Reviewed-by: Kees Cook <keescook@xxxxxxxxxxxx> Signed-off-by: Andy Lutomirski <luto@xxxxxxxxxx> --- Changes from v2: Add a note about arg3 == 0 in CLEAR_ALL. man2/prctl.2 | 13 +++++++++++++ man7/capabilities.7 | 40 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++------ 2 files changed, 47 insertions(+), 6 deletions(-) diff --git a/man2/prctl.2 b/man2/prctl.2 index e743a6305969..bf8680f3b62d 100644 --- a/man2/prctl.2 +++ b/man2/prctl.2 @@ -954,6 +954,19 @@ had been called. For further information on Intel MPX, see the kernel source file .IR Documentation/x86/intel_mpx.txt . .\" +.TP +.BR PR_CAP_AMBIENT " (since Linux 4.2)" +Reads or changes the ambient capability set. If arg2 is PR_CAP_AMBIENT_RAISE, +then the capability specified in arg3 is added to the ambient set. This will +fail, returning EPERM, if the capability is not already both permitted and +inheritable or if the SECBIT_NO_CAP_AMBIENT_RAISE securebit is set. If arg2 +is PR_CAP_AMBIENT_LOWER, then the capability specified in arg3 is removed +from the ambient set. If arg2 is PR_CAP_AMBIENT_IS_SET, then +.BR prctl (2) +will return 1 if the capability in arg3 is in the ambient set and 0 if not. +If arg2 is PR_CAP_AMBIENT_CLEAR_ALL, then all capabilities will +be removed from the ambient set. (Using PR_CAP_AMBIENT_CLEAR_ALL requires +setting arg3 to zero.) .SH RETURN VALUE On success, .BR PR_GET_DUMPABLE , diff --git a/man7/capabilities.7 b/man7/capabilities.7 index 616189c881e4..8934d05a5b07 100644 --- a/man7/capabilities.7 +++ b/man7/capabilities.7 @@ -700,13 +700,34 @@ a program whose associated file capabilities grant that capability). .IR Inheritable : This is a set of capabilities preserved across an .BR execve (2). -It provides a mechanism for a process to assign capabilities -to the permitted set of the new program during an -.BR execve (2). +Inheritable capabilities remain inheritable when executing any program, +and inheritable capabilities are added to the permitted set when executing +a program that has the corresponding bits set in the file inheritable set. +.IP +Because inheritable capabilities are not generally preserved across +.BR execve (2) +when running as a non-root user, applications that wish to run helper +programs with elevated capabilities should consider using ambient capabilities, +described below. .TP .IR Effective : This is the set of capabilities used by the kernel to perform permission checks for the thread. +.TP +.IR Ambient " (since Linux 4.3):" +This is a set of capabilities that are preserved across an +.BR execve (2) +of a program that does not have file capabilities. The ambient capability +set obeys the invariant that no capability can ever be ambient if it is +not both permitted and inheritable. Ambient capabilities are +preserved in the permitted set and added to the effective +set when +.BR execve (2) +is called. The ambient capability set is modified using +.BR prctl (2). +Executing a program that changes uid or gid due to the setuid or setgid +bits or executing a program that has any file capabilities set will clear +the ambient set. .PP A child created via .BR fork (2) @@ -788,10 +809,12 @@ the process using the following algorithm: .in +4n .nf +P'(ambient) = (file has capabilities or is setuid or setgid) ? 0 : P(ambient) + P'(permitted) = (P(inheritable) & F(inheritable)) | - (F(permitted) & cap_bset) + (F(permitted) & cap_bset) | P'(ambient) -P'(effective) = F(effective) ? P'(permitted) : 0 +P'(effective) = F(effective) ? P'(permitted) : P'(ambient) P'(inheritable) = P(inheritable) [i.e., unchanged] @@ -1074,6 +1097,10 @@ an effective or real UID of 0 calls .BR execve (2). (See the subsection .IR "Capabilities and execution of programs by root" .) +.TP +.B SECBIT_NO_CAP_AMBIENT_RAISE +Setting this flag disallows +.BR PR_CAP_AMBIENT_RAISE . .PP Each of the above "base" flags has a companion "locked" flag. Setting any of the "locked" flags is irreversible, @@ -1082,8 +1109,9 @@ corresponding "base" flag. The locked flags are: .BR SECBIT_KEEP_CAPS_LOCKED , .BR SECBIT_NO_SETUID_FIXUP_LOCKED , +.BR SECBIT_NOROOT_LOCKED , and -.BR SECBIT_NOROOT_LOCKED . +.BR SECBIT_NO_CAP_AMBIENT_RAISE . .PP The .I securebits -- 2.4.3 -- To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-api" in the body of a message to majordomo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html
