Re: [PATCH] crypto: crypto4xx - Remove insecure and unused rng_alg

Aleksander Jan Bajkowski Sat, 30 May 2026 12:44:01 -0700

Hi Eric,

On 30/05/2026 00:04, Eric Biggers wrote:

Remove crypto4xx_rng, as it is insecure and unused:


- It has only a 64-bit security strength, which is highly inadequate.
   This can be seen by the fact that crypto4xx_hw_init() seeds it with
   only 64 bits of entropy, and the fact that the original commit
   mentions that it implements ANSI X9.17 Annex C.


In addition to a seed, the PRNG also uses ring oscillators as sources of
entropy. The entropy should be higher than 64b. This is the Rambus EIP-73d
IP core. The same IP core is built into eip93 (EIP-73a), eip97 (EIP-73d),
and eip197 (EIP-73d). You can find the documentation online. The complete
"container" is actually Rambus EIP-94, and one of its parts is EIP-73d.


   Another issue was that this driver didn't implement the crypto_rng API
   correctly, as crypto4xx_prng_generate() didn't return 0 on success.

- No user of this code is known.  It's usable only theoretically via the
   "rng" algorithm type of AF_ALG.  But userspace actually just uses the
   actual Linux RNG (/dev/random etc) instead.  And rng_algs don't
   contribute entropy to the actual Linux RNG either.  (This may have
   been confused with hwrng, which does contribute entropy.)


This PRNG is also used internally for Generation IV with IPSEC offload. The
IPSEC offload implementation for eip93 was recently submitted to upstream.
I am not sure whether eip94 shares some of the logic for IPSEC offload and
it will be possible to use some of the code.


Fixes: d072bfa48853 ("crypto: crypto4xx - add prng crypto support")
Cc: [email protected]
Signed-off-by: Eric Biggers <[email protected]>
Acked-by: Christian Lamparter <[email protected]>
---
  drivers/crypto/Kconfig                  |  1 -
  drivers/crypto/amcc/crypto4xx_core.c    | 88 -------------------------
  drivers/crypto/amcc/crypto4xx_core.h    |  4 --
  drivers/crypto/amcc/crypto4xx_reg_def.h | 11 ----
  4 files changed, 104 deletions(-)


base-commit: 49e05bb00f2e8168695f7af4d694c39e1423e8a2

diff --git a/drivers/crypto/Kconfig b/drivers/crypto/Kconfig
index 3449b3c9c6ad..5dab813a9f74 100644
--- a/drivers/crypto/Kconfig
+++ b/drivers/crypto/Kconfig
@@ -299,11 +299,10 @@ config CRYPTO_DEV_PPC4XX
        select CRYPTO_AES
        select CRYPTO_LIB_AES
        select CRYPTO_CCM
        select CRYPTO_CTR
        select CRYPTO_GCM
-       select CRYPTO_RNG
        select CRYPTO_SKCIPHER
        help
          This option allows you to have support for AMCC crypto acceleration.

config HW_RANDOM_PPC4XX

diff --git a/drivers/crypto/amcc/crypto4xx_core.c 
b/drivers/crypto/amcc/crypto4xx_core.c
index b7b6c97d2147..68c5ff7a85b4 100644
--- a/drivers/crypto/amcc/crypto4xx_core.c
+++ b/drivers/crypto/amcc/crypto4xx_core.c
@@ -29,15 +29,13 @@
  #include <crypto/aead.h>
  #include <crypto/aes.h>
  #include <crypto/ctr.h>
  #include <crypto/gcm.h>
  #include <crypto/sha1.h>
-#include <crypto/rng.h>
  #include <crypto/scatterwalk.h>
  #include <crypto/skcipher.h>
  #include <crypto/internal/aead.h>
-#include <crypto/internal/rng.h>
  #include <crypto/internal/skcipher.h>
  #include "crypto4xx_reg_def.h"
  #include "crypto4xx_core.h"
  #include "crypto4xx_sa.h"
  #include "crypto4xx_trng.h"
@@ -983,14 +981,10 @@ static int crypto4xx_register_alg(struct crypto4xx_device 
*sec_dev,
                switch (alg->alg.type) {
                case CRYPTO_ALG_TYPE_AEAD:
                        rc = crypto_register_aead(&alg->alg.u.aead);
                        break;

- case CRYPTO_ALG_TYPE_RNG:

-                       rc = crypto_register_rng(&alg->alg.u.rng);
-                       break;
-
                default:
                        rc = crypto_register_skcipher(&alg->alg.u.cipher);
                        break;
                }

@@ -1012,14 +1006,10 @@ static void crypto4xx_unregister_alg(struct crypto4xx_device *sec_dev)

                switch (alg->alg.type) {
                case CRYPTO_ALG_TYPE_AEAD:
                        crypto_unregister_aead(&alg->alg.u.aead);
                        break;

- case CRYPTO_ALG_TYPE_RNG:

-                       crypto_unregister_rng(&alg->alg.u.rng);
-                       break;
-
                default:
                        crypto_unregister_skcipher(&alg->alg.u.cipher);
                }
                kfree(alg);
        }
@@ -1074,73 +1064,10 @@ static irqreturn_t 
crypto4xx_ce_interrupt_handler_revb(int irq, void *data)
  {
        return crypto4xx_interrupt_handler(irq, data, PPC4XX_INTERRUPT_CLR |
                PPC4XX_TMO_ERR_INT);
  }

-static int ppc4xx_prng_data_read(struct crypto4xx_device *dev,

-                                u8 *data, unsigned int max)
-{
-       unsigned int i, curr = 0;
-       u32 val[2];
-
-       do {
-               /* trigger PRN generation */
-               writel(PPC4XX_PRNG_CTRL_AUTO_EN,
-                      dev->ce_base + CRYPTO4XX_PRNG_CTRL);
-
-               for (i = 0; i < 1024; i++) {
-                       /* usually 19 iterations are enough */
-                       if ((readl(dev->ce_base + CRYPTO4XX_PRNG_STAT) &
-                            CRYPTO4XX_PRNG_STAT_BUSY))
-                               continue;
-
-                       val[0] = readl_be(dev->ce_base + CRYPTO4XX_PRNG_RES_0);
-                       val[1] = readl_be(dev->ce_base + CRYPTO4XX_PRNG_RES_1);
-                       break;
-               }
-               if (i == 1024)
-                       return -ETIMEDOUT;
-
-               if ((max - curr) >= 8) {
-                       memcpy(data, &val, 8);
-                       data += 8;
-                       curr += 8;
-               } else {
-                       /* copy only remaining bytes */
-                       memcpy(data, &val, max - curr);
-                       break;
-               }
-       } while (curr < max);
-
-       return curr;
-}
-
-static int crypto4xx_prng_generate(struct crypto_rng *tfm,
-                                  const u8 *src, unsigned int slen,
-                                  u8 *dstn, unsigned int dlen)
-{
-       struct rng_alg *alg = crypto_rng_alg(tfm);
-       struct crypto4xx_alg *amcc_alg;
-       struct crypto4xx_device *dev;
-       int ret;
-
-       amcc_alg = container_of(alg, struct crypto4xx_alg, alg.u.rng);
-       dev = amcc_alg->dev;
-
-       mutex_lock(&dev->core_dev->rng_lock);
-       ret = ppc4xx_prng_data_read(dev, dstn, dlen);
-       mutex_unlock(&dev->core_dev->rng_lock);
-       return ret;
-}
-
-
-static int crypto4xx_prng_seed(struct crypto_rng *tfm, const u8 *seed,
-                       unsigned int slen)
-{
-       return 0;
-}
-
  /*
   * Supported Crypto Algorithms
   */
  static struct crypto4xx_alg_common crypto4xx_alg[] = {
        /* Crypto AES modes */
@@ -1266,22 +1193,10 @@ static struct crypto4xx_alg_common crypto4xx_alg[] = {
                        .cra_blocksize  = 1,
                        .cra_ctxsize    = sizeof(struct crypto4xx_ctx),
                        .cra_module     = THIS_MODULE,
                },
        } },
-       { .type = CRYPTO_ALG_TYPE_RNG, .u.rng = {
-               .base = {
-                       .cra_name               = "stdrng",
-                       .cra_driver_name        = "crypto4xx_rng",
-                       .cra_priority           = 300,
-                       .cra_ctxsize            = 0,
-                       .cra_module             = THIS_MODULE,
-               },
-               .generate               = crypto4xx_prng_generate,
-               .seed                   = crypto4xx_prng_seed,
-               .seedsize               = 0,
-       } },
  };

/*

   * Module Initialization Routine
   */
@@ -1351,13 +1266,10 @@ static int crypto4xx_probe(struct platform_device 
*ofdev)
        }

core_dev->dev->core_dev = core_dev;

        core_dev->dev->is_revb = is_revb;
        core_dev->device = dev;
-       rc = devm_mutex_init(&ofdev->dev, &core_dev->rng_lock);
-       if (rc)
-               return rc;
        spin_lock_init(&core_dev->lock);
        INIT_LIST_HEAD(&core_dev->dev->alg_list);
        ratelimit_default_init(&core_dev->dev->aead_ratelimit);
        rc = crypto4xx_build_sdr(core_dev->dev);
        if (rc)
diff --git a/drivers/crypto/amcc/crypto4xx_core.h 
b/drivers/crypto/amcc/crypto4xx_core.h
index ee36630c670f..3a028aec3f0c 100644
--- a/drivers/crypto/amcc/crypto4xx_core.h
+++ b/drivers/crypto/amcc/crypto4xx_core.h
@@ -12,14 +12,12 @@

#ifndef __CRYPTO4XX_CORE_H__

  #define __CRYPTO4XX_CORE_H__

#include <linux/ratelimit.h>

-#include <linux/mutex.h>
  #include <linux/scatterlist.h>
  #include <crypto/internal/aead.h>
-#include <crypto/internal/rng.h>
  #include <crypto/internal/skcipher.h>
  #include "crypto4xx_reg_def.h"
  #include "crypto4xx_sa.h"

#define PPC460SX_SDR0_SRST 0x201

@@ -109,11 +107,10 @@ struct crypto4xx_core_device {
        struct hwrng *trng;
        u32 int_status;
        u32 irq;
        struct tasklet_struct tasklet;
        spinlock_t lock;
-       struct mutex rng_lock;
  };

struct crypto4xx_ctx {

        struct crypto4xx_device *dev;
        struct dynamic_sa_ctl *sa_in;
@@ -133,11 +130,10 @@ struct crypto4xx_aead_reqctx {
  struct crypto4xx_alg_common {
        u32 type;
        union {
                struct skcipher_alg cipher;
                struct aead_alg aead;
-               struct rng_alg rng;
        } u;
  };

struct crypto4xx_alg {

        struct list_head  entry;
diff --git a/drivers/crypto/amcc/crypto4xx_reg_def.h 
b/drivers/crypto/amcc/crypto4xx_reg_def.h
index 1038061224da..73d626308a84 100644
--- a/drivers/crypto/amcc/crypto4xx_reg_def.h
+++ b/drivers/crypto/amcc/crypto4xx_reg_def.h
@@ -88,24 +88,13 @@

#define CRYPTO4XX_DMA_CFG 0x000600d4

  #define CRYPTO4XX_BYTE_ORDER_CFG              0x000600d8
  #define CRYPTO4XX_ENDIAN_CFG                  0x000600d8

-#define CRYPTO4XX_PRNG_STAT 0x00070000

-#define CRYPTO4XX_PRNG_STAT_BUSY               0x1
  #define CRYPTO4XX_PRNG_CTRL                   0x00070004
  #define CRYPTO4XX_PRNG_SEED_L                 0x00070008
  #define CRYPTO4XX_PRNG_SEED_H                 0x0007000c
-
-#define CRYPTO4XX_PRNG_RES_0                   0x00070020
-#define CRYPTO4XX_PRNG_RES_1                   0x00070024
-#define CRYPTO4XX_PRNG_RES_2                   0x00070028
-#define CRYPTO4XX_PRNG_RES_3                   0x0007002C
-
-#define CRYPTO4XX_PRNG_LFSR_L                  0x00070030
-#define CRYPTO4XX_PRNG_LFSR_H                  0x00070034
-
  /*
   * Initialize CRYPTO ENGINE registers, and memory bases.
   */
  #define PPC4XX_PDR_POLL                               0x3ff
  #define PPC4XX_OUTPUT_THRESHOLD                       2

Re: [PATCH] crypto: crypto4xx - Remove insecure and unused rng_alg

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