Mandatory Access Control with SELinux
SECURITY HARDENED
SELinux provides a comprehensive Mandatory Access Control system for Linux, if you are ready for all the details.
SELinux is a security-enhanced adaptation of the Linux kernel developed under the auspices of the US National Security Agency (NSA). According to the NSA, SELinux works by enforcing “access control policies that confine user programs and system servers to the minimum amount of privilege they need to do their job.” The security of an ordinary Linux system is based on a concept known as Discretionary Access Control (DAC). In a DAC system, a user is granted access to a resource (such as a file or directory) based on the user’s credentials, and users have the discretion to modify permissions for any resources they happen to control. This design gives attackers a means for gaining entry to a system. If root launches the Adobe Reader to access a PDF from an untrusted source, an attacker could exploit a vulnerability to start a root shell, even though root shells have nothing to do with what Adobe Reader is supposed to be doing.
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
US / Canada
UK / Australia
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Wayland 1.24 Released with Fixes and New Features
Wayland continues to move forward, while X11 slowly vanishes into the shadows, and the latest release includes plenty of improvements.
-
Bugs Found in sudo
Two critical flaws allow users to gain access to root privileges.
-
Fedora Continues 32-Bit Support
In a move that should come as a relief to some portions of the Linux community, Fedora will continue supporting 32-bit architecture.
-
Linux Kernel 6.17 Drops bcachefs
After a clash over some late fixes and disagreements between bcachefs's lead developer and Linus Torvalds, bachefs is out.
-
ONLYOFFICE v9 Embraces AI
Like nearly all office suites on the market (except LibreOffice), ONLYOFFICE has decided to go the AI route.
-
Two Local Privilege Escalation Flaws Discovered in Linux
Qualys researchers have discovered two local privilege escalation vulnerabilities that allow hackers to gain root privileges on major Linux distributions.
-
New TUXEDO InfinityBook Pro Powered by AMD Ryzen AI 300
The TUXEDO InfinityBook Pro 14 Gen10 offers serious power that is ready for your business, development, or entertainment needs.
-
LibreOffice Tested as Possible Office 365 Alternative
Another major organization has decided to test the possibility of migrating from Microsoft's Office 365 to LibreOffice.
-
Linux Mint 20 Reaches EOL
With Linux Mint 20 at its end of life, the time has arrived to upgrade to Linux Mint 22.
-
TuxCare Announces Support for AlmaLinux 9.2
Thanks to TuxCare, AlmaLinux 9.2 (and soon version 9.6) now enjoys years of ongoing patching and compliance.