* [PATCH 1/2] userns: don't drop the exec securebits
2026-10-26 20:53 [PATCH 0/2] userns: keep the exec securebits Christian Brauner
@ 2026-10-26 20:53 ` Christian Brauner
2026-10-26 20:53 ` [PATCH 2/2] selftests/exec: check that user namespaces keep " Christian Brauner
1 sibling, 0 replies; 3+ messages in thread
From: Christian Brauner @ 2026-10-26 20:53 UTC (permalink / raw)
To: linux-fsdevel
Cc: Mickaël Salaün, Serge Hallyn, linux-kernel, linux-mm,
Jann Horn, Christian Brauner (Amutable),
stable
SECBIT_EXEC_RESTRICT_FILE and SECBIT_EXEC_DENY_INTERACTIVE tell script
interpreters to only run what AT_EXECVE_CHECK allows and to refuse
interactive input. A service manager sets them together with their lock
bits so that nothing below it can turn them off again.
But set_cred_user_ns() resets all securebits to SECUREBITS_DEFAULT. So
any task that can create a user namespace sheds the locked exec bits
with a single unshare(CLONE_NEWUSER) and joining one with setns() does
the same. The lock is pointless if anyone who may create a user
namespace can drop it, and that is pretty much everyone.
Resetting the other bits is fine. They are about how capabilities are
computed and a new user namespace starts out with a full set of
capabilities anyway. The exec bits grant nothing though. They are
restrictions a task placed on itself, just like no_new_privs which a
user namespace doesn't touch either. So keep them and their locks.
Reproducer:
// SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0
/* Lock the exec securebits, then create a user namespace and look at them again. */
#define _GNU_SOURCE
#include <sched.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#include <sys/prctl.h>
#define SECBIT_EXEC_RESTRICT_FILE (1 << 8)
#define SECBIT_EXEC_RESTRICT_FILE_LOCKED (1 << 9)
#define SECBIT_EXEC_DENY_INTERACTIVE (1 << 10)
#define SECBIT_EXEC_DENY_INTERACTIVE_LOCKED (1 << 11)
int main(void)
{
int bits = SECBIT_EXEC_RESTRICT_FILE | SECBIT_EXEC_RESTRICT_FILE_LOCKED |
SECBIT_EXEC_DENY_INTERACTIVE | SECBIT_EXEC_DENY_INTERACTIVE_LOCKED;
if (prctl(PR_SET_SECUREBITS, bits, 0, 0, 0)) {
perror("PR_SET_SECUREBITS");
return 1;
}
printf("before: 0x%x\n", prctl(PR_GET_SECUREBITS, 0, 0, 0, 0));
printf("clear locked bits: %s\n", prctl(PR_SET_SECUREBITS, 0, 0, 0, 0) ? "refused" : "ALLOWED");
if (unshare(CLONE_NEWUSER)) {
perror("unshare(CLONE_NEWUSER)");
return 1;
}
printf("after unshare(CLONE_NEWUSER): 0x%x\n", prctl(PR_GET_SECUREBITS, 0, 0, 0, 0));
return 0;
}
On v7.1 this prints "before: 0xf00", "clear locked bits: refused" and
"after unshare(CLONE_NEWUSER): 0x0". With this patch the last line
reads 0xf00 as well.
Fixes: a0623b2a1d59 ("security: Add EXEC_RESTRICT_FILE and EXEC_DENY_INTERACTIVE securebits")
Cc: stable@vger.kernel.org # v6.14+
Signed-off-by: Christian Brauner (Amutable) <brauner@kernel.org>
---
Documentation/userspace-api/check_exec.rst | 4 ++++
kernel/user_namespace.c | 5 ++++-
2 files changed, 8 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
diff --git a/Documentation/userspace-api/check_exec.rst b/Documentation/userspace-api/check_exec.rst
index 05dfe3b56f71..0904810e1d8d 100644
--- a/Documentation/userspace-api/check_exec.rst
+++ b/Documentation/userspace-api/check_exec.rst
@@ -99,6 +99,10 @@ This secure bit may be set by user session managers, service managers,
container runtimes, sandboxer tools... Except for test environments, the
related ``SECBIT_EXEC_DENY_INTERACTIVE_LOCKED`` bit should also be set.
+Both secure bits and their locks are inherited across :manpage:`fork(2)` and
+:manpage:`execve(2)`, and they are kept when a task creates or joins a user
+namespace.
+
Here is the expected behavior for a script interpreter according to combination
of any exec securebits:
diff --git a/kernel/user_namespace.c b/kernel/user_namespace.c
index 50c374ed4687..cd748e1cbace 100644
--- a/kernel/user_namespace.c
+++ b/kernel/user_namespace.c
@@ -46,8 +46,11 @@ static void set_cred_user_ns(struct cred *cred, struct user_namespace *user_ns)
{
/* Start with the same capabilities as init but useless for doing
* anything as the capabilities are bound to the new user namespace.
+ * The exec securebits grant nothing, they are restrictions the task
+ * placed on itself. Keep them and their locks.
*/
- cred->securebits = SECUREBITS_DEFAULT;
+ cred->securebits = SECUREBITS_DEFAULT |
+ (cred->securebits & (SECURE_ALL_UNPRIVILEGED | SECURE_ALL_UNPRIVILEGED << 1));
cred->cap_inheritable = CAP_EMPTY_SET;
cred->cap_permitted = CAP_FULL_SET;
cred->cap_effective = CAP_FULL_SET;
--
2.53.0
^ permalink raw reply [flat|nested] 3+ messages in thread* [PATCH 2/2] selftests/exec: check that user namespaces keep the exec securebits
2026-10-26 20:53 [PATCH 0/2] userns: keep the exec securebits Christian Brauner
2026-10-26 20:53 ` [PATCH 1/2] userns: don't drop " Christian Brauner
@ 2026-10-26 20:53 ` Christian Brauner
1 sibling, 0 replies; 3+ messages in thread
From: Christian Brauner @ 2026-10-26 20:53 UTC (permalink / raw)
To: linux-fsdevel
Cc: Mickaël Salaün, Serge Hallyn, linux-kernel, linux-mm,
Jann Horn, Christian Brauner (Amutable)
Check that the exec securebits survive creating a user namespace with
unshare(CLONE_NEWUSER) and joining one with setns():
- both bits with their locks, which can't be changed in there
- both bits without their locks, which can still be cleared in there
- only the locks, which keep the bits from being set in there
The other securebits are reset as before.
Signed-off-by: Christian Brauner (Amutable) <brauner@kernel.org>
---
tools/testing/selftests/exec/check-exec.c | 83 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
1 file changed, 83 insertions(+)
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/exec/check-exec.c b/tools/testing/selftests/exec/check-exec.c
index f2397e75aa7c..5753c657808e 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/exec/check-exec.c
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/exec/check-exec.c
@@ -10,11 +10,13 @@
* Author: Mickaël Salaün <mic@digikod.net>
*/
+#define _GNU_SOURCE
#include <asm-generic/unistd.h>
#include <errno.h>
#include <fcntl.h>
#include <linux/prctl.h>
#include <linux/securebits.h>
+#include <sched.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <sys/capability.h>
@@ -24,6 +26,7 @@
#include <sys/stat.h>
#include <sys/syscall.h>
#include <sys/sysmacros.h>
+#include <sys/wait.h>
#include <unistd.h>
/* Defines AT_EXECVE_CHECK without type conflicts. */
@@ -460,4 +463,84 @@ TEST_F(secbits, restrict_locked_unset)
CHILD(EXPECT_EQ(EPERM, test_secbits_set(0)));
}
+static const unsigned int exec_bits = SECBIT_EXEC_RESTRICT_FILE |
+ SECBIT_EXEC_DENY_INTERACTIVE;
+static const unsigned int exec_locks = SECBIT_EXEC_RESTRICT_FILE_LOCKED |
+ SECBIT_EXEC_DENY_INTERACTIVE_LOCKED;
+
+/*
+ * Checks that the exec securebits in @exec survive creating and joining a user
+ * namespace, and that in there they can be changed exactly when they are not
+ * locked.
+ */
+static void test_userns(struct __test_metadata *const _metadata,
+ const unsigned int exec)
+{
+ const int error = (exec & exec_locks) ? EPERM : 0;
+ int ready[2], done[2], userns_fd, status;
+ char path[64], c = 0;
+ pid_t pid;
+
+ /* A user namespace owned by us to join later. */
+ ASSERT_EQ(0, pipe(ready));
+ ASSERT_EQ(0, pipe(done));
+ pid = fork();
+ ASSERT_LE(0, pid);
+ if (pid == 0) {
+ close(ready[0]);
+ close(done[1]);
+ if (unshare(CLONE_NEWUSER))
+ _exit(1);
+ if (write(ready[1], &c, 1) != 1)
+ _exit(1);
+ if (read(done[0], &c, 1) < 0)
+ _exit(1);
+ _exit(0);
+ }
+ close(ready[1]);
+ close(done[0]);
+ if (read(ready[0], &c, 1) != 1) {
+ waitpid(pid, &status, 0);
+ SKIP(return, "Cannot create a user namespace");
+ }
+
+ snprintf(path, sizeof(path), "/proc/%d/ns/user", pid);
+ userns_fd = open(path, O_RDONLY | O_CLOEXEC);
+ ASSERT_LE(0, userns_fd);
+
+ EXPECT_EQ(0, test_secbits_set(prctl(PR_GET_SECUREBITS) | exec));
+
+ /* Creating a user namespace keeps them... */
+ CHILD(EXPECT_EQ(0, unshare(CLONE_NEWUSER));
+ EXPECT_EQ(exec, prctl(PR_GET_SECUREBITS));
+ EXPECT_EQ(error, test_secbits_set(exec ^ exec_bits));
+ EXPECT_EQ(error, test_secbits_set(0)));
+
+ /* ...and so does joining one. */
+ CHILD(EXPECT_EQ(0, setns(userns_fd, CLONE_NEWUSER));
+ EXPECT_EQ(exec, prctl(PR_GET_SECUREBITS));
+ EXPECT_EQ(error, test_secbits_set(exec ^ exec_bits));
+ EXPECT_EQ(error, test_secbits_set(0)));
+
+ close(userns_fd);
+ close(done[1]);
+ EXPECT_EQ(pid, waitpid(pid, &status, 0));
+ close(ready[0]);
+}
+
+TEST_F(secbits, userns_locked)
+{
+ test_userns(_metadata, exec_bits | exec_locks);
+}
+
+TEST_F(secbits, userns_unlocked)
+{
+ test_userns(_metadata, exec_bits);
+}
+
+TEST_F(secbits, userns_lock_only)
+{
+ test_userns(_metadata, exec_locks);
+}
+
TEST_HARNESS_MAIN
--
2.53.0
^ permalink raw reply [flat|nested] 3+ messages in thread