Issue 22181: os.urandom() should use Linux 3.17 getrandom() syscall (original) (raw)

process

Status: closed Resolution: fixed
Dependencies: Superseder:
Assigned To: Nosy List: 700eb415, Arfrever, alex, anand.jeyahar, christian.heimes, josh.r, jwilk, neologix, pitrou, python-dev, vstinner
Priority: normal Keywords: patch

Created on 2014-08-10 23:32 by vstinner, last changed 2022-04-11 14:58 by admin. This issue is now closed.

Files
File name Uploaded Description Edit
random.patch vstinner,2015-03-03 02:04 review
random-2.patch vstinner,2015-03-04 16:38
Messages (23)
msg225171 - (view) Author: STINNER Victor (vstinner) * (Python committer) Date: 2014-08-10 23:32
The future Linux kernel 3.17 will have a new getrandom() syscall which avoids the need of a file descriptor: http://lwn.net/Articles/606141/ The file descriptor of os.urandom() causes perfomance issues and surprising bugs: #18756, #21207. I don't know when the function will land in the libc. OpenBSD 5.6 (not released yet) will also have a new getentropy() syscall. For Python 2.7, see also the PEP 466 and the issue #21305.
msg225363 - (view) Author: STINNER Victor (vstinner) * (Python committer) Date: 2014-08-15 20:13
Manual page of the OpenBSD getentropy() function: http://www.openbsd.org/cgi-bin/man.cgi/OpenBSD-current/man2/getentropy.2 LibreSSL didn't wait for the libc, search for getentropy_getrandom(): http://openbsd.cs.toronto.edu/cgi-bin/cvsweb/src/lib/libcrypto/crypto/getentropy_linux.c?rev=1.32&content-type=text/x-cvsweb-markup The code is currently disabled with "#if 0". The syscall is directly used, the function doesn't handle the ENOSYS error. See also this issue of the cryptography project, "Use getentropy(2) and getrandom(2) syscalls when available 1299": https://github.com/pyca/cryptography/issues/1299
msg228250 - (view) Author: (700eb415) Date: 2014-10-02 18:03
It's worth noting that LibreSSL has now enabled the blocked code. If anyone is interested, I would be willing to help port it.
msg228639 - (view) Author: anand jeyahar (anand.jeyahar) Date: 2014-10-06 05:02
Hi, This will need latest kernel to develop, fix and test. I (on Debian 7) couldn't find the latest kernel, but picked up ubuntu kernel from here http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v3.17-rc7-utopic/. I picked up the latest i.e: linux-image-3.17.0-031700rc7-generic_3.17.0-031700rc7.201409281835_amd64.deb and installed manually, but couldn't find the getrandom() function call either in stdlib.h or linux/random.h. Can anyone confirm it's availability in a kernel image (from some other distribution?).
msg228645 - (view) Author: Charles-François Natali (neologix) * (Python committer) Date: 2014-10-06 07:22
Note that I'm not fussed about it: far from simplifying the code, it will make it more complex, thus more error-prone.
msg228655 - (view) Author: STINNER Victor (vstinner) * (Python committer) Date: 2014-10-06 10:24
The Linux kernel 3.17 has been released with the new getrandom() syscall. glibc request to implement the function in the C library: https://sourceware.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=17252 "Bug 17252 - getrandom and getentropy syscall" It looks like nobody asks for it on the libc-alpha mailing list yet.
msg228785 - (view) Author: Christian Heimes (christian.heimes) * (Python committer) Date: 2014-10-08 10:51
Let's not be early adopters here. I suggest we wait until glibc has a proper interface.
msg228790 - (view) Author: (700eb415) Date: 2014-10-08 13:59
OpenBSD already provides high quality pseudorandom numbers from arc4random(). I don't think this would make us "early adopters" since it has been around for some time on this platform. It's also worth mentioning that getentropy() is not recommended in use for normal code as per stated in the man page. arc4random() is recommended, but there may be a reason the first poster has recommended getentropy()
msg228791 - (view) Author: Antoine Pitrou (pitrou) * (Python committer) Date: 2014-10-08 14:06
This issue is about Linux support. Does the glibc have arc4random? I can't find it on my Ubuntu 13.10 system.
msg228792 - (view) Author: Alex Gaynor (alex) * (Python committer) Date: 2014-10-08 14:20
As I said on the other ticket, using arc4random() indiscriminately would be a very poor idea, on some platforms (such as OS X) arc4random() really does use ARC4, which means there are serious security concerns with it.
msg228794 - (view) Author: (700eb415) Date: 2014-10-08 14:29
While I agree it may not be wise to use arc4random() globally, OpenBSD is unlikely to create a duplicate interface since it's already available. Python is currently unusable in chroots on that platform without reducing the security of the host partition by removing the nodev mount flag. I feel like there must be a good solution to this.
msg228795 - (view) Author: Antoine Pitrou (pitrou) * (Python committer) Date: 2014-10-08 14:30
Since this is a Linux-specific issue (see the title), you should create a separate issue for OpenBSD support. Bonus points if you want to submit a patch as well :-)
msg228847 - (view) Author: STINNER Victor (vstinner) * (Python committer) Date: 2014-10-09 09:27
This issue is specific to Linux: it depends on the Linux kernel version and we are waiting until the new syscall is available in the C library (especially the glibc). For these reasons, I prefer to open a new specific issue for OpenBSD, since they release the kernel and C library at the same time (different release process): issue #22585. OpenBSD 5.6 scheduled in one month will get the new getentropy() syscall and a new getentropy() function at the same time.
msg228850 - (view) Author: STINNER Victor (vstinner) * (Python committer) Date: 2014-10-09 09:45
> Since this is a Linux-specific issue (see the title), you should create a separate issue for OpenBSD support. 700eb415 opened the issue #22542 for arc4random().
msg237102 - (view) Author: STINNER Victor (vstinner) * (Python committer) Date: 2015-03-03 02:04
Commit in the Linux kernel: https://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=c6e9d6f38894798696f23c8084ca7edbf16ee895 -- Here is a patch to use the new getrandom() syscall of Linux 3.17 in the Python function os.urandom(). The function falls back to reading /dev/urandom if getrandom() is not supported (returns ENOSYS at runtime). On my Linux 3.18, the EINTR path is never taken. But I was able to test it manually by setting flags to GRND_RANDOM (2) and injecting many signals using signal.setitimer(): see my http://bugs.python.org/issue23285#msg237100
msg237190 - (view) Author: STINNER Victor (vstinner) * (Python committer) Date: 2015-03-04 16:38
random-2.patch: updated patch (I don't understand why random.patch doesn't apply cleanly).
msg238440 - (view) Author: Roundup Robot (python-dev) (Python triager) Date: 2015-03-18 13:42
New changeset 1fc32bf069ff by Victor Stinner in branch 'default': Issue #22181: On Linux, os.urandom() now uses the new getrandom() syscall if https://hg.python.org/cpython/rev/1fc32bf069ff
msg238504 - (view) Author: STINNER Victor (vstinner) * (Python committer) Date: 2015-03-19 12:43
Oh, test_os now fails on Linux because os.urandom() doesn't use a file descriptor anymore. The test should be skipped when getrandom() is used. The test is already skipped when getentropy() is used.
msg238559 - (view) Author: Roundup Robot (python-dev) (Python triager) Date: 2015-03-19 21:23
New changeset 4491bdb6527b by Victor Stinner in branch 'default': Issue #22181: The availability of the getrandom() is now checked in configure, https://hg.python.org/cpython/rev/4491bdb6527b
msg238568 - (view) Author: Roundup Robot (python-dev) (Python triager) Date: 2015-03-19 22:30
New changeset 8c73af0b3cd9 by Victor Stinner in branch 'default': Issue #22181: Fix dev_urandom_noraise(), try calling py_getrandom() before https://hg.python.org/cpython/rev/8c73af0b3cd9
msg238676 - (view) Author: Arfrever Frehtes Taifersar Arahesis (Arfrever) * (Python triager) Date: 2015-03-20 14:07
> New changeset 4491bdb6527b by Victor Stinner in branch 'default': > Issue #22181: The availability of the getrandom() is now checked in configure, > https://hg.python.org/cpython/rev/4491bdb6527b You forgot to run aclocal, which resulted in PKG_PROG_PKG_CONFIG not being expanded in configure.
msg238688 - (view) Author: Roundup Robot (python-dev) (Python triager) Date: 2015-03-20 15:03
New changeset b8ceb071159f by Victor Stinner in branch 'default': Issue #22181: Run "aclocal; autoconf; autoheader" to regenerate configure https://hg.python.org/cpython/rev/b8ceb071159f
msg239585 - (view) Author: Roundup Robot (python-dev) (Python triager) Date: 2015-03-30 09:20
New changeset 28b465d8c519 by Victor Stinner in branch 'default': Issue #22181: os.urandom() now releases the GIL when the getrandom() https://hg.python.org/cpython/rev/28b465d8c519
History
Date User Action Args
2022-04-11 14:58:06 admin set github: 66377
2015-03-30 11:42:45 vstinner set status: open -> closedresolution: fixed
2015-03-30 09:20:16 python-dev set messages: +
2015-03-20 15:03:32 python-dev set messages: +
2015-03-20 14:07:42 Arfrever set messages: +
2015-03-19 22:30:20 python-dev set messages: +
2015-03-19 21:23:01 python-dev set messages: +
2015-03-19 12:43:17 vstinner set status: closed -> openresolution: fixed -> (no value)messages: +
2015-03-19 10:56:32 Arfrever set stage: needs patch -> resolved
2015-03-18 13:42:55 vstinner set status: open -> closedresolution: fixed
2015-03-18 13:42:37 python-dev set nosy: + python-devmessages: +
2015-03-04 16:38:32 vstinner set files: + random-2.patchmessages: +
2015-03-03 02:04:17 vstinner set files: + random.patchkeywords: + patchmessages: +
2014-10-09 09:45:14 vstinner set messages: +
2014-10-09 09:27:57 vstinner set messages: +
2014-10-09 09:23:14 vstinner set type: enhancement -> security
2014-10-08 14:30:54 pitrou set messages: +
2014-10-08 14:29:56 700eb415 set messages: +
2014-10-08 14:20:22 alex set messages: +
2014-10-08 14:06:54 pitrou set nosy: + pitroumessages: +
2014-10-08 14:04:05 Arfrever set nosy: + Arfrever
2014-10-08 13:59:57 700eb415 set messages: +
2014-10-08 10:51:20 christian.heimes set messages: +
2014-10-06 11:46:04 jwilk set nosy: + jwilk
2014-10-06 10:24:01 vstinner set messages: +
2014-10-06 07:22:32 neologix set messages: +
2014-10-06 05:02:37 anand.jeyahar set nosy: + anand.jeyaharmessages: +
2014-10-02 18:03:18 700eb415 set nosy: + 700eb415messages: +
2014-08-18 00:22:24 josh.r set nosy: + josh.r
2014-08-15 20:13:55 vstinner set messages: +
2014-08-11 09:12:26 christian.heimes set nosy: + christian.heimes
2014-08-10 23:42:57 pitrou set type: enhancementstage: needs patch
2014-08-10 23:42:25 pitrou set nosy: + neologix
2014-08-10 23:34:42 alex set nosy: + alex
2014-08-10 23:32:43 vstinner create