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Wed, 30 Sep 2026 23:51:24 -0700 (PDT) Message-ID: Date: Thu, 1 Oct 2026 08:51:22 +0200 Precedence: bulk X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org List-Id: List-Subscribe: List-Unsubscribe: MIME-Version: 1.0 User-Agent: Mozilla Thunderbird Subject: Re: [PATCH v4 13/13] lib/crypto: Add documentation about zeroization of key and context data To: Eric Biggers Cc: Herbert Xu , "David S. Miller" , "Jason A. Donenfeld" , linux-crypto@vger.kernel.org, linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org, Dave Hansen , Randy Dunlap , linux-doc@vger.kernel.org References: <20260916095022.604354-1-thuth@redhat.com> <20260916095022.604354-14-thuth@redhat.com> <20260930201434.GA61218@google.com> Content-Language: en-US From: Thomas Huth Autocrypt: addr=thuth@redhat.com; keydata= xsFNBFH7eUwBEACzyOXKU+5Pcs6wNpKzrlJwzRl3VGZt95VCdb+FgoU9g11m7FWcOafrVRwU yYkTm9+7zBUc0sW5AuPGR/dp3pSLX/yFWsA/UB4nJsHqgDvDU7BImSeiTrnpMOTXb7Arw2a2 4CflIyFqjCpfDM4MuTmzTjXq4Uov1giGE9X6viNo1pxyEpd7PanlKNnf4PqEQp06X4IgUacW tSGj6Gcns1bCuHV8OPWLkf4hkRnu8hdL6i60Yxz4E6TqlrpxsfYwLXgEeswPHOA6Mn4Cso9O 0lewVYfFfsmokfAVMKWzOl1Sr0KGI5T9CpmRfAiSHpthhHWnECcJFwl72NTi6kUcUzG4se81 O6n9d/kTj7pzTmBdfwuOZ0YUSqcqs0W+l1NcASSYZQaDoD3/SLk+nqVeCBB4OnYOGhgmIHNW 0CwMRO/GK+20alxzk//V9GmIM2ACElbfF8+Uug3pqiHkVnKqM7W9/S1NH2qmxB6zMiJUHlTH gnVeZX0dgH27mzstcF786uPcdEqS0KJuxh2kk5IvUSL3Qn3ZgmgdxBMyCPciD/1cb7/Ahazr 3ThHQXSHXkH/aDXdfLsKVuwDzHLVSkdSnZdt5HHh75/NFHxwaTlydgfHmFFwodK8y/TjyiGZ zg2Kje38xnz8zKn9iesFBCcONXS7txENTzX0z80WKBhK+XSFJwARAQABzR5UaG9tYXMgSHV0 aCA8dGh1dGhAcmVkaGF0LmNvbT7CwXgEEwECACIFAlVgX6oCGwMGCwkIBwMCBhUIAgkKCwQW AgMBAh4BAheAAAoJEC7Z13T+cC21EbIP/ii9cvT2HHGbFRl8HqGT6+7Wkb+XLMqJBMAIGiQK QIP3xk1HPTsLfVG0ao4hy/oYkGNOP8+ubLnZen6Yq3zAFiMhQ44lvgigDYJo3Ve59gfe99KX EbtB+X95ODARkq0McR6OAsPNJ7gpEUzfkQUUJTXRDQXfG/FX303Gvk+YU0spm2tsIKPl6AmV 1CegDljzjycyfJbk418MQmMu2T82kjrkEofUO2a24ed3VGC0/Uz//XCR2ZTo+vBoBUQl41BD eFFtoCSrzo3yPFS+w5fkH9NT8ChdpSlbNS32NhYQhJtr9zjWyFRf0Zk+T/1P7ECn6gTEkp5k ofFIA4MFBc/fXbaDRtBmPB0N9pqTFApIUI4vuFPPO0JDrII9dLwZ6lO9EKiwuVlvr1wwzsgq zJTPBU3qHaUO4d/8G+gD7AL/6T4zi8Jo/GmjBsnYaTzbm94lf0CjXjsOX3seMhaE6WAZOQQG tZHAO1kAPWpaxne+wtgMKthyPLNwelLf+xzGvrIKvLX6QuLoWMnWldu22z2ICVnLQChlR9d6 WW8QFEpo/FK7omuS8KvvopFcOOdlbFMM8Y/8vBgVMSsK6fsYUhruny/PahprPbYGiNIhKqz7 UvgyZVl4pBFjTaz/SbimTk210vIlkDyy1WuS8Zsn0htv4+jQPgo9rqFE4mipJjy/iboDzsFN BFH7eUwBEAC2nzfUeeI8dv0C4qrfCPze6NkryUflEut9WwHhfXCLjtvCjnoGqFelH/PE9NF4 4VPSCdvD1SSmFVzu6T9qWdcwMSaC+e7G/z0/AhBfqTeosAF5XvKQlAb9ZPkdDr7YN0a1XDfa +NgA+JZB4ROyBZFFAwNHT+HCnyzy0v9Sh3BgJJwfpXHH2l3LfncvV8rgFv0bvdr70U+On2XH 5bApOyW1WpIG5KPJlDdzcQTyptOJ1dnEHfwnABEfzI3dNf63rlxsGouX/NFRRRNqkdClQR3K gCwciaXfZ7ir7fF0u1N2UuLsWA8Ei1JrNypk+MRxhbvdQC4tyZCZ8mVDk+QOK6pyK2f4rMf/ WmqxNTtAVmNuZIwnJdjRMMSs4W4w6N/bRvpqtykSqx7VXcgqtv6eqoDZrNuhGbekQA0sAnCJ VPArerAZGArm63o39me/bRUQeQVSxEBmg66yshF9HkcUPGVeC4B0TPwz+HFcVhheo6hoJjLq knFOPLRj+0h+ZL+D0GenyqD3CyuyeTT5dGcNU9qT74bdSr20k/CklvI7S9yoQje8BeQAHtdV cvO8XCLrpGuw9SgOS7OP5oI26a0548M4KldAY+kqX6XVphEw3/6U1KTf7WxW5zYLTtadjISB X9xsRWSU+Yqs3C7oN5TIPSoj9tXMoxZkCIHWvnqGwZ7JhwARAQABwsFfBBgBAgAJBQJR+3lM AhsMAAoJEC7Z13T+cC21hPAQAIsBL9MdGpdEpvXs9CYrBkd6tS9mbaSWj6XBDfA1AEdQkBOn ZH1Qt7HJesk+qNSnLv6+jP4VwqK5AFMrKJ6IjE7jqgzGxtcZnvSjeDGPF1h2CKZQPpTw890k fy18AvgFHkVk2Oylyexw3aOBsXg6ukN44vIFqPoc+YSU0+0QIdYJp/XFsgWxnFIMYwDpxSHS 5fdDxUjsk3UBHZx+IhFjs2siVZi5wnHIqM7eK9abr2cK2weInTBwXwqVWjsXZ4tq5+jQrwDK cvxIcwXdUTLGxc4/Z/VRH1PZSvfQxdxMGmNTGaXVNfdFZjm4fz0mz+OUi6AHC4CZpwnsliGV ODqwX8Y1zic9viSTbKS01ZNp175POyWViUk9qisPZB7ypfSIVSEULrL347qY/hm9ahhqmn17 Ng255syASv3ehvX7iwWDfzXbA0/TVaqwa1YIkec+/8miicV0zMP9siRcYQkyTqSzaTFBBmqD oiT+z+/E59qj/EKfyce3sbC9XLjXv3mHMrq1tKX4G7IJGnS989E/fg6crv6NHae9Ckm7+lSs IQu4bBP2GxiRQ+NV3iV/KU3ebMRzqIC//DCOxzQNFNJAKldPe/bKZMCxEqtVoRkuJtNdp/5a yXFZ6TfE1hGKrDBYAm4vrnZ4CXFSBDllL59cFFOJCkn4Xboj/aVxxJxF30bn In-Reply-To: <20260930201434.GA61218@google.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit On 30/09/2026 22.14, Eric Biggers wrote: > On Wed, Sep 16, 2026 at 11:50:15AM +0200, Thomas Huth wrote: >> +What to zeroize >> +--------------- >> + >> +The following types of structures hold sensitive material and should be >> +zeroized after use: >> + >> +- **Key structures** (e.g. ``struct aes_key``, ``struct hmac_sha256_key``): >> + contain expanded round keys or prepared key material. >> + >> +- **HMAC/MAC context structures** (e.g. ``struct hmac_sha256_ctx``, >> + ``struct aes_cmac_ctx``): contain inner and outer hash states derived from >> + the key. >> + >> +- **Hash context structures** (e.g. ``struct sha256_ctx``): may contain >> + sensitive data being hashed. >> + >> +Not all of these require explicit cleanup by callers. Many ``..._final()`` >> +functions already zeroize their context internally (see `Automatic vs. manual >> +zeroization`_ below). > > This should mention that the raw key that the key struct was prepared > from needs to be zeroized as well. Every in-kernel user of a keyed > algorithm has to deal with this problem, as to "prepare" a key, you need > to have the key already in the first place (whether it's passed in from > userspace, or derived from some other key, or something else). > > Zeroizing a 'struct aes_key' for example is kind of useless if the > actual raw AES key is still in memory somewhere. > > Any interest in sending a follow-up patch that clarifies this? It > really should clarify that users of cryptography in the kernel should > apply zeroization to the full flow of their keys through the system > including system calls, key derivation, key preparation, etc. Agreed, adding some wording about raw keys makes sense. However, I'll be very short in time during the next one or two weeks, so if you would like to do it, please go ahead and send a patch. Otherwise I'll look into this in a week or two when I've got some more spare time again. Thanks, Thomas