Re: [PATCH v4 0/4] Introduce security_create_user_ns()

Paul Moore
2022-08-03T02:10:32Z

On Mon, Aug 1, 2022 at 10:56 PM Eric W. Biederman <ebiederm@xmission.com> wrote:
> Frederick Lawler <fred@cloudflare.com> writes:
>
> > While creating a LSM BPF MAC policy to block user namespace creation, we
> > used the LSM cred_prepare hook because that is the closest hook to prevent
> > a call to create_user_ns().
>
> Re-nack for all of the same reasons.
> AKA This can only break the users of the user namespace.
>
> Nacked-by: "Eric W. Biederman" <ebiederm@xmission.com>
>
> You aren't fixing what your problem you are papering over it by denying
> access to the user namespace.
>
> Nack Nack Nack.
>
> Stop.
>
> Go back to the drawing board.
>
> Do not pass go.
>
> Do not collect $200.

If you want us to take your comments seriously Eric, you need to
provide the list with some constructive feedback that would allow
Frederick to move forward with a solution to the use case that has
been proposed. You response above may be many things, but it is
certainly not that.

We've heard from different users now that there are very real use
cases for this LSM hook. I understand you are concerned about adding
additional controls to user namespaces, but these are controls
requested by real users, and the controls being requested (LSM hooks,
with BPF and SELinux implementations) are configurable by the *users*
at *runtime*. This patchset does not force additional restrictions on
user namespaces, it provides a mechanism that *users* can leverage to
add additional granularity to the access controls surrounding user
namespaces.

Eric, if you have a different approach in mind to adding a LSM hook to
user namespace creation I think we would all very much like to hear
about it. However, if you do not have any suggestions along those
lines, and simply want to NACK any effort to add a LSM hook to user
namespace creation, I think we all understand your point of view and
respectfully disagree. Barring any new approaches or suggestions, I
think Frederick's patches look reasonable and I still plan on merging
them into the LSM next branch when the merge window closes.

--
paul-moore.com