Re: [PATCH] crypto: vmx: Remove dubiously licensed crypto code
From: Tyrel Datwyler <hidden>
Date: 2017-03-29 23:08:12
Also in:
linux-crypto, lkml
On 03/29/2017 08:13 AM, Michal Suchánek wrote:
On Wed, 29 Mar 2017 16:51:35 +0200 Greg Kroah-Hartman [off-list ref] wrote:quoted
On Wed, Mar 29, 2017 at 02:56:39PM +0200, Michal Suchanek wrote:quoted
While reviewing commit 11c6e16ee13a ("crypto: vmx - Adding asm subroutines for XTS") which adds the OpenSSL license header to drivers/crypto/vmx/aesp8-ppc.pl licensing of this driver came into qestion. The whole license reads: # Licensed under the OpenSSL license (the "License"). You may not use # this file except in compliance with the License. You can obtain a # copy # in the file LICENSE in the source distribution or at # https://www.openssl.org/source/license.html # # ==================================================================== # Written by Andy Polyakov [off-list ref] for the OpenSSL # project. The module is, however, dual licensed under OpenSSL and # CRYPTOGAMS licenses depending on where you obtain it. For further # details see http://www.openssl.org/~appro/cryptogams/. # ==================================================================== After seeking legal advice it is still not clear that this driver can be legally used in Linux. In particular the "depending on where you obtain it" part does not make it clear when you can apply the GPL and when the OpenSSL license. I tried contacting the author of the code for clarification but did not hear back. In absence of clear licensing the only solution I see is removing this code.
A quick 'git grep OpenSSL' of the Linux tree returns several other crypto files under the ARM architecture that are similarly licensed. Namely: arch/arm/crypto/sha1-armv4-large.S arch/arm/crypto/sha256-armv4.pl arch/arm/crypto/sha256-core.S_shipped arch/arm/crypto/sha512-armv4.pl arch/arm/crypto/sha512-core.S_shipped arch/arm64/crypto/sha256-core.S_shipped arch/arm64/crypto/sha512-armv8.pl arch/arm64/crypto/sha512-core.S_shipped On closer inspection of some of those files have the addendum that "Permission to use under GPL terms is granted", but not all of them. -Tyrel