diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'Documentation/crypto/architecture.rst')
| -rw-r--r-- | Documentation/crypto/architecture.rst | 441 |
1 files changed, 441 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/Documentation/crypto/architecture.rst b/Documentation/crypto/architecture.rst new file mode 100644 index 000000000000..ca2d09b991f5 --- /dev/null +++ b/Documentation/crypto/architecture.rst @@ -0,0 +1,441 @@ +Kernel Crypto API Architecture +============================== + +Cipher algorithm types +---------------------- + +The kernel crypto API provides different API calls for the following +cipher types: + +- Symmetric ciphers + +- AEAD ciphers + +- Message digest, including keyed message digest + +- Random number generation + +- User space interface + +Ciphers And Templates +--------------------- + +The kernel crypto API provides implementations of single block ciphers +and message digests. In addition, the kernel crypto API provides +numerous "templates" that can be used in conjunction with the single +block ciphers and message digests. Templates include all types of block +chaining mode, the HMAC mechanism, etc. + +Single block ciphers and message digests can either be directly used by +a caller or invoked together with a template to form multi-block ciphers +or keyed message digests. + +A single block cipher may even be called with multiple templates. +However, templates cannot be used without a single cipher. + +See /proc/crypto and search for "name". For example: + +- aes + +- ecb(aes) + +- cmac(aes) + +- ccm(aes) + +- rfc4106(gcm(aes)) + +- sha1 + +- hmac(sha1) + +- authenc(hmac(sha1),cbc(aes)) + +In these examples, "aes" and "sha1" are the ciphers and all others are +the templates. + +Synchronous And Asynchronous Operation +-------------------------------------- + +The kernel crypto API provides synchronous and asynchronous API +operations. + +When using the synchronous API operation, the caller invokes a cipher +operation which is performed synchronously by the kernel crypto API. +That means, the caller waits until the cipher operation completes. +Therefore, the kernel crypto API calls work like regular function calls. +For synchronous operation, the set of API calls is small and +conceptually similar to any other crypto library. + +Asynchronous operation is provided by the kernel crypto API which +implies that the invocation of a cipher operation will complete almost +instantly. That invocation triggers the cipher operation but it does not +signal its completion. Before invoking a cipher operation, the caller +must provide a callback function the kernel crypto API can invoke to +signal the completion of the cipher operation. Furthermore, the caller +must ensure it can handle such asynchronous events by applying +appropriate locking around its data. The kernel crypto API does not +perform any special serialization operation to protect the caller's data +integrity. + +Crypto API Cipher References And Priority +----------------------------------------- + +A cipher is referenced by the caller with a string. That string has the +following semantics: + +:: + + template(single block cipher) + + +where "template" and "single block cipher" is the aforementioned +template and single block cipher, respectively. If applicable, +additional templates may enclose other templates, such as + +:: + + template1(template2(single block cipher))) + + +The kernel crypto API may provide multiple implementations of a template +or a single block cipher. For example, AES on newer Intel hardware has +the following implementations: AES-NI, assembler implementation, or +straight C. Now, when using the string "aes" with the kernel crypto API, +which cipher implementation is used? The answer to that question is the +priority number assigned to each cipher implementation by the kernel +crypto API. When a caller uses the string to refer to a cipher during +initialization of a cipher handle, the kernel crypto API looks up all +implementations providing an implementation with that name and selects +the implementation with the highest priority. + +Now, a caller may have the need to refer to a specific cipher +implementation and thus does not want to rely on the priority-based +selection. To accommodate this scenario, the kernel crypto API allows +the cipher implementation to register a unique name in addition to +common names. When using that unique name, a caller is therefore always +sure to refer to the intended cipher implementation. + +The list of available ciphers is given in /proc/crypto. However, that +list does not specify all possible permutations of templates and +ciphers. Each block listed in /proc/crypto may contain the following +information -- if one of the components listed as follows are not +applicable to a cipher, it is not displayed: + +- name: the generic name of the cipher that is subject to the + priority-based selection -- this name can be used by the cipher + allocation API calls (all names listed above are examples for such + generic names) + +- driver: the unique name of the cipher -- this name can be used by the + cipher allocation API calls + +- module: the kernel module providing the cipher implementation (or + "kernel" for statically linked ciphers) + +- priority: the priority value of the cipher implementation + +- refcnt: the reference count of the respective cipher (i.e. the number + of current consumers of this cipher) + +- selftest: specification whether the self test for the cipher passed + +- type: + + - skcipher for symmetric key ciphers + + - cipher for single block ciphers that may be used with an + additional template + + - shash for synchronous message digest + + - ahash for asynchronous message digest + + - aead for AEAD cipher type + + - compression for compression type transformations + + - rng for random number generator + + - givcipher for cipher with associated IV generator (see the geniv + entry below for the specification of the IV generator type used by + the cipher implementation) + + - kpp for a Key-agreement Protocol Primitive (KPP) cipher such as + an ECDH or DH implementation + +- blocksize: blocksize of cipher in bytes + +- keysize: key size in bytes + +- ivsize: IV size in bytes + +- seedsize: required size of seed data for random number generator + +- digestsize: output size of the message digest + +- geniv: IV generation type: + + - eseqiv for encrypted sequence number based IV generation + + - seqiv for sequence number based IV generation + + - chainiv for chain iv generation + + - <builtin> is a marker that the cipher implements IV generation and + handling as it is specific to the given cipher + +Key Sizes +--------- + +When allocating a cipher handle, the caller only specifies the cipher +type. Symmetric ciphers, however, typically support multiple key sizes +(e.g. AES-128 vs. AES-192 vs. AES-256). These key sizes are determined +with the length of the provided key. Thus, the kernel crypto API does +not provide a separate way to select the particular symmetric cipher key +size. + +Cipher Allocation Type And Masks +-------------------------------- + +The different cipher handle allocation functions allow the specification +of a type and mask flag. Both parameters have the following meaning (and +are therefore not covered in the subsequent sections). + +The type flag specifies the type of the cipher algorithm. The caller +usually provides a 0 when the caller wants the default handling. +Otherwise, the caller may provide the following selections which match +the aforementioned cipher types: + +- CRYPTO_ALG_TYPE_CIPHER Single block cipher + +- CRYPTO_ALG_TYPE_COMPRESS Compression + +- CRYPTO_ALG_TYPE_AEAD Authenticated Encryption with Associated Data + (MAC) + +- CRYPTO_ALG_TYPE_BLKCIPHER Synchronous multi-block cipher + +- CRYPTO_ALG_TYPE_ABLKCIPHER Asynchronous multi-block cipher + +- CRYPTO_ALG_TYPE_GIVCIPHER Asynchronous multi-block cipher packed + together with an IV generator (see geniv field in the /proc/crypto + listing for the known IV generators) + +- CRYPTO_ALG_TYPE_KPP Key-agreement Protocol Primitive (KPP) such as + an ECDH or DH implementation + +- CRYPTO_ALG_TYPE_DIGEST Raw message digest + +- CRYPTO_ALG_TYPE_HASH Alias for CRYPTO_ALG_TYPE_DIGEST + +- CRYPTO_ALG_TYPE_SHASH Synchronous multi-block hash + +- CRYPTO_ALG_TYPE_AHASH Asynchronous multi-block hash + +- CRYPTO_ALG_TYPE_RNG Random Number Generation + +- CRYPTO_ALG_TYPE_AKCIPHER Asymmetric cipher + +- CRYPTO_ALG_TYPE_PCOMPRESS Enhanced version of + CRYPTO_ALG_TYPE_COMPRESS allowing for segmented compression / + decompression instead of performing the operation on one segment + only. CRYPTO_ALG_TYPE_PCOMPRESS is intended to replace + CRYPTO_ALG_TYPE_COMPRESS once existing consumers are converted. + +The mask flag restricts the type of cipher. The only allowed flag is +CRYPTO_ALG_ASYNC to restrict the cipher lookup function to +asynchronous ciphers. Usually, a caller provides a 0 for the mask flag. + +When the caller provides a mask and type specification, the caller +limits the search the kernel crypto API can perform for a suitable +cipher implementation for the given cipher name. That means, even when a +caller uses a cipher name that exists during its initialization call, +the kernel crypto API may not select it due to the used type and mask +field. + +Internal Structure of Kernel Crypto API +--------------------------------------- + +The kernel crypto API has an internal structure where a cipher +implementation may use many layers and indirections. This section shall +help to clarify how the kernel crypto API uses various components to +implement the complete cipher. + +The following subsections explain the internal structure based on +existing cipher implementations. The first section addresses the most +complex scenario where all other scenarios form a logical subset. + +Generic AEAD Cipher Structure +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + +The following ASCII art decomposes the kernel crypto API layers when +using the AEAD cipher with the automated IV generation. The shown +example is used by the IPSEC layer. + +For other use cases of AEAD ciphers, the ASCII art applies as well, but +the caller may not use the AEAD cipher with a separate IV generator. In +this case, the caller must generate the IV. + +The depicted example decomposes the AEAD cipher of GCM(AES) based on the +generic C implementations (gcm.c, aes-generic.c, ctr.c, ghash-generic.c, +seqiv.c). The generic implementation serves as an example showing the +complete logic of the kernel crypto API. + +It is possible that some streamlined cipher implementations (like +AES-NI) provide implementations merging aspects which in the view of the +kernel crypto API cannot be decomposed into layers any more. In case of +the AES-NI implementation, the CTR mode, the GHASH implementation and +the AES cipher are all merged into one cipher implementation registered +with the kernel crypto API. In this case, the concept described by the +following ASCII art applies too. However, the decomposition of GCM into +the individual sub-components by the kernel crypto API is not done any +more. + +Each block in the following ASCII art is an independent cipher instance +obtained from the kernel crypto API. Each block is accessed by the +caller or by other blocks using the API functions defined by the kernel +crypto API for the cipher implementation type. + +The blocks below indicate the cipher type as well as the specific logic +implemented in the cipher. + +The ASCII art picture also indicates the call structure, i.e. who calls +which component. The arrows point to the invoked block where the caller +uses the API applicable to the cipher type specified for the block. + +:: + + + kernel crypto API | IPSEC Layer + | + +-----------+ | + | | (1) + | aead | <----------------------------------- esp_output + | (seqiv) | ---+ + +-----------+ | + | (2) + +-----------+ | + | | <--+ (2) + | aead | <----------------------------------- esp_input + | (gcm) | ------------+ + +-----------+ | + | (3) | (5) + v v + +-----------+ +-----------+ + | | | | + | skcipher | | ahash | + | (ctr) | ---+ | (ghash) | + +-----------+ | +-----------+ + | + +-----------+ | (4) + | | <--+ + | cipher | + | (aes) | + +-----------+ + + + +The following call sequence is applicable when the IPSEC layer triggers +an encryption operation with the esp_output function. During +configuration, the administrator set up the use of rfc4106(gcm(aes)) as +the cipher for ESP. The following call sequence is now depicted in the +ASCII art above: + +1. esp_output() invokes crypto_aead_encrypt() to trigger an + encryption operation of the AEAD cipher with IV generator. + + In case of GCM, the SEQIV implementation is registered as GIVCIPHER + in crypto_rfc4106_alloc(). + + The SEQIV performs its operation to generate an IV where the core + function is seqiv_geniv(). + +2. Now, SEQIV uses the AEAD API function calls to invoke the associated + AEAD cipher. In our case, during the instantiation of SEQIV, the + cipher handle for GCM is provided to SEQIV. This means that SEQIV + invokes AEAD cipher operations with the GCM cipher handle. + + During instantiation of the GCM handle, the CTR(AES) and GHASH + ciphers are instantiated. The cipher handles for CTR(AES) and GHASH + are retained for later use. + + The GCM implementation is responsible to invoke the CTR mode AES and + the GHASH cipher in the right manner to implement the GCM + specification. + +3. The GCM AEAD cipher type implementation now invokes the SKCIPHER API + with the instantiated CTR(AES) cipher handle. + + During instantiation of the CTR(AES) cipher, the CIPHER type + implementation of AES is instantiated. The cipher handle for AES is + retained. + + That means that the SKCIPHER implementation of CTR(AES) only + implements the CTR block chaining mode. After performing the block + chaining operation, the CIPHER implementation of AES is invoked. + +4. The SKCIPHER of CTR(AES) now invokes the CIPHER API with the AES + cipher handle to encrypt one block. + +5. The GCM AEAD implementation also invokes the GHASH cipher + implementation via the AHASH API. + +When the IPSEC layer triggers the esp_input() function, the same call +sequence is followed with the only difference that the operation starts +with step (2). + +Generic Block Cipher Structure +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + +Generic block ciphers follow the same concept as depicted with the ASCII +art picture above. + +For example, CBC(AES) is implemented with cbc.c, and aes-generic.c. The +ASCII art picture above applies as well with the difference that only +step (4) is used and the SKCIPHER block chaining mode is CBC. + +Generic Keyed Message Digest Structure +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + +Keyed message digest implementations again follow the same concept as +depicted in the ASCII art picture above. + +For example, HMAC(SHA256) is implemented with hmac.c and +sha256_generic.c. The following ASCII art illustrates the +implementation: + +:: + + + kernel crypto API | Caller + | + +-----------+ (1) | + | | <------------------ some_function + | ahash | + | (hmac) | ---+ + +-----------+ | + | (2) + +-----------+ | + | | <--+ + | shash | + | (sha256) | + +-----------+ + + + +The following call sequence is applicable when a caller triggers an HMAC +operation: + +1. The AHASH API functions are invoked by the caller. The HMAC + implementation performs its operation as needed. + + During initialization of the HMAC cipher, the SHASH cipher type of + SHA256 is instantiated. The cipher handle for the SHA256 instance is + retained. + + At one time, the HMAC implementation requires a SHA256 operation + where the SHA256 cipher handle is used. + +2. The HMAC instance now invokes the SHASH API with the SHA256 cipher + handle to calculate the message digest. |