Update docs with PMU security information

This patch adds information on the PMU configuration registers
and security considerations related to the PMU.
Signed-off-by: Petre-Ionut Tudor <petre-ionut.tudor@arm.com>
Change-Id: I36b15060b9830a77d3f47f293c0a6dafa3c581fb

docs/design/firmware-design.rst

@@ -2696,13 +2696,13 @@ kernel at boot time. These can be found in the ``fdts`` directory.
 
 --------------
 
-*Copyright (c) 2013-2019, Arm Limited and Contributors. All rights reserved.*
+*Copyright (c) 2013-2020, Arm Limited and Contributors. All rights reserved.*
 
 .. _Power State Coordination Interface PDD: http://infocenter.arm.com/help/topic/com.arm.doc.den0022d/Power_State_Coordination_Interface_PDD_v1_1_DEN0022D.pdf
 .. _SMCCC: http://infocenter.arm.com/help/topic/com.arm.doc.den0028b/ARM_DEN0028B_SMC_Calling_Convention.pdf
 .. _PSCI: http://infocenter.arm.com/help/topic/com.arm.doc.den0022d/Power_State_Coordination_Interface_PDD_v1_1_DEN0022D.pdf
 .. _Power State Coordination Interface PDD: http://infocenter.arm.com/help/topic/com.arm.doc.den0022d/Power_State_Coordination_Interface_PDD_v1_1_DEN0022D.pdf
-.. _Arm ARM: http://infocenter.arm.com/help/index.jsp?topic=/com.arm.doc.ddi0487a.e/index.html
+.. _Arm ARM: https://developer.arm.com/docs/ddi0487/latest
 .. _SMC Calling Convention PDD: http://infocenter.arm.com/help/topic/com.arm.doc.den0028b/ARM_DEN0028B_SMC_Calling_Convention.pdf
 .. _Trusted Board Boot Requirements CLIENT (TBBR-CLIENT) Armv8-A (ARM DEN0006D): https://developer.arm.com/docs/den0006/latest/trusted-board-boot-requirements-client-tbbr-client-armv8-a
 

docs/perf/index.rst

@@ -8,7 +8,8 @@ Performance & Testing
 
    psci-performance-juno
    tsp
+   performance-monitoring-unit
 
 --------------
 
-*Copyright (c) 2019, Arm Limited. All rights reserved.*
+*Copyright (c) 2019-2020, Arm Limited. All rights reserved.*

docs/perf/performance-monitoring-unit.rst

+Performance Monitoring Unit
+===========================
+
+The Performance Monitoring Unit (PMU) allows recording of architectural and
+microarchitectural events for profiling purposes.
+
+This document gives an overview of the PMU counter configuration to assist with
+implementation and to complement the PMU security guidelines given in the
+:ref:`Secure Development Guidelines` document.
+
+.. note::
+   This section applies to Armv8-A implementations which have version 3
+   of the Performance Monitors Extension (PMUv3).
+
+PMU Counters
+------------
+
+The PMU makes 32 counters available at all privilege levels:
+
+-  31 programmable event counters: ``PMEVCNTR<n>``, where ``n`` is ``0`` to
+   ``30``.
+-  A dedicated cycle counter: ``PMCCNTR``.
+
+Architectural mappings
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
++--------------+---------+----------------------------+
+| Counters     | State   | System Register Name       |
++==============+=========+============================+
+|              | AArch64 | ``PMEVCNTR<n>_EL0[63*:0]`` |
+| Programmable +---------+----------------------------+
+|              | AArch32 | ``PMEVCNTR<n>[31:0]``      |
++--------------+---------+----------------------------+
+|              | AArch64 | ``PMCCNTR_EL0[63:0]``      |
+| Cycle        +---------+----------------------------+
+|              | AArch32 | ``PMCCNTR[63:0]``          |
++--------------+---------+----------------------------+
+
+.. note::
+   Bits [63:32] are only available if ARMv8.5-PMU is implemented. Refer to the
+   `Arm ARM`_ for a detailed description of ARMv8.5-PMU features.
+
+Configuring the PMU for counting events
+---------------------------------------
+
+Each programmable counter has an associated register, ``PMEVTYPER<n>`` which
+configures it. The cycle counter has the ``PMCCFILTR_EL0`` register, which has
+an identical function and bit field layout as ``PMEVTYPER<n>``. In addition,
+the counters are enabled (permitted to increment) via the ``PMCNTENSET`` and
+``PMCR`` registers. These can be accessed at all privilege levels.
+
+Architectural mappings
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
++-----------------------------+------------------------+
+| AArch64                     | AArch32                |
++=============================+========================+
+| ``PMEVTYPER<n>_EL0[63*:0]`` | ``PMEVTYPER<n>[31:0]`` |
++-----------------------------+------------------------+
+| ``PMCCFILTR_EL0[63*:0]``    | ``PMCCFILTR[31:0]``    |
++-----------------------------+------------------------+
+| ``PMCNTENSET_EL0[63*:0]``   | ``PMCNTENSET[31:0]``   |
++-----------------------------+------------------------+
+| ``PMCR_EL0[63*:0]``         | ``PMCR[31:0]``         |
++-----------------------------+------------------------+
+
+.. note::
+   Bits [63:32] are reserved.
+
+Relevant register fields
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+For ``PMEVTYPER<n>_EL0``/``PMEVTYPER<n>`` and ``PMCCFILTR_EL0/PMCCFILTR``, the
+most important fields are:
+
+-  ``P``:
+
+   -  Bit 31.
+   -  If set to ``0``, will increment the associated ``PMEVCNTR<n>`` at EL1.
+
+-  ``NSK``:
+
+   -  Bit 29.
+   -  If equal to the ``P`` bit it enables the associated ``PMEVCNTR<n>`` at
+      Non-secure EL1.
+   -  Reserved if EL3 not implemented.
+
+-  ``NSH``:
+
+   -  Bit 27.
+   -  If set to ``1``, will increment the associated ``PMEVCNTR<n>`` at EL2.
+   -  Reserved if EL2 not implemented.
+
+-  ``SH``:
+
+   -  Bit 24.
+   -  If different to the ``NSH`` bit it enables the associated ``PMEVCNTR<n>``
+      at Secure EL2.
+   -  Reserved if Secure EL2 not implemented.
+
+-  ``M``:
+
+   -  Bit 26.
+   -  If equal to the ``P`` bit it enables the associated ``PMEVCNTR<n>`` at
+      EL3.
+
+-  ``evtCount[15:10]``:
+
+   -  Extension to ``evtCount[9:0]``. Reserved unless ARMv8.1-PMU implemented.
+
+-  ``evtCount[9:0]``:
+
+   -  The event number that the associated ``PMEVCNTR<n>`` will count.
+
+For ``PMCNTENSET_EL0``/``PMCNTENSET``, the most important fields are:
+
+-  ``P[30:0]``:
+
+   -  Setting bit ``P[n]`` to ``1`` enables counter ``PMEVCNTR<n>``.
+   -  The effects of ``PMEVTYPER<n>`` are applied on top of this.
+      In other words, the counter will not increment at any privilege level or
+      security state unless it is enabled here.
+
+-  ``C``:
+
+   -  Bit 31.
+   -  If set to ``1`` enables the cycle counter ``PMCCNTR``.
+
+For ``PMCR``/``PMCR_EL0``, the most important fields are:
+
+-  ``DP``:
+
+   -  Bit 5.
+   -  If set to ``1`` it disables the cycle counter ``PMCCNTR`` where event
+      counting (by ``PMEVCNTR<n>``) is prohibited (e.g. EL2 and the Secure
+      world).
+   -  If set to ``0``, ``PMCCNTR`` will not be affected by this bit and
+      therefore will be able to count where the programmable counters are
+      prohibited.
+
+-  ``E``:
+
+   -  Bit 0.
+   -  Enables/disables counting altogether.
+   -  The effects of ``PMCNTENSET`` and ``PMCR.DP`` are applied on top of this.
+      In other words, if this bit is ``0`` then no counters will increment
+      regardless of how the other PMU system registers or bit fields are
+      configured.
+
+.. rubric:: References
+
+-  `Arm ARM`_
+
+--------------
+
+*Copyright (c) 2019-2020, Arm Limited and Contributors. All rights reserved.*
+
+.. _Arm ARM: https://developer.arm.com/docs/ddi0487/latest

docs/process/security-hardening.rst

@@ -25,6 +25,99 @@ The secure world **should never** crash or become unusable due to receiving too
 many normal world requests (a *Denial of Service* or *DoS* attack). It should
 have a mechanism for throttling or ignoring normal world requests.
 
+Preventing Secure-world timing information leakage via PMU counters
+^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+
+The Secure world needs to implement some defenses to prevent the Non-secure
+world from making it leak timing information. In general, higher privilege
+levels must defend from those below when the PMU is treated as an attack
+vector.
+
+Refer to the :ref:`Performance Monitoring Unit` guide for detailed information
+on the PMU registers.
+
+Timing leakage attacks from the Non-secure world
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+Since the Non-secure world has access to the ``PMCR`` register, it can
+configure the PMU to increment counters at any exception level and in both
+Secure and Non-secure state. Thus, it attempts to leak timing information from
+the Secure world.
+
+Shown below is an example of such a configuration:
+
+-  ``PMEVTYPER0_EL0`` and ``PMCCFILTR_EL0``:
+
+   -  Set ``P`` to ``0``.
+   -  Set ``NSK`` to ``1``.
+   -  Set ``M`` to ``0``.
+   -  Set ``NSH`` to ``0``.
+   -  Set ``SH`` to ``1``.
+
+-  ``PMCNTENSET_EL0``:
+
+   -  Set ``P[0]`` to ``1``.
+   -  Set ``C`` to ``1``.
+
+-  ``PMCR_EL0``:
+
+   -  Set ``DP`` to ``0``.
+   -  Set ``E`` to ``1``.
+
+This configuration instructs ``PMEVCNTR0_EL0`` and ``PMCCNTR_EL0`` to increment
+at Secure EL1, Secure EL2 (if implemented) and EL3.
+
+Since the Non-secure world has fine-grained control over where (at which
+exception levels) it instructs counters to increment, obtaining event counts
+would allow it to carry out side-channel timing attacks against the Secure
+world. Examples include Spectre, Meltdown, as well as extracting secrets from
+cryptographic algorithms with data-dependent variations in their execution
+time.
+
+Secure world mitigation strategies
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+The ``MDCR_EL3`` register allows EL3 to configure the PMU (among other things).
+The `Arm ARM`_ details all of the bit fields in this register, but for the PMU
+there are two bits which determine the permissions of the counters:
+
+-  ``SPME`` for the programmable counters.
+-  ``SCCD`` for the cycle counter.
+
+Depending on the implemented features, the Secure world can prohibit counting
+in AArch64 state via the following:
+
+-  ARMv8.2-Debug not implemented:
+
+   -  Prohibit general event counters and the cycle counter:
+      ``MDCR_EL3.SPME == 0 && PMCR_EL0.DP == 1 && !ExternalSecureNoninvasiveDebugEnabled()``.
+
+      -  ``MDCR_EL3.SPME`` resets to ``0``, so by default general events should
+         not be counted in the Secure world.
+      -  The ``PMCR_EL0.DP`` bit therefore needs to be set to ``1`` when EL3 is
+         entered and ``PMCR_EL0`` needs to be saved and restored in EL3.
+      -  ``ExternalSecureNoninvasiveDebugEnabled()`` is an authentication
+         interface which is implementation-defined unless ARMv8.4-Debug is
+         implemented. The `Arm ARM`_ has detailed information on this topic.
+
+   -  The only other way is to disable the ``PMCR_EL0.E`` bit upon entering
+      EL3, which disables counting altogether.
+
+-  ARMv8.2-Debug implemented:
+
+   -  Prohibit general event counters: ``MDCR_EL3.SPME == 0``.
+   -  Prohibit cycle counter: ``MDCR_EL3.SPME == 0 && PMCR_EL0.DP == 1``.
+      ``PMCR_EL0`` therefore needs to be saved and restored in EL3.
+
+-  ARMv8.5-PMU implemented:
+
+   -  Prohibit general event counters: as in ARMv8.2-Debug.
+   -  Prohibit cycle counter: ``MDCR_EL3.SCCD == 1``
+
+In Aarch32 execution state the ``MDCR_EL3`` alias is the ``SDCR`` register,
+which has some of the bit fields of ``MDCR_EL3``, most importantly the ``SPME``
+and ``SCCD`` bits.
+
 Build options
 -------------
 
@@ -71,6 +164,12 @@ Several build options can be used to check for security issues. Refer to the
   NB: The ``Werror`` flag is enabled by default in TF-A and can be disabled by
   setting the ``E`` build flag to 0.
 
+.. rubric:: References
+
+-  `Arm ARM`_
+
 --------------
 
 *Copyright (c) 2019-2020, Arm Limited. All rights reserved.*
+
+.. _Arm ARM: https://developer.arm.com/docs/ddi0487/latest