Conversation
Jarkko Sakkinen
jarkko
Edited 3 days ago
Despite having implemented SGX driver some years ago I think we all can agree that the existing confidential computing technologies suck like nothing else, right? :-)
In Linux kernel they are essentially proprietary pieces decorated as open source as the technology is unreachable by anyone and is really only option for companies such as Google.
SGX, SNP and TDX are technologies that FSF should be vocal about, not so much TPM (which open protocol specification).
E.g., with SGX Intel made a single NUC in 2018 to get ack from open source community for the kernel feature. Once it landed they have not continued to ship any affordable platforms for these technologies.
#linux #kernel #fsf #opensource
In Linux kernel they are essentially proprietary pieces decorated as open source as the technology is unreachable by anyone and is really only option for companies such as Google.
SGX, SNP and TDX are technologies that FSF should be vocal about, not so much TPM (which open protocol specification).
E.g., with SGX Intel made a single NUC in 2018 to get ack from open source community for the kernel feature. Once it landed they have not continued to ship any affordable platforms for these technologies.
#linux #kernel #fsf #opensource
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If you read what FSF has said about TPM over the years, a lot of it applies exactly to confidential computing.
Also they lock-in to company CA meaning that:
1. AMD, ARM or Intel can brick your hardware.
2. If they decease the business, your hardware will be bricked.
Also they lock-in to company CA meaning that:
1. AMD, ARM or Intel can brick your hardware.
2. If they decease the business, your hardware will be bricked.
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Also this CoC code creates literally enclaves (pun intended) of code to arch having very low chance to get reviewed with the same standards as other non-CoC arch code, given that there is a low number of maintainers with ability to run it.
And even those maintainers who can run it usually have no local hardware but instead have to use some company internal cloud, given how expensive hardware is and also the form factor (noisy power eating server rack) is dysoptimal for devs to begin with.
SGX is not as bad as SNP or TDX given that it is based on memory pages instead of virtualization and this is consolidated to its own driver, but even SGX is practially inaccessible for most and AFAIK there's no official QEMU emulation for it (shame on you Intel).
TEE based on VM (SNP, TDX) is IMHO a broken security concept to begin with but that's another topic.
And even those maintainers who can run it usually have no local hardware but instead have to use some company internal cloud, given how expensive hardware is and also the form factor (noisy power eating server rack) is dysoptimal for devs to begin with.
SGX is not as bad as SNP or TDX given that it is based on memory pages instead of virtualization and this is consolidated to its own driver, but even SGX is practially inaccessible for most and AFAIK there's no official QEMU emulation for it (shame on you Intel).
TEE based on VM (SNP, TDX) is IMHO a broken security concept to begin with but that's another topic.
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