_rstack_overflow=safe-ret
+ Extended IBPB functionality microcode patch has been applied. It does
+ not address User->Kernel and Guest->Host transitions protection but it
+ does address User->User and VM->VM attack vectors.
- - 'Mitigation: IBPB' Similar protection as "safe RET" above
- but employs an IBPB barrier on privilege
- domain crossings (User->Kernel,
- Guest->Host).
+ Note that User->User mitigation is controlled by how the IBPB aspect in
+ the Spectre v2 mitigation is selected:
- (spec_rstack_overflow=ibpb)
+ * conditional IBPB:
+
+ where each process can select whether it needs an IBPB issued
+ around it PR_SPEC_DISABLE/_ENABLE etc, see :doc:`spectre`
+
+ * strict:
+
+ i.e., always on - by supplying spectre_v2_user=on on the kernel
+ command line
+
+ (spec_rstack_overflow=microcode)
+
+ * 'Mitigation: safe RET':
+
+ Software-only mitigation. It complements the extended IBPB microcode
+ patch functionality by addressing User->Kernel and Guest->Host
+ transitions protection.
+
+ Selected by default or by spec_rstack_overflow=safe-ret
+
+ * 'Mitigation: IBPB':
+
+ Similar protection as "safe RET" above but employs an IBPB barrier on
+ privilege domain crossings (User->Kernel, Guest->Host).
+
+ (spec_rstack_overflow=ibpb)
+
+ * 'Mitigation: IBPB on VMEXIT':
+
+ Mitigation addressing the cloud provider scenario - the Guest->Host
+ transitions only.
+
+ (spec_rstack_overflow=ibpb-vmexit)
- - 'Mitigation: IBPB on VMEXIT' Mitigation addressing the cloud provider
- scenario - the Guest->Host transitions
- only.
- (spec_rstack_overflow=ibpb-vmexit)
In order to exploit vulnerability, an attacker needs to: