NB ComputingAccessDecisions

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Computing Access Decisions

There are a number of ways to compute access decisions within userspace SELinux-aware applications or object managers:

  1. Use functions that do not cache access decisions (i.e. they do not use the libselinux AVC services). These require a call to the kernel for every decision using security_compute_av(3) or security_compute_av_flags(3). The avc_netlink_*(3) functions can be used to detect policy change events. Auditing would need to be implemented if required.
  2. Use functions that utilise the libselinux userspace AVC services that are initialised with avc_open(3). These can be built in various configurations such as:
  1. Using the default single threaded mode where avc_has_perm(3) will automatically cache entries, audit the decision and manage the handling of policy change events.
  2. Implementing threads or a similar service that will handle policy change events and auditing in real time with avc_has_perm(3) or avc_has_perm_noaudit(3) handling decisions and caching. This has the advantage of better performance, which can be further increased by caching the entry reference.
  1. Implement custom caching services with security_compute_av(3) or security_compute_av_flags(3) for computing access decisions. The avc_netlink_*(3) functions can then be used to detect policy change events. Auditing would need to be implemented if required.
  2. Use of the selinux_check_access(3) function is generally the recommended option provided only one permission requires the check. This utilises the AVC services defined in bullet 2, in a single call with the option to add supplemental auditing information (that is handled as described in avc_audit(3)).

Where performance is important when making policy decisions, then the selinux_status_open(3), selinux_status_updated(3), selinux_status_getenforce(3), selinux_status_policyload(3) and selinux_status_close(3) functions could be used to detect policy updates etc. as these do not require kernel system call over-heads once set up. Note that these functions are only available from libselinux 2.0.99, with Linux kernel 2.6.37 and above.


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