[PATCH v3] qemu-cpu-models: Document -noTSX, mds-no, taa-no, and tsx-ctrl

[Kashyap Chamarthy]

- Add the '-noTSX' variants for CascadeLake and SkyLake.

- Document the three MSR bits: 'mds-no', 'taa-no', and 'tsx-ctrl'

  Two confusing about 'mds-no' (and the first point applies to the other
  two MSRs too):

  (1) The 'mds-no' will _not_ show up in the guest's /proc/cpuinfo.
      Rather it is used to fill in the guest's sysfs:

        sys/devices/system/cpu/vulnerabilities/mds:Not affected

      Paolo confirmed on IRC as such.

  (2) There are _three_ variants[+] of CascadeLake CPUs, with different
      stepping levels: 5, 6, and 7.  To quote wikichip.org[*]:

        "note that while steppings 6 & 7 are fully mitigated, earlier
        stepping 5 is not protected against MSBDS, MLPDS, nor MDSUM"

      The above is also indicated in the Intel's document[+], as
      indicated by "No" under the three columns of MFBDS, MSBDS, and
      MLPDS.

      [+] 
https://software.intel.com/security-software-guidance/insights/processors-affected-microarchitectural-data-sampling
      [*] 
https://en.wikichip.org/wiki/intel/microarchitectures/cascade_lake#Key_changes_from_Skylake

Signed-off-by: Kashyap Chamarthy <address@hidden>
---
v3:
 - Address feedback from Paolo
 - Add URL to the deep-dive on Intel's MDS
v2:
 - Address feedback from DanPB
 - Add sections on 'taa-no' and 'tsx-ctrl'
---
 docs/qemu-cpu-models.texi | 65 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++-
 1 file changed, 64 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/docs/qemu-cpu-models.texi b/docs/qemu-cpu-models.texi
index 
f88a1def0d042cc25213259172a648f0a9c514dc..8be3fc34570c5af10557b862c467f5520245a85a
 100644
--- a/docs/qemu-cpu-models.texi
+++ b/docs/qemu-cpu-models.texi
@@ -72,14 +72,25 @@ between machines, if live migration compatibility is 
required, use the newest
 CPU model that is compatible across all desired hosts.
 
 @table @option
+
+@item @code{Cascadelake-Server}
+@item @code{Cascadelake-Server-noTSX}
+
+Intel Xeon Processor (Cascade Lake, 2019), with "stepping" levels
+6 or 7 only.  (The Cascade Lake Xeon processor with @b{stepping 5 is
+vulnerable to MDS variants}.)
+
+
 @item @code{Skylake-Server}
 @item @code{Skylake-Server-IBRS}
+@item @code{Skylake-Server-noTSX-IBRS}
 
 Intel Xeon Processor (Skylake, 2016)
 
 
 @item @code{Skylake-Client}
 @item @code{Skylake-Client-IBRS}
+@item @code{Skylake-Client-noTSX-IBRS}
 
 Intel Core Processor (Skylake, 2015)
 
@@ -214,9 +225,61 @@ Must be explicitly turned on for all Intel CPU models.
 
 Requires the host CPU microcode to support this feature before it
 can be used for guest CPUs.
+
+@item @code{mds-no}
+
+Recommended to inform the guest OS that the host is @i{not} vulnerable
+to any of the MDS variants ([MFBDS] CVE-2018-12130, [MLPDS]
+CVE-2018-12127, [MSBDS] CVE-2018-12126).
+
+This is an MSR (Model-Specific Register) feature rather than a CPUID
+feature, so it will not appear in the Linux @code{/proc/cpuinfo} in the
+host or guest.  Instead, the host kernel uses it to populate the MDS
+vulnerability file in @code{sysfs}.
+
+So it should only be enabled for VMs if the host reports @code{Not
+affected} in the @code{/sys/devices/system/cpu/vulnerabilities/mds}
+file.
+
+@item @code{taa-no}
+
+Recommended to inform that the guest that the host is @i{not} vulnerable
+to CVE-2019-11135, TSX Asynchronous Abort (TAA).
+
+This too is an MSR feature, so it does not show up in the Linux
+@code{/proc/cpuinfo} in the host or guest.
+
+It should only be enabled for VMs if the host reports @code{Not
+affected} in the
+@code{/sys/devices/system/cpu/vulnerabilities/tsx_async_abort} file.
+
+@item @code{tsx-ctrl}
+
+Recommended to inform the guest that it can disable the Intel TSX
+(Transactional Synchronization Extensions) feature; or, if the processor
+is vulnerable, use the Intel VERW instruction (a processor-level
+instruction that performs checks on memory access) as a mitigation for
+the TAA vulnerability.  (For details, refer to
+@url{https://software.intel.com/security-software-guidance/insights/deep-dive-intel-analysis-microarchitectural-data-sampling,
+this Intel's deep-dive into MDS}.
+
+Expose this to the guest OS if and only if: (a) the host has TSX
+enabled; and (b) the guest has @code{rtm} CPU flag enabled.
+
+By disabling TSX, KVM-based guests can avoid paying the price of
+mitigting TSX-based attacks.
+
+Note that @code{tasx-ctrl} too is an MSR feature, so it does not show up
+in the Linux @code{/proc/cpuinfo} in the host or guest.
+
+To validate that Intel TSX is indeed disabled for the guest, there are
+two ways: (a) check for the @i{absence} of @code{rtm} in the guest's
+@code{/proc/cpuinfo}; or (b) the
+@code{/sys/devices/system/cpu/vulnerabilities/tsx_async_abort} file in
+the guest should report @code{Mitigation: TSX disabled}.
+
 @end table
 
-
 @node preferred_cpu_models_amd_x86
 @subsubsection Preferred CPU models for AMD x86 hosts
 
-- 
2.21.0