On Thu, Nov 10, 2022 at 04:04:46PM -0500, Paul Moore wrote:

On Thu, Nov 10, 2022 at 12:54 PM Jeffrey Vander Stoep [off-list ref] wrote:

quoted

On Mon, Nov 7, 2022 at 10:17 PM Paul Moore [off-list ref] wrote:

quoted

On Mon, Nov 7, 2022 at 3:58 PM Gil Cukierman [off-list ref] wrote:

quoted

This patchset provides the changes required for controlling access to
the io_uring_setup system call by LSMs. It does this by adding a new
hook to io_uring. It also provides the SELinux implementation for a new
permission, io_uring { setup }, using the new hook.

This is important because existing io_uring hooks only support limiting
the sharing of credentials and access to the sensitive uring_cmd file
op. Users of LSMs may also want the ability to tightly control which
callers can retrieve an io_uring capable fd from the kernel, which is
needed for all subsequent io_uring operations.

It isn't immediately obvious to me why simply obtaining a io_uring fd
from io_uring_setup() would present a problem, as the security
relevant operations that are possible with that io_uring fd *should*
still be controlled by other LSM hooks.  Can you help me understand
what security issue you are trying to resolve with this control?

I think there are a few reasons why we want this particular hook.

1.  It aligns well with how other resources are managed by selinux
where access to the resource is the first control point (e.g. "create"
for files, sockets, or bpf_maps, "prog_load" for bpf programs, and
"open" for perf_event) and then additional functionality or
capabilities require additional permissions.

[NOTE: there were two reply sections in your email, and while similar,
they were not identical; I've trimmed the other for the sake of
clarity]

The resources you mention are all objects which contain some type of
information (either user data, configuration, or program
instructions), with the resulting fd being a handle to those objects.
In the case of io_uring the fd is a handle to the io_uring
interface/rings, which by itself does not contain any information
which is not already controlled by other permissions.

I/O operations which transfer data between the io_uring buffers and
other system objects, e.g. IORING_OP_READV, are still subject to the
same file access controls as those done by the application using
syscalls.  Even the IORING_OP_OPENAT command goes through the standard
VFS code path which means it will trigger the same access control
checks as an open*() done by the application normally.

The 'interesting' scenarios are those where the io_uring operation
servicing credentials, aka personalities, differ from the task
controlling the io_uring.  However in those cases we have the new
io_uring controls to gate these delegated operations.  Passing an
io_uring fd is subject to the fd/use permission like any other fd.

Although perhaps the most relevant to your request is the fact that
the io_uring inode is created using the new(ish) secure anon inode
interface which ensures that the creating task has permission to
create an io_uring.  This io_uring inode label also comes into play
when a task attempts to mmap() the io_uring rings, a critical part of
the io_uring API.

If I'm missing something you believe to be important, please share the details.

quoted

2. It aligns well with how resources are managed on Android. We often
do not grant direct access to resources (like memory buffers).

Accessing the io_uring buffers requires a task to mmap() the io_uring
fd which is controlled by the normal SELinux mmap() access controls.

quoted

3. Attack surface management. One of the primary uses of selinux on
Android is to assess and limit attack surface (e.g.
https://twitter.com/jeffvanderstoep/status/1422771606309335043) . As
io_uring vulnerabilities have made their way through our vulnerability
management system, it's become apparent that it's complicated to
assess the impact. Is a use-after-free reachable? Creating
proof-of-concept exploits takes a lot of time, and often functionality
can be reached by multiple paths. How many of the known io_uring
vulnerabilities would be gated by the existing checks? How many future
ones will be gated by the existing checks? I don't know the answer to
either of these questions and it's not obvious. This hook makes that
initial assessment simple and effective.

It should be possible to deny access to io_uring via the anonymous
inode labels, the mmap() controls, and the fd/use permission.  If you
find a way to do meaningful work with an io_uring fd that can't be
controlled via an existing permission check please let me know.

Also interested in a more specific case. Sending reply so I get added to
the group response.

--
paul-moore.com