Bug 458022

Summary: kernel: random32: seeding improvement [rhel-4.8]
Product: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 Reporter: Eugene Teo (Security Response) <eteo>
Component: kernelAssignee: Vitaly Mayatskikh <vmayatsk>
Status: CLOSED ERRATA QA Contact: Martin Jenner <mjenner>
Severity: medium Docs Contact:
Priority: medium    
Version: 4.8CC: davem, lwang, security-response-team, syeghiay, vgoyal
Target Milestone: rcKeywords: ZStream
Target Release: ---   
Hardware: All   
OS: Linux   
Whiteboard:
Fixed In Version: Doc Type: Bug Fix
Doc Text:
Story Points: ---
Clone Of: Environment:
Last Closed: 2009-05-18 19:34:29 UTC Type: ---
Regression: --- Mount Type: ---
Documentation: --- CRM:
Verified Versions: Category: ---
oVirt Team: --- RHEL 7.3 requirements from Atomic Host:
Cloudforms Team: --- Target Upstream Version:
Embargoed:
Bug Depends On: 458016, 480137    
Bug Blocks: 458023, 461304    
Attachments:
Description Flags
port numbers distribution on kernel w/o patch
none
port numbers distribution on kernel with patch
none
backported patch
none
test case (generates script for octave + gnuplot)
none
port numbers distribution on kernel w/o patch
none
port numbers distribution on kernel with patch none

Description Eugene Teo (Security Response) 2008-08-06 06:40:55 UTC 
+++ This bug was initially created as a clone of Bug #458016 +++

Description of problem:
Stephen Hemminger wrote a patch to improve random32() seeding.

The rationale is:
   * use u32 consistently
   * no need to do LCG on values from (better) get_random_bytes
   * use more data from get_random_bytes for secondary seeding
   * don't reduce state space on srandom32()
   * enforce state variable initialization restrictions

--- Additional comment from eteo on 2008-08-06 02:18:35 EDT ---

Proposed upstream patch:
http://git.kernel.org/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git;a=commitdiff;h=697f8d0348a652593d195a13dd1067d9df911a82

--- Additional comment from eteo on 2008-08-06 02:22:51 EDT ---

Created an attachment (id=313529)
Upstream patch for this issue
Comment 1 Eugene Teo (Security Response) 2008-08-26 16:54:58 UTC 
It needs the following upstream patch as well:
http://git.kernel.org/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git;a=commit;h=61407f80f72970d52d4339f81c6c3cd03f4ca0f0
Comment 2 RHEL Program Management 2008-09-03 13:10:03 UTC 
Updating PM score.
Comment 3 RHEL Program Management 2008-09-17 20:26:41 UTC 
This request was evaluated by Red Hat Product Management for inclusion in a Red
Hat Enterprise Linux maintenance release.  Product Management has requested
further review of this request by Red Hat Engineering, for potential
inclusion in a Red Hat Enterprise Linux Update release for currently deployed
products.  This request is not yet committed for inclusion in an Update
release.
Comment 4 Vitaly Mayatskikh 2008-09-18 13:01:23 UTC 
What does this "random32: seeding improvement" patch improve? See pngs in attachments: 78.0.1 doesn't have this patch, and 78.10.EL.bz458022 has. I don't see much difference...
Comment 5 Vitaly Mayatskikh 2008-09-18 13:02:52 UTC 
Created attachment 317070 [details]
port numbers distribution on kernel w/o patch
Comment 6 Vitaly Mayatskikh 2008-09-18 13:03:38 UTC 
Created attachment 317071 [details]
port numbers distribution on kernel with patch
Comment 7 Vitaly Mayatskikh 2008-09-18 13:04:20 UTC 
Created attachment 317072 [details]
backported patch
Comment 8 Vitaly Mayatskikh 2008-09-18 13:05:14 UTC 
Created attachment 317073 [details]
test case (generates script for octave + gnuplot)
Comment 9 Vitaly Mayatskikh 2008-09-18 13:08:10 UTC 
Created attachment 317074 [details]
port numbers distribution on kernel w/o patch
Comment 10 Vitaly Mayatskikh 2008-09-18 13:08:33 UTC 
Created attachment 317075 [details]
port numbers distribution on kernel with patch
Comment 11 Eugene Teo (Security Response) 2008-09-18 13:21:54 UTC 
(In reply to comment #4)
> What does this "random32: seeding improvement" patch improve? See pngs in
> attachments: 78.0.1 doesn't have this patch, and 78.10.EL.bz458022 has. I don't
> see much difference...

This was briefly discussed in our internal kernel mailing list. As spoken in IRC, can you follow-up with Dave wrt your findings? Thanks Vitaly.
Comment 20 Vivek Goyal 2009-04-14 13:47:41 UTC 
Committed in 88.EL . RPMS are available at http://people.redhat.com/vgoyal/rhel4/
Comment 24 errata-xmlrpc 2009-05-18 19:34:29 UTC 
An advisory has been issued which should help the problem
described in this bug report. This report is therefore being
closed with a resolution of ERRATA. For more information
on therefore solution and/or where to find the updated files,
please follow the link below. You may reopen this bug report
if the solution does not work for you.

http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2009-1024.html