A recent patch to the Linux kernel allows the introduction of CPU mitigations even for machines not affected by certain vulnerabilities. This new feature was proposed by Brendan Jackman, a Google engineer. The patch introduces a boot parameter called force_cpu_bug= which enables users to force the kernel to behave as if the CPU is affected by vulnerabilities like Spectre, Meltdown, or Retbleed.
While one might wonder why anyone would want to activate this functionality on unaffected machines, Jackman highlights its utility for debugging purposes and research. It can help developers understand performance implications of mitigations that may not be immediately necessary.
Jackman clarified that the current design requires identifying the CPU’s status based on specific bugs rather than by mitigations, which might be less practical. His patch is currently undergoing the standard review process to determine its potential inclusion in the mainline Linux kernel.
For more details, you can view Jackman’s original patch here.
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