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author | Daniel Baumann <daniel.baumann@progress-linux.org> | 2024-04-27 10:05:51 +0000 |
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committer | Daniel Baumann <daniel.baumann@progress-linux.org> | 2024-04-27 10:05:51 +0000 |
commit | 5d1646d90e1f2cceb9f0828f4b28318cd0ec7744 (patch) | |
tree | a94efe259b9009378be6d90eb30d2b019d95c194 /Documentation/admin-guide/LSM/Smack.rst | |
parent | Initial commit. (diff) | |
download | linux-upstream/5.10.209.tar.xz linux-upstream/5.10.209.zip |
Adding upstream version 5.10.209.upstream/5.10.209upstream
Signed-off-by: Daniel Baumann <daniel.baumann@progress-linux.org>
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diff --git a/Documentation/admin-guide/LSM/Smack.rst b/Documentation/admin-guide/LSM/Smack.rst new file mode 100644 index 000000000..6d44f4fdb --- /dev/null +++ b/Documentation/admin-guide/LSM/Smack.rst @@ -0,0 +1,861 @@ +===== +Smack +===== + + + "Good for you, you've decided to clean the elevator!" + - The Elevator, from Dark Star + +Smack is the Simplified Mandatory Access Control Kernel. +Smack is a kernel based implementation of mandatory access +control that includes simplicity in its primary design goals. + +Smack is not the only Mandatory Access Control scheme +available for Linux. Those new to Mandatory Access Control +are encouraged to compare Smack with the other mechanisms +available to determine which is best suited to the problem +at hand. + +Smack consists of three major components: + + - The kernel + - Basic utilities, which are helpful but not required + - Configuration data + +The kernel component of Smack is implemented as a Linux +Security Modules (LSM) module. It requires netlabel and +works best with file systems that support extended attributes, +although xattr support is not strictly required. +It is safe to run a Smack kernel under a "vanilla" distribution. + +Smack kernels use the CIPSO IP option. Some network +configurations are intolerant of IP options and can impede +access to systems that use them as Smack does. + +Smack is used in the Tizen operating system. Please +go to http://wiki.tizen.org for information about how +Smack is used in Tizen. + +The current git repository for Smack user space is: + + git://github.com/smack-team/smack.git + +This should make and install on most modern distributions. +There are five commands included in smackutil: + +chsmack: + display or set Smack extended attribute values + +smackctl: + load the Smack access rules + +smackaccess: + report if a process with one label has access + to an object with another + +These two commands are obsolete with the introduction of +the smackfs/load2 and smackfs/cipso2 interfaces. + +smackload: + properly formats data for writing to smackfs/load + +smackcipso: + properly formats data for writing to smackfs/cipso + +In keeping with the intent of Smack, configuration data is +minimal and not strictly required. The most important +configuration step is mounting the smackfs pseudo filesystem. +If smackutil is installed the startup script will take care +of this, but it can be manually as well. + +Add this line to ``/etc/fstab``:: + + smackfs /sys/fs/smackfs smackfs defaults 0 0 + +The ``/sys/fs/smackfs`` directory is created by the kernel. + +Smack uses extended attributes (xattrs) to store labels on filesystem +objects. The attributes are stored in the extended attribute security +name space. A process must have ``CAP_MAC_ADMIN`` to change any of these +attributes. + +The extended attributes that Smack uses are: + +SMACK64 + Used to make access control decisions. In almost all cases + the label given to a new filesystem object will be the label + of the process that created it. + +SMACK64EXEC + The Smack label of a process that execs a program file with + this attribute set will run with this attribute's value. + +SMACK64MMAP + Don't allow the file to be mmapped by a process whose Smack + label does not allow all of the access permitted to a process + with the label contained in this attribute. This is a very + specific use case for shared libraries. + +SMACK64TRANSMUTE + Can only have the value "TRUE". If this attribute is present + on a directory when an object is created in the directory and + the Smack rule (more below) that permitted the write access + to the directory includes the transmute ("t") mode the object + gets the label of the directory instead of the label of the + creating process. If the object being created is a directory + the SMACK64TRANSMUTE attribute is set as well. + +SMACK64IPIN + This attribute is only available on file descriptors for sockets. + Use the Smack label in this attribute for access control + decisions on packets being delivered to this socket. + +SMACK64IPOUT + This attribute is only available on file descriptors for sockets. + Use the Smack label in this attribute for access control + decisions on packets coming from this socket. + +There are multiple ways to set a Smack label on a file:: + + # attr -S -s SMACK64 -V "value" path + # chsmack -a value path + +A process can see the Smack label it is running with by +reading ``/proc/self/attr/current``. A process with ``CAP_MAC_ADMIN`` +can set the process Smack by writing there. + +Most Smack configuration is accomplished by writing to files +in the smackfs filesystem. This pseudo-filesystem is mounted +on ``/sys/fs/smackfs``. + +access + Provided for backward compatibility. The access2 interface + is preferred and should be used instead. + This interface reports whether a subject with the specified + Smack label has a particular access to an object with a + specified Smack label. Write a fixed format access rule to + this file. The next read will indicate whether the access + would be permitted. The text will be either "1" indicating + access, or "0" indicating denial. + +access2 + This interface reports whether a subject with the specified + Smack label has a particular access to an object with a + specified Smack label. Write a long format access rule to + this file. The next read will indicate whether the access + would be permitted. The text will be either "1" indicating + access, or "0" indicating denial. + +ambient + This contains the Smack label applied to unlabeled network + packets. + +change-rule + This interface allows modification of existing access control rules. + The format accepted on write is:: + + "%s %s %s %s" + + where the first string is the subject label, the second the + object label, the third the access to allow and the fourth the + access to deny. The access strings may contain only the characters + "rwxat-". If a rule for a given subject and object exists it will be + modified by enabling the permissions in the third string and disabling + those in the fourth string. If there is no such rule it will be + created using the access specified in the third and the fourth strings. + +cipso + Provided for backward compatibility. The cipso2 interface + is preferred and should be used instead. + This interface allows a specific CIPSO header to be assigned + to a Smack label. The format accepted on write is:: + + "%24s%4d%4d"["%4d"]... + + The first string is a fixed Smack label. The first number is + the level to use. The second number is the number of categories. + The following numbers are the categories:: + + "level-3-cats-5-19 3 2 5 19" + +cipso2 + This interface allows a specific CIPSO header to be assigned + to a Smack label. The format accepted on write is:: + + "%s%4d%4d"["%4d"]... + + The first string is a long Smack label. The first number is + the level to use. The second number is the number of categories. + The following numbers are the categories:: + + "level-3-cats-5-19 3 2 5 19" + +direct + This contains the CIPSO level used for Smack direct label + representation in network packets. + +doi + This contains the CIPSO domain of interpretation used in + network packets. + +ipv6host + This interface allows specific IPv6 internet addresses to be + treated as single label hosts. Packets are sent to single + label hosts only from processes that have Smack write access + to the host label. All packets received from single label hosts + are given the specified label. The format accepted on write is:: + + "%h:%h:%h:%h:%h:%h:%h:%h label" or + "%h:%h:%h:%h:%h:%h:%h:%h/%d label". + + The "::" address shortcut is not supported. + If label is "-DELETE" a matched entry will be deleted. + +load + Provided for backward compatibility. The load2 interface + is preferred and should be used instead. + This interface allows access control rules in addition to + the system defined rules to be specified. The format accepted + on write is:: + + "%24s%24s%5s" + + where the first string is the subject label, the second the + object label, and the third the requested access. The access + string may contain only the characters "rwxat-", and specifies + which sort of access is allowed. The "-" is a placeholder for + permissions that are not allowed. The string "r-x--" would + specify read and execute access. Labels are limited to 23 + characters in length. + +load2 + This interface allows access control rules in addition to + the system defined rules to be specified. The format accepted + on write is:: + + "%s %s %s" + + where the first string is the subject label, the second the + object label, and the third the requested access. The access + string may contain only the characters "rwxat-", and specifies + which sort of access is allowed. The "-" is a placeholder for + permissions that are not allowed. The string "r-x--" would + specify read and execute access. + +load-self + Provided for backward compatibility. The load-self2 interface + is preferred and should be used instead. + This interface allows process specific access rules to be + defined. These rules are only consulted if access would + otherwise be permitted, and are intended to provide additional + restrictions on the process. The format is the same as for + the load interface. + +load-self2 + This interface allows process specific access rules to be + defined. These rules are only consulted if access would + otherwise be permitted, and are intended to provide additional + restrictions on the process. The format is the same as for + the load2 interface. + +logging + This contains the Smack logging state. + +mapped + This contains the CIPSO level used for Smack mapped label + representation in network packets. + +netlabel + This interface allows specific internet addresses to be + treated as single label hosts. Packets are sent to single + label hosts without CIPSO headers, but only from processes + that have Smack write access to the host label. All packets + received from single label hosts are given the specified + label. The format accepted on write is:: + + "%d.%d.%d.%d label" or "%d.%d.%d.%d/%d label". + + If the label specified is "-CIPSO" the address is treated + as a host that supports CIPSO headers. + +onlycap + This contains labels processes must have for CAP_MAC_ADMIN + and ``CAP_MAC_OVERRIDE`` to be effective. If this file is empty + these capabilities are effective at for processes with any + label. The values are set by writing the desired labels, separated + by spaces, to the file or cleared by writing "-" to the file. + +ptrace + This is used to define the current ptrace policy + + 0 - default: + this is the policy that relies on Smack access rules. + For the ``PTRACE_READ`` a subject needs to have a read access on + object. For the ``PTRACE_ATTACH`` a read-write access is required. + + 1 - exact: + this is the policy that limits ``PTRACE_ATTACH``. Attach is + only allowed when subject's and object's labels are equal. + ``PTRACE_READ`` is not affected. Can be overridden with ``CAP_SYS_PTRACE``. + + 2 - draconian: + this policy behaves like the 'exact' above with an + exception that it can't be overridden with ``CAP_SYS_PTRACE``. + +revoke-subject + Writing a Smack label here sets the access to '-' for all access + rules with that subject label. + +unconfined + If the kernel is configured with ``CONFIG_SECURITY_SMACK_BRINGUP`` + a process with ``CAP_MAC_ADMIN`` can write a label into this interface. + Thereafter, accesses that involve that label will be logged and + the access permitted if it wouldn't be otherwise. Note that this + is dangerous and can ruin the proper labeling of your system. + It should never be used in production. + +relabel-self + This interface contains a list of labels to which the process can + transition to, by writing to ``/proc/self/attr/current``. + Normally a process can change its own label to any legal value, but only + if it has ``CAP_MAC_ADMIN``. This interface allows a process without + ``CAP_MAC_ADMIN`` to relabel itself to one of labels from predefined list. + A process without ``CAP_MAC_ADMIN`` can change its label only once. When it + does, this list will be cleared. + The values are set by writing the desired labels, separated + by spaces, to the file or cleared by writing "-" to the file. + +If you are using the smackload utility +you can add access rules in ``/etc/smack/accesses``. They take the form:: + + subjectlabel objectlabel access + +access is a combination of the letters rwxatb which specify the +kind of access permitted a subject with subjectlabel on an +object with objectlabel. If there is no rule no access is allowed. + +Look for additional programs on http://schaufler-ca.com + +The Simplified Mandatory Access Control Kernel (Whitepaper) +=========================================================== + +Casey Schaufler +casey@schaufler-ca.com + +Mandatory Access Control +------------------------ + +Computer systems employ a variety of schemes to constrain how information is +shared among the people and services using the machine. Some of these schemes +allow the program or user to decide what other programs or users are allowed +access to pieces of data. These schemes are called discretionary access +control mechanisms because the access control is specified at the discretion +of the user. Other schemes do not leave the decision regarding what a user or +program can access up to users or programs. These schemes are called mandatory +access control mechanisms because you don't have a choice regarding the users +or programs that have access to pieces of data. + +Bell & LaPadula +--------------- + +From the middle of the 1980's until the turn of the century Mandatory Access +Control (MAC) was very closely associated with the Bell & LaPadula security +model, a mathematical description of the United States Department of Defense +policy for marking paper documents. MAC in this form enjoyed a following +within the Capital Beltway and Scandinavian supercomputer centers but was +often sited as failing to address general needs. + +Domain Type Enforcement +----------------------- + +Around the turn of the century Domain Type Enforcement (DTE) became popular. +This scheme organizes users, programs, and data into domains that are +protected from each other. This scheme has been widely deployed as a component +of popular Linux distributions. The administrative overhead required to +maintain this scheme and the detailed understanding of the whole system +necessary to provide a secure domain mapping leads to the scheme being +disabled or used in limited ways in the majority of cases. + +Smack +----- + +Smack is a Mandatory Access Control mechanism designed to provide useful MAC +while avoiding the pitfalls of its predecessors. The limitations of Bell & +LaPadula are addressed by providing a scheme whereby access can be controlled +according to the requirements of the system and its purpose rather than those +imposed by an arcane government policy. The complexity of Domain Type +Enforcement and avoided by defining access controls in terms of the access +modes already in use. + +Smack Terminology +----------------- + +The jargon used to talk about Smack will be familiar to those who have dealt +with other MAC systems and shouldn't be too difficult for the uninitiated to +pick up. There are four terms that are used in a specific way and that are +especially important: + + Subject: + A subject is an active entity on the computer system. + On Smack a subject is a task, which is in turn the basic unit + of execution. + + Object: + An object is a passive entity on the computer system. + On Smack files of all types, IPC, and tasks can be objects. + + Access: + Any attempt by a subject to put information into or get + information from an object is an access. + + Label: + Data that identifies the Mandatory Access Control + characteristics of a subject or an object. + +These definitions are consistent with the traditional use in the security +community. There are also some terms from Linux that are likely to crop up: + + Capability: + A task that possesses a capability has permission to + violate an aspect of the system security policy, as identified by + the specific capability. A task that possesses one or more + capabilities is a privileged task, whereas a task with no + capabilities is an unprivileged task. + + Privilege: + A task that is allowed to violate the system security + policy is said to have privilege. As of this writing a task can + have privilege either by possessing capabilities or by having an + effective user of root. + +Smack Basics +------------ + +Smack is an extension to a Linux system. It enforces additional restrictions +on what subjects can access which objects, based on the labels attached to +each of the subject and the object. + +Labels +~~~~~~ + +Smack labels are ASCII character strings. They can be up to 255 characters +long, but keeping them to twenty-three characters is recommended. +Single character labels using special characters, that being anything +other than a letter or digit, are reserved for use by the Smack development +team. Smack labels are unstructured, case sensitive, and the only operation +ever performed on them is comparison for equality. Smack labels cannot +contain unprintable characters, the "/" (slash), the "\" (backslash), the "'" +(quote) and '"' (double-quote) characters. +Smack labels cannot begin with a '-'. This is reserved for special options. + +There are some predefined labels:: + + _ Pronounced "floor", a single underscore character. + ^ Pronounced "hat", a single circumflex character. + * Pronounced "star", a single asterisk character. + ? Pronounced "huh", a single question mark character. + @ Pronounced "web", a single at sign character. + +Every task on a Smack system is assigned a label. The Smack label +of a process will usually be assigned by the system initialization +mechanism. + +Access Rules +~~~~~~~~~~~~ + +Smack uses the traditional access modes of Linux. These modes are read, +execute, write, and occasionally append. There are a few cases where the +access mode may not be obvious. These include: + + Signals: + A signal is a write operation from the subject task to + the object task. + + Internet Domain IPC: + Transmission of a packet is considered a + write operation from the source task to the destination task. + +Smack restricts access based on the label attached to a subject and the label +attached to the object it is trying to access. The rules enforced are, in +order: + + 1. Any access requested by a task labeled "*" is denied. + 2. A read or execute access requested by a task labeled "^" + is permitted. + 3. A read or execute access requested on an object labeled "_" + is permitted. + 4. Any access requested on an object labeled "*" is permitted. + 5. Any access requested by a task on an object with the same + label is permitted. + 6. Any access requested that is explicitly defined in the loaded + rule set is permitted. + 7. Any other access is denied. + +Smack Access Rules +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + +With the isolation provided by Smack access separation is simple. There are +many interesting cases where limited access by subjects to objects with +different labels is desired. One example is the familiar spy model of +sensitivity, where a scientist working on a highly classified project would be +able to read documents of lower classifications and anything she writes will +be "born" highly classified. To accommodate such schemes Smack includes a +mechanism for specifying rules allowing access between labels. + +Access Rule Format +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + +The format of an access rule is:: + + subject-label object-label access + +Where subject-label is the Smack label of the task, object-label is the Smack +label of the thing being accessed, and access is a string specifying the sort +of access allowed. The access specification is searched for letters that +describe access modes: + + a: indicates that append access should be granted. + r: indicates that read access should be granted. + w: indicates that write access should be granted. + x: indicates that execute access should be granted. + t: indicates that the rule requests transmutation. + b: indicates that the rule should be reported for bring-up. + +Uppercase values for the specification letters are allowed as well. +Access mode specifications can be in any order. Examples of acceptable rules +are:: + + TopSecret Secret rx + Secret Unclass R + Manager Game x + User HR w + Snap Crackle rwxatb + New Old rRrRr + Closed Off - + +Examples of unacceptable rules are:: + + Top Secret Secret rx + Ace Ace r + Odd spells waxbeans + +Spaces are not allowed in labels. Since a subject always has access to files +with the same label specifying a rule for that case is pointless. Only +valid letters (rwxatbRWXATB) and the dash ('-') character are allowed in +access specifications. The dash is a placeholder, so "a-r" is the same +as "ar". A lone dash is used to specify that no access should be allowed. + +Applying Access Rules +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + +The developers of Linux rarely define new sorts of things, usually importing +schemes and concepts from other systems. Most often, the other systems are +variants of Unix. Unix has many endearing properties, but consistency of +access control models is not one of them. Smack strives to treat accesses as +uniformly as is sensible while keeping with the spirit of the underlying +mechanism. + +File system objects including files, directories, named pipes, symbolic links, +and devices require access permissions that closely match those used by mode +bit access. To open a file for reading read access is required on the file. To +search a directory requires execute access. Creating a file with write access +requires both read and write access on the containing directory. Deleting a +file requires read and write access to the file and to the containing +directory. It is possible that a user may be able to see that a file exists +but not any of its attributes by the circumstance of having read access to the +containing directory but not to the differently labeled file. This is an +artifact of the file name being data in the directory, not a part of the file. + +If a directory is marked as transmuting (SMACK64TRANSMUTE=TRUE) and the +access rule that allows a process to create an object in that directory +includes 't' access the label assigned to the new object will be that +of the directory, not the creating process. This makes it much easier +for two processes with different labels to share data without granting +access to all of their files. + +IPC objects, message queues, semaphore sets, and memory segments exist in flat +namespaces and access requests are only required to match the object in +question. + +Process objects reflect tasks on the system and the Smack label used to access +them is the same Smack label that the task would use for its own access +attempts. Sending a signal via the kill() system call is a write operation +from the signaler to the recipient. Debugging a process requires both reading +and writing. Creating a new task is an internal operation that results in two +tasks with identical Smack labels and requires no access checks. + +Sockets are data structures attached to processes and sending a packet from +one process to another requires that the sender have write access to the +receiver. The receiver is not required to have read access to the sender. + +Setting Access Rules +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + +The configuration file /etc/smack/accesses contains the rules to be set at +system startup. The contents are written to the special file +/sys/fs/smackfs/load2. Rules can be added at any time and take effect +immediately. For any pair of subject and object labels there can be only +one rule, with the most recently specified overriding any earlier +specification. + +Task Attribute +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + +The Smack label of a process can be read from /proc/<pid>/attr/current. A +process can read its own Smack label from /proc/self/attr/current. A +privileged process can change its own Smack label by writing to +/proc/self/attr/current but not the label of another process. + +File Attribute +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + +The Smack label of a filesystem object is stored as an extended attribute +named SMACK64 on the file. This attribute is in the security namespace. It can +only be changed by a process with privilege. + +Privilege +~~~~~~~~~ + +A process with CAP_MAC_OVERRIDE or CAP_MAC_ADMIN is privileged. +CAP_MAC_OVERRIDE allows the process access to objects it would +be denied otherwise. CAP_MAC_ADMIN allows a process to change +Smack data, including rules and attributes. + +Smack Networking +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + +As mentioned before, Smack enforces access control on network protocol +transmissions. Every packet sent by a Smack process is tagged with its Smack +label. This is done by adding a CIPSO tag to the header of the IP packet. Each +packet received is expected to have a CIPSO tag that identifies the label and +if it lacks such a tag the network ambient label is assumed. Before the packet +is delivered a check is made to determine that a subject with the label on the +packet has write access to the receiving process and if that is not the case +the packet is dropped. + +CIPSO Configuration +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + +It is normally unnecessary to specify the CIPSO configuration. The default +values used by the system handle all internal cases. Smack will compose CIPSO +label values to match the Smack labels being used without administrative +intervention. Unlabeled packets that come into the system will be given the +ambient label. + +Smack requires configuration in the case where packets from a system that is +not Smack that speaks CIPSO may be encountered. Usually this will be a Trusted +Solaris system, but there are other, less widely deployed systems out there. +CIPSO provides 3 important values, a Domain Of Interpretation (DOI), a level, +and a category set with each packet. The DOI is intended to identify a group +of systems that use compatible labeling schemes, and the DOI specified on the +Smack system must match that of the remote system or packets will be +discarded. The DOI is 3 by default. The value can be read from +/sys/fs/smackfs/doi and can be changed by writing to /sys/fs/smackfs/doi. + +The label and category set are mapped to a Smack label as defined in +/etc/smack/cipso. + +A Smack/CIPSO mapping has the form:: + + smack level [category [category]*] + +Smack does not expect the level or category sets to be related in any +particular way and does not assume or assign accesses based on them. Some +examples of mappings:: + + TopSecret 7 + TS:A,B 7 1 2 + SecBDE 5 2 4 6 + RAFTERS 7 12 26 + +The ":" and "," characters are permitted in a Smack label but have no special +meaning. + +The mapping of Smack labels to CIPSO values is defined by writing to +/sys/fs/smackfs/cipso2. + +In addition to explicit mappings Smack supports direct CIPSO mappings. One +CIPSO level is used to indicate that the category set passed in the packet is +in fact an encoding of the Smack label. The level used is 250 by default. The +value can be read from /sys/fs/smackfs/direct and changed by writing to +/sys/fs/smackfs/direct. + +Socket Attributes +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + +There are two attributes that are associated with sockets. These attributes +can only be set by privileged tasks, but any task can read them for their own +sockets. + + SMACK64IPIN: + The Smack label of the task object. A privileged + program that will enforce policy may set this to the star label. + + SMACK64IPOUT: + The Smack label transmitted with outgoing packets. + A privileged program may set this to match the label of another + task with which it hopes to communicate. + +Smack Netlabel Exceptions +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + +You will often find that your labeled application has to talk to the outside, +unlabeled world. To do this there's a special file /sys/fs/smackfs/netlabel +where you can add some exceptions in the form of:: + + @IP1 LABEL1 or + @IP2/MASK LABEL2 + +It means that your application will have unlabeled access to @IP1 if it has +write access on LABEL1, and access to the subnet @IP2/MASK if it has write +access on LABEL2. + +Entries in the /sys/fs/smackfs/netlabel file are matched by longest mask +first, like in classless IPv4 routing. + +A special label '@' and an option '-CIPSO' can be used there:: + + @ means Internet, any application with any label has access to it + -CIPSO means standard CIPSO networking + +If you don't know what CIPSO is and don't plan to use it, you can just do:: + + echo 127.0.0.1 -CIPSO > /sys/fs/smackfs/netlabel + echo 0.0.0.0/0 @ > /sys/fs/smackfs/netlabel + +If you use CIPSO on your 192.168.0.0/16 local network and need also unlabeled +Internet access, you can have:: + + echo 127.0.0.1 -CIPSO > /sys/fs/smackfs/netlabel + echo 192.168.0.0/16 -CIPSO > /sys/fs/smackfs/netlabel + echo 0.0.0.0/0 @ > /sys/fs/smackfs/netlabel + +Writing Applications for Smack +------------------------------ + +There are three sorts of applications that will run on a Smack system. How an +application interacts with Smack will determine what it will have to do to +work properly under Smack. + +Smack Ignorant Applications +--------------------------- + +By far the majority of applications have no reason whatever to care about the +unique properties of Smack. Since invoking a program has no impact on the +Smack label associated with the process the only concern likely to arise is +whether the process has execute access to the program. + +Smack Relevant Applications +--------------------------- + +Some programs can be improved by teaching them about Smack, but do not make +any security decisions themselves. The utility ls(1) is one example of such a +program. + +Smack Enforcing Applications +---------------------------- + +These are special programs that not only know about Smack, but participate in +the enforcement of system policy. In most cases these are the programs that +set up user sessions. There are also network services that provide information +to processes running with various labels. + +File System Interfaces +---------------------- + +Smack maintains labels on file system objects using extended attributes. The +Smack label of a file, directory, or other file system object can be obtained +using getxattr(2):: + + len = getxattr("/", "security.SMACK64", value, sizeof (value)); + +will put the Smack label of the root directory into value. A privileged +process can set the Smack label of a file system object with setxattr(2):: + + len = strlen("Rubble"); + rc = setxattr("/foo", "security.SMACK64", "Rubble", len, 0); + +will set the Smack label of /foo to "Rubble" if the program has appropriate +privilege. + +Socket Interfaces +----------------- + +The socket attributes can be read using fgetxattr(2). + +A privileged process can set the Smack label of outgoing packets with +fsetxattr(2):: + + len = strlen("Rubble"); + rc = fsetxattr(fd, "security.SMACK64IPOUT", "Rubble", len, 0); + +will set the Smack label "Rubble" on packets going out from the socket if the +program has appropriate privilege:: + + rc = fsetxattr(fd, "security.SMACK64IPIN, "*", strlen("*"), 0); + +will set the Smack label "*" as the object label against which incoming +packets will be checked if the program has appropriate privilege. + +Administration +-------------- + +Smack supports some mount options: + + smackfsdef=label: + specifies the label to give files that lack + the Smack label extended attribute. + + smackfsroot=label: + specifies the label to assign the root of the + file system if it lacks the Smack extended attribute. + + smackfshat=label: + specifies a label that must have read access to + all labels set on the filesystem. Not yet enforced. + + smackfsfloor=label: + specifies a label to which all labels set on the + filesystem must have read access. Not yet enforced. + + smackfstransmute=label: + behaves exactly like smackfsroot except that it also + sets the transmute flag on the root of the mount + +These mount options apply to all file system types. + +Smack auditing +-------------- + +If you want Smack auditing of security events, you need to set CONFIG_AUDIT +in your kernel configuration. +By default, all denied events will be audited. You can change this behavior by +writing a single character to the /sys/fs/smackfs/logging file:: + + 0 : no logging + 1 : log denied (default) + 2 : log accepted + 3 : log denied & accepted + +Events are logged as 'key=value' pairs, for each event you at least will get +the subject, the object, the rights requested, the action, the kernel function +that triggered the event, plus other pairs depending on the type of event +audited. + +Bringup Mode +------------ + +Bringup mode provides logging features that can make application +configuration and system bringup easier. Configure the kernel with +CONFIG_SECURITY_SMACK_BRINGUP to enable these features. When bringup +mode is enabled accesses that succeed due to rules marked with the "b" +access mode will logged. When a new label is introduced for processes +rules can be added aggressively, marked with the "b". The logging allows +tracking of which rules actual get used for that label. + +Another feature of bringup mode is the "unconfined" option. Writing +a label to /sys/fs/smackfs/unconfined makes subjects with that label +able to access any object, and objects with that label accessible to +all subjects. Any access that is granted because a label is unconfined +is logged. This feature is dangerous, as files and directories may +be created in places they couldn't if the policy were being enforced. |