Re: [PATCH v3 1/8] capability: add any wrapper to test for multiple caps with exactly one audit message

[Paul Moore]

On Wed, Jun 15, 2022 at 11:27 AM Christian Göttsche
<cgzones@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> Add the interfaces `capable_any()` and `ns_capable_any()` as an
> alternative to multiple `capable()`/`ns_capable()` calls, like
> `capable_any(CAP_SYS_NICE, CAP_SYS_ADMIN)` instead of
> `capable(CAP_SYS_NICE) || capable(CAP_SYS_ADMIN)`.
>
> `capable_any()`/`ns_capable_any()` will in particular generate exactly
> one audit message, either for the left most capability in effect or, if
> the task has none, the first one.
>
> This is especially helpful with regard to SELinux, where each audit
> message about a not allowed capability will create an AVC denial.
> Using this function with the least invasive capability as left most
> argument (e.g. CAP_SYS_NICE before CAP_SYS_ADMIN) enables policy writers
> to only allow the least invasive one and SELinux domains pass this check
> with only capability:sys_nice or capability:sys_admin allowed without
> any AVC denial message.
>
> Signed-off-by: Christian Göttsche <cgzones@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>
> ---
> v3:
>    - rename to capable_any()
>    - fix typo in function documentation
>    - add ns_capable_any()
> v2:
>    avoid varargs and fix to two capabilities; capable_or3() can be added
>    later if needed
> ---
>  include/linux/capability.h | 10 +++++++
>  kernel/capability.c        | 53 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>  2 files changed, 63 insertions(+)

...

> diff --git a/kernel/capability.c b/kernel/capability.c
> index 765194f5d678..ab9b889c3f4d 100644
> --- a/kernel/capability.c
> +++ b/kernel/capability.c
> @@ -435,6 +435,59 @@ bool ns_capable_setid(struct user_namespace *ns, int cap)
>  }
>  EXPORT_SYMBOL(ns_capable_setid);
>
> +/**
> + * ns_capable_any - Determine if the current task has one of two superior capabilities in effect
> + * @ns:  The usernamespace we want the capability in
> + * @cap1: The capabilities to be tested for first
> + * @cap2: The capabilities to be tested for secondly
> + *
> + * Return true if the current task has at least one of the two given superior
> + * capabilities currently available for use, false if not.
> + *
> + * In contrast to or'ing capable() this call will create exactly one audit
> + * message, either for @cap1, if it is granted or both are not permitted,
> + * or @cap2, if it is granted while the other one is not.
> + *
> + * The capabilities should be ordered from least to most invasive, i.e. CAP_SYS_ADMIN last.
> + *
> + * This sets PF_SUPERPRIV on the task if the capability is available on the
> + * assumption that it's about to be used.
> + */
> +bool ns_capable_any(struct user_namespace *ns, int cap1, int cap2)
> +{
> +       if (ns_capable_noaudit(ns, cap1))
> +               return ns_capable(ns, cap1);
> +
> +       if (ns_capable_noaudit(ns, cap2))
> +               return ns_capable(ns, cap2);
> +
> +       return ns_capable(ns, cap1);

I'm slightly concerned that some people are going to be upset about
making an additional call into the capabilities code with this
function.  I think we need to be a bit more clever here to take out
some of the extra work.

I wonder if we create a new capability function, call it
ns_capable_audittrue(...) or something like that, that only generates
an audit record if the current task has the requested capability; if
the current task does not have the requested capability no audit
record is generated.  With this new function I think we could rewrite
ns_capable_any(...) like this:

  bool ns_capable_any(ns, cap1, cap2)
  {
    if (ns_capable_audittrue(ns, cap1))
      return true;
    if (ns_capable_audittrue(ns, cap2))
      return true;
    return ns_capable(ns, cap1);
  }

... we would still have an extra capability check in the failure case,
but that's an error case anyway and not likely to draw much concern.

Of course this would require some additional work, meaning a new
CAP_OPT_XXX flag (CAP_OPT_AUDITTRUE?), and updates to the individual
LSMs.  However, the good news here is that it appears only SELinux and
AppArmor would need modification (the others don't care about
capabilities or audit) and in each case the modification to support
the new CAP_OPT_AUDITTRUE flag look pretty simple.

Thoughts?

> +}
> +EXPORT_SYMBOL(ns_capable_any);

-- 
paul-moore.com