Re: ========== Re: RAM encryption and key storing in CPU ==========

ngabor <ngabor@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> · Fri, 08 Jan 2016 11:36:44 -0500

Hello? :)

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: ========== Re: RAM encryption and key storing in CPU ==========
Local Time: October 8 2015 7:30 am
UTC Time: October 8 2015 5:30 am
From: ngabor@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
To: linux-mm@xxxxxxxxx,bp@xxxxxxxxx,lizefan@xxxxxxxxxx,tj@xxxxxxxxxx,cl@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Please reply? 

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: ========== Re: RAM encryption and key storing in CPU ==========
Time (UTC): September 3 2015 2:29 pm
From: ngabor@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
To: linux-mm@xxxxxxxxx,bp@xxxxxxxxx,lizefan@xxxxxxxxxx,tj@xxxxxxxxxx,cl@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Is anybody here? :)

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: ========== Re: RAM encryption and key storing in CPU ==========
Time (UTC): August 4 2015 7:42 am
From: ngabor@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
To: linux-mm@xxxxxxxxx,bp@xxxxxxxxx,lizefan@xxxxxxxxxx,tj@xxxxxxxxxx,cl@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hallo? 
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: ========== Re: RAM encryption and key storing in CPU ==========
Time (GMT): Jun 23 2015 04:42:34
From: ngabor@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
To: linux-mm@xxxxxxxxx, bp@xxxxxxxxx, lizefan@xxxxxxxxxx, tj@xxxxxxxxxx, cl@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Is anybody reading this? 
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: RAM encryption and key storing in CPU
Time (GMT): Jun 19 2015 17:22:49
From: ngabor@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
To: linux-mm@xxxxxxxxx, bp@xxxxxxxxx, lizefan@xxxxxxxxxx, tj@xxxxxxxxxx, cl@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hallo? :)
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: RAM encryption and key storing in CPU
Time (GMT): May 23 2015 09:01:26
From: ngabor@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
To: linux-mm@xxxxxxxxx, bp@xxxxxxxxx, lizefan@xxxxxxxxxx, tj@xxxxxxxxxx, cl@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Any comments? 
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: RAM encryption and key storing in CPU
Time (GMT): May 21 2015 10:17:25
From: ngabor@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
To: linux-mm@xxxxxxxxx, bp@xxxxxxxxx, lizefan@xxxxxxxxxx, tj@xxxxxxxxxx, cl@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hello, 

==========
Problem: 

Everything is stored in plaintext in the Memory. 

So if although full disc encryption is used on a Linux Desktop, it is possible to copy the content of the memory, while the notebook was on suspend or it was running: 

https://citp.princeton.edu/research/memory/media/

==========
Solution: 

Can we (optionally*) encrypt the content of the memory and store the key for decryption in the CPU to avoid in general these kind of attacks? 

https://www1.informatik.uni-erlangen.de/tresor

Is this solution already in the Linux kernel? If yes, how can a Linux enduser turn it on? If no, how can we get the code/idea in the mainline? What are the arguments against it? 

*if someone would want to harden it's Linux Desktop (since notebooks could be stolen..) it could turn on this feature to avoid a policy to always turn off the notebook while not using it. 

Thank you for your comments. 