From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Authentication-Results: smtp.subspace.kernel.org; arc=none smtp.remote-ip=100.103.45.18 ARC-Seal: i=1; d=subspace.kernel.org; s=arc20261015; a=rsa-sha256; cv=none; t=1794363262; b=yO3mHN8le3fN/sIMrSEQHX+YaXdvYRHSLn+VEtZIcz8V3KvGuMGFcy8H86kbkmcWFpJj KfCM6r/kQZV0ll783cQja870ara9187h1yhXImsI2ujnJVBRXm4FhFKs9fPBIlIdlEKyE S7JVNWp9ItuQtf5WLyu38hkxO9Wbh87I2Gh2G7pLouuD1wqwJPi+9/ldztuBKoybc/uPI 0waoEGhB26YDjEac3jh9mmgB4zRNy1DmC+U8XYvE62iE+Ay39pL/YPH7SKOLW+z7fPRG6 /uEPuwwSY4MRSP90EwXcUoe9PIjslN1ps+uM7io2tLM1QW8GK785CSsRSCGvif//6Ig== ARC-Message-Signature: i=1; d=subspace.kernel.org; s=arc20261015; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; t=1794363262; h=Received:DKIM-Signature:Date:From:To:Cc:Subject:Message-ID: References:MIME-Version:Content-Type:Content-Disposition:In-Reply-To; bh=l0w/1yDI89XOAGhQ/WS9dsByIozBKDOh521vH2pREDU=; b=XO87rpP/SG+4gUd8dTK9cIRn3fWNtgd7hiZVaqadzj7TFUzagNalmNgVT65yfXkh1o+l Ngazg3IqzGKbbnMvdUpb1T2Uy0k2+6qqiFfjEhGDan3SmVPAiu/jxsQtZbWoSWTi6qOSM ejmiaKojN3iS77K2cATGgjd32KphRCdh5yt5GNXd5pC3pF6oM/Q8yxJ/2jG1P9mT/ZF8t Jwa43X+6nCB4f5AOeDUmfWQe8UmfFjAQE0eiJdfhMdgZX2P1pUbHEij53zcwRISfgLsGR GR894oAh2rM8/GT5SZfe/+T7dYWFodXvhDwnrJoOudBPU+7WmubSLetTyvFQIDynIEw== ARC-Authentication-Results: i=1; smtp.subspace.kernel.org; dkim=pass header.d=linuxfoundation.org header.i=@linuxfoundation.org header.a=rsa-sha256 header.s=korg header.b=cmUHpVtO; arc=none smtp.remote-ip=100.103.45.18 Received: from smtp.kernel.org (quasi.space.kernel.org [100.103.45.18]) (using TLSv1.3 with cipher TLS_AES_256_GCM_SHA384 (256/256 bits) key-exchange X25519 server-signature ECDSA (prime256v1)) (No client certificate requested) by smtp.subspace.kernel.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id 9E291606A320; Wed, 11 Nov 2026 02:14:17 +0000 (UTC) Authentication-Results: smtp.subspace.kernel.org; dkim=pass (1024-bit key, unprotected) header.d=linuxfoundation.org header.i=@linuxfoundation.org header.a=rsa-sha256 header.s=korg header.b=cmUHpVtO Received: by smtp.kernel.org (Postfix) with ESMTPSA id 28E601F0089F; Wed, 11 Nov 2026 02:14:17 +0000 (UTC) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=linuxfoundation.org; s=korg; t=1794363257; bh=l0w/1yDI89XOAGhQ/WS9dsByIozBKDOh521vH2pREDU=; h=Date:From:To:Cc:Subject:References:In-Reply-To; b=cmUHpVtOp+OnwJ7oyMYLYODcLFDyDJDba2Ov3IAWnIssdC9mOK2buxDZGOf8iUXHT xiXMd2/kVzVPyflvgicdZAP4aLq5EzCoA3TsUegsOKy7i7v5v2txJfTN96LwCwTGZJ Rm4FoWJefXp3lSwBP82MqvCSRheD1TPpsUM28y0s= Date: Tue, 10 Nov 2026 21:14:15 -0500 From: Greg Kroah-Hartman To: Kees Cook Cc: CVE Assignment Team , Jonathan Corbet , Randy Dunlap , workflows@vger.kernel.org, linux-doc@vger.kernel.org, linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org, linux-hardening@vger.kernel.org Subject: Re: [PATCH] docs: cve: Describe how security fixes reach users Message-ID: <2026111024-stilt-regalia-b637@gregkh> References: <20261111014419.i.586-kees@kernel.org> X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org List-Id: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: List-Unsubscribe: List-Owner: Precedence: list MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: <20261111014419.i.586-kees@kernel.org> On Tue, Nov 10, 2026 at 05:44:23PM -0800, Kees Cook wrote: > Recent threads on kernel-hardening proposed new mechanisms for > mitigating kernel CVEs while waiting for distributions to ship their > fixes. The CVE documentation does not say how fixes reach users, or > whose job it is to get them into a vendor's kernel. Add a section that > does, summarizing the answers given in those threads. > > Link: https://lore.kernel.org/all/2026110719-zipping-silliness-2443@gregkh/ > Link: https://lore.kernel.org/all/2026111052-spectator-legwarmer-4c1e@gregkh/ > Signed-off-by: Kees Cook > --- > Documentation/process/cve.rst | 30 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ > 1 file changed, 30 insertions(+) > > diff --git a/Documentation/process/cve.rst b/Documentation/process/cve.rst > index 5e2753eff729..d16b5c2bf7ba 100644 > --- a/Documentation/process/cve.rst > +++ b/Documentation/process/cve.rst > @@ -119,3 +119,33 @@ assigned to all fixes for all issues, but sometimes we will fail to > notice fixes, therefore assume that some changes without a CVE assigned > might be relevant to take. > > +Getting security fixes > +====================== > + > +Fixes for security issues reach users the same way as every other > +fix: through the stable and longterm kernel releases listed at > +https://kernel.org/releases.html. These are released frequently, each > +one tested as a whole by many community members. The CVE assignment team > +announces these fixes on the linux-cve-announce mailing list, > +and only once a fix is in a stable kernel tree, so the fix is already > +available when its CVE is announced, and no vendor learns of a CVE before > +anyone else (except for the very rare case of :ref:`embargoed flaws > +`, > +which do not include :ref:`AI-discovered flaws > +`). > +All of this is available to everyone, at no cost. > + > +The best response to a CVE, and the quickest way to receive its fix, is > +to run one of those kernels and keep updating it. A kernel version > +that is no longer supported there only gets a fix after someone > +backports it, and that work is done outside the kernel community. > + > +If your kernel comes from a Linux distribution or another vendor, > +getting fixes into it is that vendor's responsibility. The kernel > +developers and stable maintainers publish the fixes, but they do not > +integrate them into each vendor's kernel. If fixes reach you later > +than you need them, raise it with your vendor, particularly if you pay > +them for support, since keeping your kernel up to date and secure is > +part of what that support provides. If your vendor cannot keep up, > +some distributions follow the stable releases closely and ship their > +fixes promptly, also at no cost. > -- > 2.55.0 > Thanks for documenting this. Hopefully the companies that don't keep up to date kernels will get the proper pushback from their customers to fix their release processes... greg k-h