We have published Qubes Security Bulletin 096: BTC/SRSO fixes not fully effective (XSA-446). The text of this QSB and its accompanying cryptographic signatures are reproduced below. For an explanation of this announcement and instructions for authenticating this QSB, please see the end of this announcement.
Qubes Security Bulletin 096
---===[ Qubes Security Bulletin 096 ]===---
2023-11-14
BTC/SRSO fixes not fully effective (XSA-446)
User action
------------
Continue to update normally [1] in order to receive the security updates
described in the "Patching" section below. No other user action is
required in response to this QSB.
Summary
--------
On 2023-11-14, the Xen Project published XSA-446, "x86: BTC/SRSO fixes
not fully effective" [3]:
| The fixes for XSA-422 (Branch Type Confusion) and XSA-434 (Speculative
| Return Stack Overflow) are not IRQ-safe. It was believed that the
| mitigations always operated in contexts with IRQs disabled.
|
| However, the original XSA-254 fix for Meltdown (XPTI) deliberately
| left interrupts enabled on two entry paths; one unconditionally, and
| one conditionally on whether XPTI was active.
|
| As BTC/SRSO and Meltdown affect different CPU vendors, the mitigations
| are not active together by default. Therefore, there is race
| condition whereby a malicious PV guest can bypass BTC/SRSO protections
| and launch a BTC/SRSO attack against Xen.
Impact
-------
The impact is the same as it was in QSB-086 [4]:
| On Qubes OS installations with affected CPUs, a VM running in PV mode
| may be capable of inferring the memory contents of other running VMs,
| including dom0. In the default Qubes OS configuration, only the
| stubdomains for HVMs are in a position to exploit this vulnerability
| in order to attack other VMs. (Dom0 also runs in PV mode, but it is
| fully trusted.)
Affected systems
-----------------
Only x86 AMD and Hygon systems are vulnerable.
Patching
---------
The following packages contain security updates that address the
vulnerabilities described in this bulletin:
For Qubes 4.1, in dom0:
- Xen packages, version 4.14.6-4
For Qubes 4.2, in dom0:
- Xen packages, version 4.17.2-5
These packages will migrate from the security-testing repository to the
current (stable) repository over the next two weeks after being tested
by the community. [2] Once available, the packages are to be installed
via the Qubes Update tool or its command-line equivalents. [1]
Dom0 must be restarted afterward in order for the updates to take
effect.
If you use Anti Evil Maid, you will need to reseal your secret
passphrase to new PCR values, as PCR18+19 will change due to the new
Xen binaries.
Credits
--------
See the original Xen Security Advisory.
References
-----------
[1] https://www.qubes-os.org/doc/how-to-update/
[2] https://www.qubes-os.org/doc/testing/
[3] https://xenbits.xen.org/xsa/advisory-446.html
[4] https://www.qubes-os.org/news/2022/11/08/qsb-086/
--
The Qubes Security Team
https://www.qubes-os.org/security/
Source: https://github.com/QubesOS/qubes-secpack/blob/main/QSBs/qsb-096-2023.txt
Marek Marczykowski-Górecki’s PGP signature
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----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=nzwT
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
Source: https://github.com/QubesOS/qubes-secpack/blob/main/QSBs/qsb-096-2023.txt.sig.marmarek
Simon Gaiser (aka HW42)’s PGP signature
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----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=ANw6
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
Source: https://github.com/QubesOS/qubes-secpack/blob/main/QSBs/qsb-096-2023.txt.sig.simon
What is the purpose of this announcement?
The purpose of this announcement is to inform the Qubes community that a new Qubes security bulletin (QSB) has been published.
What is a Qubes security bulletin (QSB)?
A Qubes security bulletin (QSB) is a security announcement issued by the Qubes security team. A QSB typically provides a summary and impact analysis of one or more recently-discovered software vulnerabilities, including details about patching to address them. For a list of all QSBs, see Qubes security bulletins (QSBs).
Why should I care about QSBs?
QSBs tell you what actions you must take in order to protect yourself from recently-discovered security vulnerabilities. In most cases, security vulnerabilities are addressed by updating normally. However, in some cases, special user action is required. In all cases, the required actions are detailed in QSBs.
What are the PGP signatures that accompany QSBs?
A PGP signature is a cryptographic digital signature made in accordance with the OpenPGP standard. PGP signatures can be cryptographically verified with programs like GNU Privacy Guard (GPG). The Qubes security team cryptographically signs all QSBs so that Qubes users have a reliable way to check whether QSBs are genuine. The only way to be certain that a QSB is authentic is by verifying its PGP signatures.
Why should I care whether a QSB is authentic?
A forged QSB could deceive you into taking actions that adversely affect the security of your Qubes OS system, such as installing malware or making configuration changes that render your system vulnerable to attack. Falsified QSBs could sow fear, uncertainty, and doubt about the security of Qubes OS or the status of the Qubes OS Project.
How do I verify the PGP signatures on a QSB?
The following command-line instructions assume a Linux system with git
and gpg
installed. (For Windows and Mac options, see OpenPGP software.)
-
Obtain the Qubes Master Signing Key (QMSK), e.g.:
$ gpg --fetch-keys https://keys.qubes-os.org/keys/qubes-master-signing-key.asc gpg: directory '/home/user/.gnupg' created gpg: keybox '/home/user/.gnupg/pubring.kbx' created gpg: requesting key from 'https://keys.qubes-os.org/keys/qubes-master-signing-key.asc' gpg: /home/user/.gnupg/trustdb.gpg: trustdb created gpg: key DDFA1A3E36879494: public key "Qubes Master Signing Key" imported gpg: Total number processed: 1 gpg: imported: 1
(For more ways to obtain the QMSK, see How to import and authenticate the Qubes Master Signing Key.)
-
View the fingerprint of the PGP key you just imported. (Note:
gpg>
indicates a prompt inside of the GnuPG program. Type what appears after it when prompted.)$ gpg --edit-key 0x427F11FD0FAA4B080123F01CDDFA1A3E36879494 gpg (GnuPG) 2.2.27; Copyright (C) 2021 Free Software Foundation, Inc. This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it. There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law. pub rsa4096/DDFA1A3E36879494 created: 2010-04-01 expires: never usage: SC trust: unknown validity: unknown [ unknown] (1). Qubes Master Signing Key gpg> fpr pub rsa4096/DDFA1A3E36879494 2010-04-01 Qubes Master Signing Key Primary key fingerprint: 427F 11FD 0FAA 4B08 0123 F01C DDFA 1A3E 3687 9494
-
Important: At this point, you still don’t know whether the key you just imported is the genuine QMSK or a forgery. In order for this entire procedure to provide meaningful security benefits, you must authenticate the QMSK out-of-band. Do not skip this step! The standard method is to obtain the QMSK fingerprint from multiple independent sources in several different ways and check to see whether they match the key you just imported. For more information, see How to import and authenticate the Qubes Master Signing Key.
Tip: After you have authenticated the QMSK out-of-band to your satisfaction, record the QMSK fingerprint in a safe place (or several) so that you don’t have to repeat this step in the future.
-
Once you are satisfied that you have the genuine QMSK, set its trust level to 5 (“ultimate”), then quit GnuPG with
q
.gpg> trust pub rsa4096/DDFA1A3E36879494 created: 2010-04-01 expires: never usage: SC trust: unknown validity: unknown [ unknown] (1). Qubes Master Signing Key Please decide how far you trust this user to correctly verify other users' keys (by looking at passports, checking fingerprints from different sources, etc.) 1 = I don't know or won't say 2 = I do NOT trust 3 = I trust marginally 4 = I trust fully 5 = I trust ultimately m = back to the main menu Your decision? 5 Do you really want to set this key to ultimate trust? (y/N) y pub rsa4096/DDFA1A3E36879494 created: 2010-04-01 expires: never usage: SC trust: ultimate validity: unknown [ unknown] (1). Qubes Master Signing Key Please note that the shown key validity is not necessarily correct unless you restart the program. gpg> q
-
Use Git to clone the qubes-secpack repo.
$ git clone https://github.com/QubesOS/qubes-secpack.git Cloning into 'qubes-secpack'... remote: Enumerating objects: 4065, done. remote: Counting objects: 100% (1474/1474), done. remote: Compressing objects: 100% (742/742), done. remote: Total 4065 (delta 743), reused 1413 (delta 731), pack-reused 2591 Receiving objects: 100% (4065/4065), 1.64 MiB | 2.53 MiB/s, done. Resolving deltas: 100% (1910/1910), done.
-
Import the included PGP keys. (See our PGP key policies for important information about these keys.)
$ gpg --import qubes-secpack/keys/*/* gpg: key 063938BA42CFA724: public key "Marek Marczykowski-Górecki (Qubes OS signing key)" imported gpg: qubes-secpack/keys/core-devs/retired: read error: Is a directory gpg: no valid OpenPGP data found. gpg: key 8C05216CE09C093C: 1 signature not checked due to a missing key gpg: key 8C05216CE09C093C: public key "HW42 (Qubes Signing Key)" imported gpg: key DA0434BC706E1FCF: public key "Simon Gaiser (Qubes OS signing key)" imported gpg: key 8CE137352A019A17: 2 signatures not checked due to missing keys gpg: key 8CE137352A019A17: public key "Andrew David Wong (Qubes Documentation Signing Key)" imported gpg: key AAA743B42FBC07A9: public key "Brennan Novak (Qubes Website & Documentation Signing)" imported gpg: key B6A0BB95CA74A5C3: public key "Joanna Rutkowska (Qubes Documentation Signing Key)" imported gpg: key F32894BE9684938A: public key "Marek Marczykowski-Górecki (Qubes Documentation Signing Key)" imported gpg: key 6E7A27B909DAFB92: public key "Hakisho Nukama (Qubes Documentation Signing Key)" imported gpg: key 485C7504F27D0A72: 1 signature not checked due to a missing key gpg: key 485C7504F27D0A72: public key "Sven Semmler (Qubes Documentation Signing Key)" imported gpg: key BB52274595B71262: public key "unman (Qubes Documentation Signing Key)" imported gpg: key DC2F3678D272F2A8: 1 signature not checked due to a missing key gpg: key DC2F3678D272F2A8: public key "Wojtek Porczyk (Qubes OS documentation signing key)" imported gpg: key FD64F4F9E9720C4D: 1 signature not checked due to a missing key gpg: key FD64F4F9E9720C4D: public key "Zrubi (Qubes Documentation Signing Key)" imported gpg: key DDFA1A3E36879494: "Qubes Master Signing Key" not changed gpg: key 1848792F9E2795E9: public key "Qubes OS Release 4 Signing Key" imported gpg: qubes-secpack/keys/release-keys/retired: read error: Is a directory gpg: no valid OpenPGP data found. gpg: key D655A4F21830E06A: public key "Marek Marczykowski-Górecki (Qubes security pack)" imported gpg: key ACC2602F3F48CB21: public key "Qubes OS Security Team" imported gpg: qubes-secpack/keys/security-team/retired: read error: Is a directory gpg: no valid OpenPGP data found. gpg: key 4AC18DE1112E1490: public key "Simon Gaiser (Qubes Security Pack signing key)" imported gpg: Total number processed: 17 gpg: imported: 16 gpg: unchanged: 1 gpg: marginals needed: 3 completes needed: 1 trust model: pgp gpg: depth: 0 valid: 1 signed: 6 trust: 0-, 0q, 0n, 0m, 0f, 1u gpg: depth: 1 valid: 6 signed: 0 trust: 6-, 0q, 0n, 0m, 0f, 0u
-
Verify signed Git tags.
$ cd qubes-secpack/ $ git tag -v `git describe` object 266e14a6fae57c9a91362c9ac784d3a891f4d351 type commit tag marmarek_sec_266e14a6 tagger Marek Marczykowski-Górecki 1677757924 +0100 Tag for commit 266e14a6fae57c9a91362c9ac784d3a891f4d351 gpg: Signature made Thu 02 Mar 2023 03:52:04 AM PST gpg: using RSA key 2D1771FE4D767EDC76B089FAD655A4F21830E06A gpg: Good signature from "Marek Marczykowski-Górecki (Qubes security pack)" [full]
The exact output will differ, but the final line should always start with
gpg: Good signature from...
followed by an appropriate key. The[full]
indicates full trust, which this key inherits in virtue of being validly signed by the QMSK. -
Verify PGP signatures, e.g.:
$ cd QSBs/ $ gpg --verify qsb-087-2022.txt.sig.marmarek qsb-087-2022.txt gpg: Signature made Wed 23 Nov 2022 04:05:51 AM PST gpg: using RSA key 2D1771FE4D767EDC76B089FAD655A4F21830E06A gpg: Good signature from "Marek Marczykowski-Górecki (Qubes security pack)" [full] $ gpg --verify qsb-087-2022.txt.sig.simon qsb-087-2022.txt gpg: Signature made Wed 23 Nov 2022 03:50:42 AM PST gpg: using RSA key EA18E7F040C41DDAEFE9AA0F4AC18DE1112E1490 gpg: Good signature from "Simon Gaiser (Qubes Security Pack signing key)" [full] $ cd ../canaries/ $ gpg --verify canary-034-2023.txt.sig.marmarek canary-034-2023.txt gpg: Signature made Thu 02 Mar 2023 03:51:48 AM PST gpg: using RSA key 2D1771FE4D767EDC76B089FAD655A4F21830E06A gpg: Good signature from "Marek Marczykowski-Górecki (Qubes security pack)" [full] $ gpg --verify canary-034-2023.txt.sig.simon canary-034-2023.txt gpg: Signature made Thu 02 Mar 2023 01:47:52 AM PST gpg: using RSA key EA18E7F040C41DDAEFE9AA0F4AC18DE1112E1490 gpg: Good signature from "Simon Gaiser (Qubes Security Pack signing key)" [full]
Again, the exact output will differ, but the final line of output from each
gpg --verify
command should always start withgpg: Good signature from...
followed by an appropriate key.
For this announcement (QSB-096), the commands are:
$ gpg --verify qsb-096-2023.txt.sig.marmarek qsb-096-2023.txt
$ gpg --verify qsb-096-2023.txt.sig.simon qsb-096-2023.txt
You can also verify the signatures directly from this announcement in addition to or instead of verifying the files from the qubes-secpack. Simply copy and paste the QSB-096 text into a plain text file and do the same for both signature files. Then, perform the same authentication steps as listed above, substituting the filenames above with the names of the files you just created.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.qubes-os.org/news/2023/11/14/qsb-096/