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authorStephan Mueller <smueller@chronox.de>2015-03-06 15:34:22 -0500
committerHerbert Xu <herbert@gondor.apana.org.au>2015-03-09 06:06:18 -0400
commitdbe5fe7e1b3b3632bef2c09964a5f5505de4d744 (patch)
tree2479f39dfca4a23dc2a569597551949866198e8d /Documentation
parentcde001e4c3c3625c60b68a83eb1f1c2572dee07a (diff)
crypto: doc - AEAD / RNG AF_ALG interface
The patch moves the information provided in Documentation/crypto/crypto-API-userspace.txt into a separate chapter in the kernel crypto API DocBook. Some corrections are applied (such as removing a reference to Netlink when the AF_ALG socket is referred to). In addition, the AEAD and RNG interface description is now added. Also, a brief description of the zero-copy interface with an example code snippet is provided. Signed-off-by: Stephan Mueller <smueller@chronox.de> Signed-off-by: Herbert Xu <herbert@gondor.apana.org.au>
Diffstat (limited to 'Documentation')
-rw-r--r--Documentation/DocBook/crypto-API.tmpl596
-rw-r--r--Documentation/crypto/crypto-API-userspace.txt205
2 files changed, 596 insertions, 205 deletions
diff --git a/Documentation/DocBook/crypto-API.tmpl b/Documentation/DocBook/crypto-API.tmpl
index 33f63cfc00ca..efc8d90a9a3f 100644
--- a/Documentation/DocBook/crypto-API.tmpl
+++ b/Documentation/DocBook/crypto-API.tmpl
@@ -1072,6 +1072,602 @@ kernel crypto API | Caller
1072 </sect1> 1072 </sect1>
1073 </chapter> 1073 </chapter>
1074 1074
1075 <chapter id="User"><title>User Space Interface</title>
1076 <sect1><title>Introduction</title>
1077 <para>
1078 The concepts of the kernel crypto API visible to kernel space is fully
1079 applicable to the user space interface as well. Therefore, the kernel
1080 crypto API high level discussion for the in-kernel use cases applies
1081 here as well.
1082 </para>
1083
1084 <para>
1085 The major difference, however, is that user space can only act as a
1086 consumer and never as a provider of a transformation or cipher algorithm.
1087 </para>
1088
1089 <para>
1090 The following covers the user space interface exported by the kernel
1091 crypto API. A working example of this description is libkcapi that
1092 can be obtained from [1]. That library can be used by user space
1093 applications that require cryptographic services from the kernel.
1094 </para>
1095
1096 <para>
1097 Some details of the in-kernel kernel crypto API aspects do not
1098 apply to user space, however. This includes the difference between
1099 synchronous and asynchronous invocations. The user space API call
1100 is fully synchronous.
1101 </para>
1102
1103 <para>
1104 [1] http://www.chronox.de/libkcapi.html
1105 </para>
1106
1107 </sect1>
1108
1109 <sect1><title>User Space API General Remarks</title>
1110 <para>
1111 The kernel crypto API is accessible from user space. Currently,
1112 the following ciphers are accessible:
1113 </para>
1114
1115 <itemizedlist>
1116 <listitem>
1117 <para>Message digest including keyed message digest (HMAC, CMAC)</para>
1118 </listitem>
1119
1120 <listitem>
1121 <para>Symmetric ciphers</para>
1122 </listitem>
1123
1124 <listitem>
1125 <para>AEAD ciphers</para>
1126 </listitem>
1127
1128 <listitem>
1129 <para>Random Number Generators</para>
1130 </listitem>
1131 </itemizedlist>
1132
1133 <para>
1134 The interface is provided via socket type using the type AF_ALG.
1135 In addition, the setsockopt option type is SOL_ALG. In case the
1136 user space header files do not export these flags yet, use the
1137 following macros:
1138 </para>
1139
1140 <programlisting>
1141#ifndef AF_ALG
1142#define AF_ALG 38
1143#endif
1144#ifndef SOL_ALG
1145#define SOL_ALG 279
1146#endif
1147 </programlisting>
1148
1149 <para>
1150 A cipher is accessed with the same name as done for the in-kernel
1151 API calls. This includes the generic vs. unique naming schema for
1152 ciphers as well as the enforcement of priorities for generic names.
1153 </para>
1154
1155 <para>
1156 To interact with the kernel crypto API, a socket must be
1157 created by the user space application. User space invokes the cipher
1158 operation with the send()/write() system call family. The result of the
1159 cipher operation is obtained with the read()/recv() system call family.
1160 </para>
1161
1162 <para>
1163 The following API calls assume that the socket descriptor
1164 is already opened by the user space application and discusses only
1165 the kernel crypto API specific invocations.
1166 </para>
1167
1168 <para>
1169 To initialize the socket interface, the following sequence has to
1170 be performed by the consumer:
1171 </para>
1172
1173 <orderedlist>
1174 <listitem>
1175 <para>
1176 Create a socket of type AF_ALG with the struct sockaddr_alg
1177 parameter specified below for the different cipher types.
1178 </para>
1179 </listitem>
1180
1181 <listitem>
1182 <para>
1183 Invoke bind with the socket descriptor
1184 </para>
1185 </listitem>
1186
1187 <listitem>
1188 <para>
1189 Invoke accept with the socket descriptor. The accept system call
1190 returns a new file descriptor that is to be used to interact with
1191 the particular cipher instance. When invoking send/write or recv/read
1192 system calls to send data to the kernel or obtain data from the
1193 kernel, the file descriptor returned by accept must be used.
1194 </para>
1195 </listitem>
1196 </orderedlist>
1197 </sect1>
1198
1199 <sect1><title>In-place Cipher operation</title>
1200 <para>
1201 Just like the in-kernel operation of the kernel crypto API, the user
1202 space interface allows the cipher operation in-place. That means that
1203 the input buffer used for the send/write system call and the output
1204 buffer used by the read/recv system call may be one and the same.
1205 This is of particular interest for symmetric cipher operations where a
1206 copying of the output data to its final destination can be avoided.
1207 </para>
1208
1209 <para>
1210 If a consumer on the other hand wants to maintain the plaintext and
1211 the ciphertext in different memory locations, all a consumer needs
1212 to do is to provide different memory pointers for the encryption and
1213 decryption operation.
1214 </para>
1215 </sect1>
1216
1217 <sect1><title>Message Digest API</title>
1218 <para>
1219 The message digest type to be used for the cipher operation is
1220 selected when invoking the bind syscall. bind requires the caller
1221 to provide a filled struct sockaddr data structure. This data
1222 structure must be filled as follows:
1223 </para>
1224
1225 <programlisting>
1226struct sockaddr_alg sa = {
1227 .salg_family = AF_ALG,
1228 .salg_type = "hash", /* this selects the hash logic in the kernel */
1229 .salg_name = "sha1" /* this is the cipher name */
1230};
1231 </programlisting>
1232
1233 <para>
1234 The salg_type value "hash" applies to message digests and keyed
1235 message digests. Though, a keyed message digest is referenced by
1236 the appropriate salg_name. Please see below for the setsockopt
1237 interface that explains how the key can be set for a keyed message
1238 digest.
1239 </para>
1240
1241 <para>
1242 Using the send() system call, the application provides the data that
1243 should be processed with the message digest. The send system call
1244 allows the following flags to be specified:
1245 </para>
1246
1247 <itemizedlist>
1248 <listitem>
1249 <para>
1250 MSG_MORE: If this flag is set, the send system call acts like a
1251 message digest update function where the final hash is not
1252 yet calculated. If the flag is not set, the send system call
1253 calculates the final message digest immediately.
1254 </para>
1255 </listitem>
1256 </itemizedlist>
1257
1258 <para>
1259 With the recv() system call, the application can read the message
1260 digest from the kernel crypto API. If the buffer is too small for the
1261 message digest, the flag MSG_TRUNC is set by the kernel.
1262 </para>
1263
1264 <para>
1265 In order to set a message digest key, the calling application must use
1266 the setsockopt() option of ALG_SET_KEY. If the key is not set the HMAC
1267 operation is performed without the initial HMAC state change caused by
1268 the key.
1269 </para>
1270 </sect1>
1271
1272 <sect1><title>Symmetric Cipher API</title>
1273 <para>
1274 The operation is very similar to the message digest discussion.
1275 During initialization, the struct sockaddr data structure must be
1276 filled as follows:
1277 </para>
1278
1279 <programlisting>
1280struct sockaddr_alg sa = {
1281 .salg_family = AF_ALG,
1282 .salg_type = "skcipher", /* this selects the symmetric cipher */
1283 .salg_name = "cbc(aes)" /* this is the cipher name */
1284};
1285 </programlisting>
1286
1287 <para>
1288 Before data can be sent to the kernel using the write/send system
1289 call family, the consumer must set the key. The key setting is
1290 described with the setsockopt invocation below.
1291 </para>
1292
1293 <para>
1294 Using the sendmsg() system call, the application provides the data that should be processed for encryption or decryption. In addition, the IV is
1295 specified with the data structure provided by the sendmsg() system call.
1296 </para>
1297
1298 <para>
1299 The sendmsg system call parameter of struct msghdr is embedded into the
1300 struct cmsghdr data structure. See recv(2) and cmsg(3) for more
1301 information on how the cmsghdr data structure is used together with the
1302 send/recv system call family. That cmsghdr data structure holds the
1303 following information specified with a separate header instances:
1304 </para>
1305
1306 <itemizedlist>
1307 <listitem>
1308 <para>
1309 specification of the cipher operation type with one of these flags:
1310 </para>
1311 <itemizedlist>
1312 <listitem>
1313 <para>ALG_OP_ENCRYPT - encryption of data</para>
1314 </listitem>
1315 <listitem>
1316 <para>ALG_OP_DECRYPT - decryption of data</para>
1317 </listitem>
1318 </itemizedlist>
1319 </listitem>
1320
1321 <listitem>
1322 <para>
1323 specification of the IV information marked with the flag ALG_SET_IV
1324 </para>
1325 </listitem>
1326 </itemizedlist>
1327
1328 <para>
1329 The send system call family allows the following flag to be specified:
1330 </para>
1331
1332 <itemizedlist>
1333 <listitem>
1334 <para>
1335 MSG_MORE: If this flag is set, the send system call acts like a
1336 cipher update function where more input data is expected
1337 with a subsequent invocation of the send system call.
1338 </para>
1339 </listitem>
1340 </itemizedlist>
1341
1342 <para>
1343 Note: The kernel reports -EINVAL for any unexpected data. The caller
1344 must make sure that all data matches the constraints given in
1345 /proc/crypto for the selected cipher.
1346 </para>
1347
1348 <para>
1349 With the recv() system call, the application can read the result of
1350 the cipher operation from the kernel crypto API. The output buffer
1351 must be at least as large as to hold all blocks of the encrypted or
1352 decrypted data. If the output data size is smaller, only as many
1353 blocks are returned that fit into that output buffer size.
1354 </para>
1355 </sect1>
1356
1357 <sect1><title>AEAD Cipher API</title>
1358 <para>
1359 The operation is very similar to the symmetric cipher discussion.
1360 During initialization, the struct sockaddr data structure must be
1361 filled as follows:
1362 </para>
1363
1364 <programlisting>
1365struct sockaddr_alg sa = {
1366 .salg_family = AF_ALG,
1367 .salg_type = "aead", /* this selects the symmetric cipher */
1368 .salg_name = "gcm(aes)" /* this is the cipher name */
1369};
1370 </programlisting>
1371
1372 <para>
1373 Before data can be sent to the kernel using the write/send system
1374 call family, the consumer must set the key. The key setting is
1375 described with the setsockopt invocation below.
1376 </para>
1377
1378 <para>
1379 In addition, before data can be sent to the kernel using the
1380 write/send system call family, the consumer must set the authentication
1381 tag size. To set the authentication tag size, the caller must use the
1382 setsockopt invocation described below.
1383 </para>
1384
1385 <para>
1386 Using the sendmsg() system call, the application provides the data that should be processed for encryption or decryption. In addition, the IV is
1387 specified with the data structure provided by the sendmsg() system call.
1388 </para>
1389
1390 <para>
1391 The sendmsg system call parameter of struct msghdr is embedded into the
1392 struct cmsghdr data structure. See recv(2) and cmsg(3) for more
1393 information on how the cmsghdr data structure is used together with the
1394 send/recv system call family. That cmsghdr data structure holds the
1395 following information specified with a separate header instances:
1396 </para>
1397
1398 <itemizedlist>
1399 <listitem>
1400 <para>
1401 specification of the cipher operation type with one of these flags:
1402 </para>
1403 <itemizedlist>
1404 <listitem>
1405 <para>ALG_OP_ENCRYPT - encryption of data</para>
1406 </listitem>
1407 <listitem>
1408 <para>ALG_OP_DECRYPT - decryption of data</para>
1409 </listitem>
1410 </itemizedlist>
1411 </listitem>
1412
1413 <listitem>
1414 <para>
1415 specification of the IV information marked with the flag ALG_SET_IV
1416 </para>
1417 </listitem>
1418
1419 <listitem>
1420 <para>
1421 specification of the associated authentication data (AAD) with the
1422 flag ALG_SET_AEAD_ASSOCLEN. The AAD is sent to the kernel together
1423 with the plaintext / ciphertext. See below for the memory structure.
1424 </para>
1425 </listitem>
1426 </itemizedlist>
1427
1428 <para>
1429 The send system call family allows the following flag to be specified:
1430 </para>
1431
1432 <itemizedlist>
1433 <listitem>
1434 <para>
1435 MSG_MORE: If this flag is set, the send system call acts like a
1436 cipher update function where more input data is expected
1437 with a subsequent invocation of the send system call.
1438 </para>
1439 </listitem>
1440 </itemizedlist>
1441
1442 <para>
1443 Note: The kernel reports -EINVAL for any unexpected data. The caller
1444 must make sure that all data matches the constraints given in
1445 /proc/crypto for the selected cipher.
1446 </para>
1447
1448 <para>
1449 With the recv() system call, the application can read the result of
1450 the cipher operation from the kernel crypto API. The output buffer
1451 must be at least as large as defined with the memory structure below.
1452 If the output data size is smaller, the cipher operation is not performed.
1453 </para>
1454
1455 <para>
1456 The authenticated decryption operation may indicate an integrity error.
1457 Such breach in integrity is marked with the -EBADMSG error code.
1458 </para>
1459
1460 <sect2><title>AEAD Memory Structure</title>
1461 <para>
1462 The AEAD cipher operates with the following information that
1463 is communicated between user and kernel space as one data stream:
1464 </para>
1465
1466 <itemizedlist>
1467 <listitem>
1468 <para>plaintext or ciphertext</para>
1469 </listitem>
1470
1471 <listitem>
1472 <para>associated authentication data (AAD)</para>
1473 </listitem>
1474
1475 <listitem>
1476 <para>authentication tag</para>
1477 </listitem>
1478 </itemizedlist>
1479
1480 <para>
1481 The sizes of the AAD and the authentication tag are provided with
1482 the sendmsg and setsockopt calls (see there). As the kernel knows
1483 the size of the entire data stream, the kernel is now able to
1484 calculate the right offsets of the data components in the data
1485 stream.
1486 </para>
1487
1488 <para>
1489 The user space caller must arrange the aforementioned information
1490 in the following order:
1491 </para>
1492
1493 <itemizedlist>
1494 <listitem>
1495 <para>
1496 AEAD encryption input: AAD || plaintext
1497 </para>
1498 </listitem>
1499
1500 <listitem>
1501 <para>
1502 AEAD decryption input: AAD || ciphertext || authentication tag
1503 </para>
1504 </listitem>
1505 </itemizedlist>
1506
1507 <para>
1508 The output buffer the user space caller provides must be at least as
1509 large to hold the following data:
1510 </para>
1511
1512 <itemizedlist>
1513 <listitem>
1514 <para>
1515 AEAD encryption output: ciphertext || authentication tag
1516 </para>
1517 </listitem>
1518
1519 <listitem>
1520 <para>
1521 AEAD decryption output: plaintext
1522 </para>
1523 </listitem>
1524 </itemizedlist>
1525 </sect2>
1526 </sect1>
1527
1528 <sect1><title>Random Number Generator API</title>
1529 <para>
1530 Again, the operation is very similar to the other APIs.
1531 During initialization, the struct sockaddr data structure must be
1532 filled as follows:
1533 </para>
1534
1535 <programlisting>
1536struct sockaddr_alg sa = {
1537 .salg_family = AF_ALG,
1538 .salg_type = "rng", /* this selects the symmetric cipher */
1539 .salg_name = "drbg_nopr_sha256" /* this is the cipher name */
1540};
1541 </programlisting>
1542
1543 <para>
1544 Depending on the RNG type, the RNG must be seeded. The seed is provided
1545 using the setsockopt interface to set the key. For example, the
1546 ansi_cprng requires a seed. The DRBGs do not require a seed, but
1547 may be seeded.
1548 </para>
1549
1550 <para>
1551 Using the read()/recvmsg() system calls, random numbers can be obtained.
1552 The kernel generates at most 128 bytes in one call. If user space
1553 requires more data, multiple calls to read()/recvmsg() must be made.
1554 </para>
1555
1556 <para>
1557 WARNING: The user space caller may invoke the initially mentioned
1558 accept system call multiple times. In this case, the returned file
1559 descriptors have the same state.
1560 </para>
1561
1562 </sect1>
1563
1564 <sect1><title>Zero-Copy Interface</title>
1565 <para>
1566 In addition to the send/write/read/recv system call familty, the AF_ALG
1567 interface can be accessed with the zero-copy interface of splice/vmsplice.
1568 As the name indicates, the kernel tries to avoid a copy operation into
1569 kernel space.
1570 </para>
1571
1572 <para>
1573 The zero-copy operation requires data to be aligned at the page boundary.
1574 Non-aligned data can be used as well, but may require more operations of
1575 the kernel which would defeat the speed gains obtained from the zero-copy
1576 interface.
1577 </para>
1578
1579 <para>
1580 The system-interent limit for the size of one zero-copy operation is
1581 16 pages. If more data is to be sent to AF_ALG, user space must slice
1582 the input into segments with a maximum size of 16 pages.
1583 </para>
1584
1585 <para>
1586 Zero-copy can be used with the following code example (a complete working
1587 example is provided with libkcapi):
1588 </para>
1589
1590 <programlisting>
1591int pipes[2];
1592
1593pipe(pipes);
1594/* input data in iov */
1595vmsplice(pipes[1], iov, iovlen, SPLICE_F_GIFT);
1596/* opfd is the file descriptor returned from accept() system call */
1597splice(pipes[0], NULL, opfd, NULL, ret, 0);
1598read(opfd, out, outlen);
1599 </programlisting>
1600
1601 </sect1>
1602
1603 <sect1><title>Setsockopt Interface</title>
1604 <para>
1605 In addition to the read/recv and send/write system call handling
1606 to send and retrieve data subject to the cipher operation, a consumer
1607 also needs to set the additional information for the cipher operation.
1608 This additional information is set using the setsockopt system call
1609 that must be invoked with the file descriptor of the open cipher
1610 (i.e. the file descriptor returned by the accept system call).
1611 </para>
1612
1613 <para>
1614 Each setsockopt invocation must use the level SOL_ALG.
1615 </para>
1616
1617 <para>
1618 The setsockopt interface allows setting the following data using
1619 the mentioned optname:
1620 </para>
1621
1622 <itemizedlist>
1623 <listitem>
1624 <para>
1625 ALG_SET_KEY -- Setting the key. Key setting is applicable to:
1626 </para>
1627 <itemizedlist>
1628 <listitem>
1629 <para>the skcipher cipher type (symmetric ciphers)</para>
1630 </listitem>
1631 <listitem>
1632 <para>the hash cipher type (keyed message digests)</para>
1633 </listitem>
1634 <listitem>
1635 <para>the AEAD cipher type</para>
1636 </listitem>
1637 <listitem>
1638 <para>the RNG cipher type to provide the seed</para>
1639 </listitem>
1640 </itemizedlist>
1641 </listitem>
1642
1643 <listitem>
1644 <para>
1645 ALG_SET_AEAD_AUTHSIZE -- Setting the authentication tag size
1646 for AEAD ciphers. For a encryption operation, the authentication
1647 tag of the given size will be generated. For a decryption operation,
1648 the provided ciphertext is assumed to contain an authentication tag
1649 of the given size (see section about AEAD memory layout below).
1650 </para>
1651 </listitem>
1652 </itemizedlist>
1653
1654 </sect1>
1655
1656 <sect1><title>User space API example</title>
1657 <para>
1658 Please see [1] for libkcapi which provides an easy-to-use wrapper
1659 around the aforementioned Netlink kernel interface. [1] also contains
1660 a test application that invokes all libkcapi API calls.
1661 </para>
1662
1663 <para>
1664 [1] http://www.chronox.de/libkcapi.html
1665 </para>
1666
1667 </sect1>
1668
1669 </chapter>
1670
1075 <chapter id="API"><title>Programming Interface</title> 1671 <chapter id="API"><title>Programming Interface</title>
1076 <sect1><title>Block Cipher Context Data Structures</title> 1672 <sect1><title>Block Cipher Context Data Structures</title>
1077!Pinclude/linux/crypto.h Block Cipher Context Data Structures 1673!Pinclude/linux/crypto.h Block Cipher Context Data Structures
diff --git a/Documentation/crypto/crypto-API-userspace.txt b/Documentation/crypto/crypto-API-userspace.txt
deleted file mode 100644
index ac619cd90300..000000000000
--- a/Documentation/crypto/crypto-API-userspace.txt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,205 +0,0 @@
1Introduction
2============
3
4The concepts of the kernel crypto API visible to kernel space is fully
5applicable to the user space interface as well. Therefore, the kernel crypto API
6high level discussion for the in-kernel use cases applies here as well.
7
8The major difference, however, is that user space can only act as a consumer
9and never as a provider of a transformation or cipher algorithm.
10
11The following covers the user space interface exported by the kernel crypto
12API. A working example of this description is libkcapi that can be obtained from
13[1]. That library can be used by user space applications that require
14cryptographic services from the kernel.
15
16Some details of the in-kernel kernel crypto API aspects do not
17apply to user space, however. This includes the difference between synchronous
18and asynchronous invocations. The user space API call is fully synchronous.
19In addition, only a subset of all cipher types are available as documented
20below.
21
22
23User space API general remarks
24==============================
25
26The kernel crypto API is accessible from user space. Currently, the following
27ciphers are accessible:
28
29 * Message digest including keyed message digest (HMAC, CMAC)
30
31 * Symmetric ciphers
32
33Note, AEAD ciphers are currently not supported via the symmetric cipher
34interface.
35
36The interface is provided via Netlink using the type AF_ALG. In addition, the
37setsockopt option type is SOL_ALG. In case the user space header files do not
38export these flags yet, use the following macros:
39
40#ifndef AF_ALG
41#define AF_ALG 38
42#endif
43#ifndef SOL_ALG
44#define SOL_ALG 279
45#endif
46
47A cipher is accessed with the same name as done for the in-kernel API calls.
48This includes the generic vs. unique naming schema for ciphers as well as the
49enforcement of priorities for generic names.
50
51To interact with the kernel crypto API, a Netlink socket must be created by
52the user space application. User space invokes the cipher operation with the
53send/write system call family. The result of the cipher operation is obtained
54with the read/recv system call family.
55
56The following API calls assume that the Netlink socket descriptor is already
57opened by the user space application and discusses only the kernel crypto API
58specific invocations.
59
60To initialize a Netlink interface, the following sequence has to be performed
61by the consumer:
62
63 1. Create a socket of type AF_ALG with the struct sockaddr_alg parameter
64 specified below for the different cipher types.
65
66 2. Invoke bind with the socket descriptor
67
68 3. Invoke accept with the socket descriptor. The accept system call
69 returns a new file descriptor that is to be used to interact with
70 the particular cipher instance. When invoking send/write or recv/read
71 system calls to send data to the kernel or obtain data from the
72 kernel, the file descriptor returned by accept must be used.
73
74In-place cipher operation
75=========================
76
77Just like the in-kernel operation of the kernel crypto API, the user space
78interface allows the cipher operation in-place. That means that the input buffer
79used for the send/write system call and the output buffer used by the read/recv
80system call may be one and the same. This is of particular interest for
81symmetric cipher operations where a copying of the output data to its final
82destination can be avoided.
83
84If a consumer on the other hand wants to maintain the plaintext and the
85ciphertext in different memory locations, all a consumer needs to do is to
86provide different memory pointers for the encryption and decryption operation.
87
88Message digest API
89==================
90
91The message digest type to be used for the cipher operation is selected when
92invoking the bind syscall. bind requires the caller to provide a filled
93struct sockaddr data structure. This data structure must be filled as follows:
94
95struct sockaddr_alg sa = {
96 .salg_family = AF_ALG,
97 .salg_type = "hash", /* this selects the hash logic in the kernel */
98 .salg_name = "sha1" /* this is the cipher name */
99};
100
101The salg_type value "hash" applies to message digests and keyed message digests.
102Though, a keyed message digest is referenced by the appropriate salg_name.
103Please see below for the setsockopt interface that explains how the key can be
104set for a keyed message digest.
105
106Using the send() system call, the application provides the data that should be
107processed with the message digest. The send system call allows the following
108flags to be specified:
109
110 * MSG_MORE: If this flag is set, the send system call acts like a
111 message digest update function where the final hash is not
112 yet calculated. If the flag is not set, the send system call
113 calculates the final message digest immediately.
114
115With the recv() system call, the application can read the message digest from
116the kernel crypto API. If the buffer is too small for the message digest, the
117flag MSG_TRUNC is set by the kernel.
118
119In order to set a message digest key, the calling application must use the
120setsockopt() option of ALG_SET_KEY. If the key is not set the HMAC operation is
121performed without the initial HMAC state change caused by the key.
122
123
124Symmetric cipher API
125====================
126
127The operation is very similar to the message digest discussion. During
128initialization, the struct sockaddr data structure must be filled as follows:
129
130struct sockaddr_alg sa = {
131 .salg_family = AF_ALG,
132 .salg_type = "skcipher", /* this selects the symmetric cipher */
133 .salg_name = "cbc(aes)" /* this is the cipher name */
134};
135
136Before data can be sent to the kernel using the write/send system call family,
137the consumer must set the key. The key setting is described with the setsockopt
138invocation below.
139
140Using the sendmsg() system call, the application provides the data that should
141be processed for encryption or decryption. In addition, the IV is specified
142with the data structure provided by the sendmsg() system call.
143
144The sendmsg system call parameter of struct msghdr is embedded into the
145struct cmsghdr data structure. See recv(2) and cmsg(3) for more information
146on how the cmsghdr data structure is used together with the send/recv system
147call family. That cmsghdr data structure holds the following information
148specified with a separate header instances:
149
150 * specification of the cipher operation type with one of these flags:
151 ALG_OP_ENCRYPT - encryption of data
152 ALG_OP_DECRYPT - decryption of data
153
154 * specification of the IV information marked with the flag ALG_SET_IV
155
156The send system call family allows the following flag to be specified:
157
158 * MSG_MORE: If this flag is set, the send system call acts like a
159 cipher update function where more input data is expected
160 with a subsequent invocation of the send system call.
161
162Note: The kernel reports -EINVAL for any unexpected data. The caller must
163make sure that all data matches the constraints given in /proc/crypto for the
164selected cipher.
165
166With the recv() system call, the application can read the result of the
167cipher operation from the kernel crypto API. The output buffer must be at least
168as large as to hold all blocks of the encrypted or decrypted data. If the output
169data size is smaller, only as many blocks are returned that fit into that
170output buffer size.
171
172Setsockopt interface
173====================
174
175In addition to the read/recv and send/write system call handling to send and
176retrieve data subject to the cipher operation, a consumer also needs to set
177the additional information for the cipher operation. This additional information
178is set using the setsockopt system call that must be invoked with the file
179descriptor of the open cipher (i.e. the file descriptor returned by the
180accept system call).
181
182Each setsockopt invocation must use the level SOL_ALG.
183
184The setsockopt interface allows setting the following data using the mentioned
185optname:
186
187 * ALG_SET_KEY -- Setting the key. Key setting is applicable to:
188
189 - the skcipher cipher type (symmetric ciphers)
190
191 - the hash cipher type (keyed message digests)
192
193User space API example
194======================
195
196Please see [1] for libkcapi which provides an easy-to-use wrapper around the
197aforementioned Netlink kernel interface. [1] also contains a test application
198that invokes all libkcapi API calls.
199
200[1] http://www.chronox.de/libkcapi.html
201
202Author
203======
204
205Stephan Mueller <smueller@chronox.de>