On 12/30/2017 09:58 AM, Dan Aloni wrote:
> From: Dan Aloni <d...@kernelim.com>
>
> Signed-off-by: Dan Aloni <d...@kernelim.com>
> ---
> Documentation/admin-guide/dmesg-encryption.rst | 77
> ++++++++++++++++++++++++++
> 1 file changed, 77 insertions(+)
> create mode 100644 Documentation/admin-guide/dmesg-encryption.rst
>
> diff --git a/Documentation/admin-guide/dmesg-encryption.rst
> b/Documentation/admin-guide/dmesg-encryption.rst
> new file mode 100644
> index 000000000000..4a3d087b7f98
> --- /dev/null
> +++ b/Documentation/admin-guide/dmesg-encryption.rst
> @@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
> +Kernel message encryption
> +-------------------------
> +
> +.. CONTENTS
> +..
> +.. - Overview
> +.. - Reason for encrypting dmesg
> +.. - Compile time and run time switches
> +.. - Limitations
> +.. - Decrypting dmesg
> +
> +
> +========
> +Overview
> +========
> +
Please hard wrap long lines so that they are readable in 80 columns. Some people
still read .rst files like they are text files.
> +Similaly the module signing facility, it is also possible to have the kernel
> perform public key encryption of the kernel messages that are being generated
> by printk calls.
Similar to the module signing facility,
> +
> +The encryption can be performed for one of the trusted public keys in the
> kernel keyring, and by default will be performed against the kernel's moduel
> signing key.
s/moduel/module/
> +
> +To prevent a run-time dependency inside printk itself, the encryption takes
> places upon trying to read ``/dev/kmsg`` which is the mechanism currenly used
> by ``systemd`` to read kernel messages, and is also used by ``dmesg``
> invocations.
s/takes places/takes place/
s/currenly/currently/
> +
> +The first line being read by a ``dmesg`` opener will be an artificial line
> containing an encrypted symmetric encryption session key, in RSA PKCS#1
> format. The other lines are messages encrypted under an AES-128-GCM scheme.
> All binary ciphertext is hex-encoded, so that the ciphertext solely comprises
> of printable characters.
> +
> +===========
> +Limitations
> +===========
> +
> +There are various limitations one need to consider when enabling dmesg
> encryption:
needs
> +
> + * The metadata of kernel messages is not part of the encryption
> (timestamp, log facility, log severity).
> + * The seldom accompanying dictionary is also not part of the encryption.
> + * Any output to any system console, happening when printk() itself is
> executing, is also not encrypted. A potential attacker can load up
> ``netconsole`` and have kernel messages being sent as plaintext to other
> machines. Hopefully, on embedded devices, all system consoles are under
> strict control of the developers.
> + * The syslog system call is barred from reading kmsg. Its present users
> are few, as the system call's interface is mostly a fallback to an
> inaccessible ``/dev/kmsg``. This is only an implementation limitation and
> that may be addressed.
> + * kmsg buffers will still be saved as plaintext inside kdumps. The
> assumption is that having an access to read a kdump is equivalent to full
> kernel access anyway.
> +
> +===========================
> +Reason for encryption dmesg
> +===========================
> +
> +For years, dmesg has contained data which could be utilized by vulnerability
> exploiters, allowing for privilege escalations. Developers may leave key data
> such as pointers, indication of driver bugs, and more.
> +
> +The feature is mostly aimed for device manufacturers who are not keen on
> revealing the full details of kernel execution, bugs, and crashes to their
> users, but only to their developers, so that local programs running on the
> devices cannot use the data for 'rooting' and executing exploits.
> +
> +==================================
> +Compile time and run time switches
> +==================================
> +
> +In build time, this feature is controlled via the ``CONFIG_KMSG_ENCRYPTION``
> configuration variable.
> +
> +In run time, it can be turned off by providing `kmsg.encrypt=0` as a boot
> time parameter.
A dot ('.') in a kernel parameter name usually means
<module_name>.<module_parameter_name>.
This probably does work as it is here, but it's unusual. It would be better to
change
it to an underscore: kmsg_encrypt=0
or since it is printk.c, it could be: printk.kmsg_encrypt=0
depending on how it is implemented (__setup vs. module_param_* or core_param).
> +
> +================
> +Decrypting dmesg
> +================
> +
> +A supplied program in the kernel tree named ``dmesg-decipher``, uses the
> OpenSSL library
no comma after ``dmesg-decipher``
along with the paired private key of the encryption, in order to decipher an
encrypted dmesg.
no comma after "encryption"
> +
> +An innocuous dmesg invocation will appear as such (with the ciphertexts
> shortened here for the brevity of this document)::
> +
> + [ 0.000000] K:7c7da3617b6f...f4098e2425af00
> + [ 0.000000] M:36ae318532e...61686821b3ab,16,12
> + [ 0.000000] M:7fca10...154e035,16,12
> + ....
> +
> +The artificial ``K:`` message is generated per opening of ``/dev/kmsg``. It
> contains the encrypted session key. The encrypted dmesg lines follows it
> (prefix ``M:``).
> +
> +Provided with the private key, deciphering a dmesg output should be a
> straight-forward process.
"straightforward"
> +
> +For example, one can save an encrypted dmesg to ``dmesg.enc`` in one
> machine, then transfer it to another machine which contains access to the PEM
> with the decrypting private key, and use the the following command::
> +
> + cat dmesg.enc | ./tools/kmsg/dmesg-decipher certs/signing_key.pem
> +
> + [ 0.000000] Linux version 4.15.0-rc5+ (dan@jupiter) (gcc version
> 7.2.1 20170915 (Red Hat 7.2.1-2) (GCC)) #109 SMP Sat Dec 30 18:32:25 IST 2017
> + [ 0.000000] Command line: BOOT_IMAGE=/vmlinuz-4.15.0-rc5-dan+
> root=UUID=f48b37ec-fcb8-4689-b12e-58703db3cb21 ro rhgb quiet LANG=en_US.UTF-8
> + [ 0.000000] x86/fpu: Supporting XSAVE feature 0x001: 'x87 floating
> point registers'
> + ...
>
--
~Randy
