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user namespace and fully visible proc and sys mounts

DISCUSSION Serge E. Hallyn 4 participants 10 messages Mar 6, 2016 – Mar 8, 2016

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#0 lore raw

Hi,

So we've been over this many times... but unfortunately there is more breakage to report. Regular privileged and unprivileged containers work all right for us. But running an unprivileged container inside a privileged container is blocked.

When creating privileged containers, lxc by default does a few things:
it mounts some fuse.lxcfs files over procfiles include /proc/meminfo and /proc/uptime. It mounts proc rw but /proc/sysrq-trigger ro as well as moves /proc/sys/net out of the way, bind-mounts /proc/sys readonly (because this container is not in a user namespace) then moves /proc/sys/net back. Finally it mounts sys ro but bind-mounts /sys/devices/virtual/net as writeable.

If any of these are left enabled, unprivileged containers can't be started. If all are disabled, then they can be.

Can we find a way to make these not block remounts in child user namespaces? A boot flag, a procfs and sysfs mount option, a sysctl?

-serge

#1 lore raw
Quoted 15 lines · Serge E. Hallyn

Hi,

So we've been over this many times... but unfortunately there is more breakage to report. Regular privileged and unprivileged containers work all right for us. But running an unprivileged container inside a privileged container is blocked.

When creating privileged containers, lxc by default does a few things:
it mounts some fuse.lxcfs files over procfiles include /proc/meminfo and /proc/uptime. It mounts proc rw but /proc/sysrq-trigger ro as well as moves /proc/sys/net out of the way, bind-mounts /proc/sys readonly (because this container is not in a user namespace) then moves /proc/sys/net back. Finally it mounts sys ro but bind-mounts /sys/devices/virtual/net as writeable.

Quoted 5 lines

If any of these are left enabled, unprivileged containers can't be started. If all are disabled, then they can be.

Can we find a way to make these not block remounts in child user namespaces? A boot flag, a procfs and sysfs mount option, a sysctl?

Are any of these overmounts done for the purpose of security? It appears the /proc/sys and /sys mounts being made read-only is for that purpose.

If none of the mounts are for secuirty the easy solution that works today is to also mount /proc and /sys somewhere else in your container so that the permission check for mounting a new copy passes.

That said /proc/sys appears to be a show stopper in this scheme. As the root of your privileged container can enter your unprivileged container it can bypass your read-only /proc/sys by mounting a new copy of proc if we allow the relaxation you are requesting.

Therefore the only choice on the table (and I don't have a clue how realistic it is) is to have a variant of proc with just files describing processes. Call it processfs. That would not need the current restrictions.

As for sysfs I am drawing a blank about what might be possible.

Eric

#2 lore raw
Quoted 17 lines · Eric W. Biederman
Quoted 15 lines · Serge E. Hallyn

Hi,

So we've been over this many times... but unfortunately there is more breakage to report. Regular privileged and unprivileged containers work all right for us. But running an unprivileged container inside a privileged container is blocked.

When creating privileged containers, lxc by default does a few things:
it mounts some fuse.lxcfs files over procfiles include /proc/meminfo and /proc/uptime. It mounts proc rw but /proc/sysrq-trigger ro as well as moves /proc/sys/net out of the way, bind-mounts /proc/sys readonly (because this container is not in a user namespace) then moves /proc/sys/net back. Finally it mounts sys ro but bind-mounts /sys/devices/virtual/net as writeable.

Quoted 7 lines
Quoted 5 lines

If any of these are left enabled, unprivileged containers can't be started. If all are disabled, then they can be.

Can we find a way to make these not block remounts in child user namespaces? A boot flag, a procfs and sysfs mount option, a sysctl?

Are any of these overmounts done for the purpose of security? It

The fuse.lxcfs ones are not for security.

The others are for security, but only in non-user-namespaced containers. (We're doing them in unprivileged as well for simplicity but could stop that). We're not overmounting to hide things, we're mounting readonly because the procfiles are owned by the same uid that is root in the container. Now in Ubuntu we do also have precise apparmor profiles which redundantly prevent writing, and our only real goal is to prevent accidental host damage, but the defense in depth is still nice to have, and I don't want to drop that.

Quoted 2 lines

appears the /proc/sys and /sys mounts being made read-only is for that purpose.

Right, but we're not hiding anything. In fact maybe that's how we can detect this - if the dentry over- and under-mount for a directory is the same, ignore it, because it doesn't fall under your original thread scenario?

Quoted 3 lines

If none of the mounts are for secuirty the easy solution that works today is to also mount /proc and /sys somewhere else in your container so that the permission check for mounting a new copy passes.

Yeah, we used to do that, and I actually forgot that we used to do that. I'll have to look into why it no longer suffices.

(The security aspect wasn't too bad, since we used apparmor to prevent any writes to the redundant mounts)

Quoted 4 lines

That said /proc/sys appears to be a show stopper in this scheme. As the root of your privileged container can enter your unprivileged container it can bypass your read-only /proc/sys by mounting a new copy of proc if we allow the relaxation you are requesting.

Yeah, will have to think about that.

Quoted 8 lines

Therefore the only choice on the table (and I don't have a clue how realistic it is) is to have a variant of proc with just files describing processes. Call it processfs. That would not need the current restrictions.

As for sysfs I am drawing a blank about what might be possible.

Eric

#3 lore raw
In reply to Eric W. Biederman
Quoted 24 lines · Eric W. Biederman
Quoted 15 lines · Serge E. Hallyn

Hi,

So we've been over this many times... but unfortunately there is more breakage to report. Regular privileged and unprivileged containers work all right for us. But running an unprivileged container inside a privileged container is blocked.

When creating privileged containers, lxc by default does a few things:
it mounts some fuse.lxcfs files over procfiles include /proc/meminfo and /proc/uptime. It mounts proc rw but /proc/sysrq-trigger ro as well as moves /proc/sys/net out of the way, bind-mounts /proc/sys readonly (because this container is not in a user namespace) then moves /proc/sys/net back. Finally it mounts sys ro but bind-mounts /sys/devices/virtual/net as writeable.

Quoted 5 lines

If any of these are left enabled, unprivileged containers can't be started. If all are disabled, then they can be.

Can we find a way to make these not block remounts in child user namespaces? A boot flag, a procfs and sysfs mount option, a sysctl?

Quoted 7 lines

Are any of these overmounts done for the purpose of security? It appears the /proc/sys and /sys mounts being made read-only is for that purpose.

If none of the mounts are for secuirty the easy solution that works today is to also mount /proc and /sys somewhere else in your container so that the permission check for mounting a new copy passes.

Can we use the big hammer approach on /proc/sys? Specifically, what if we made it so that /proc mounts created in a non-root namespace *only* see things that are scoped to the active namespaces, and only those over which the mounter has capabilities? We could have mount options for this.

/proc/sys utterly sucks for namespaces things. So does the uid_map and similar crap. The API is simply awful.

On a related note, can we *please* find a way to constrain namespace creation in a way that might satisfy the RHEL crowd?

Quoted 6 lines

That said /proc/sys appears to be a show stopper in this scheme. As the root of your privileged container can enter your unprivileged container it can bypass your read-only /proc/sys by mounting a new copy of proc if we allow the relaxation you are requesting.

Quoted 6 lines

Therefore the only choice on the table (and I don't have a clue how realistic it is) is to have a variant of proc with just files describing processes. Call it processfs. That would not need the current restrictions.

As for sysfs I am drawing a blank about what might be possible.

Lovely. Yet another vaguely-namespaced thing in a pseudo-filesystem.

--Andy

#4 lore raw
Quoted 33 lines · Andy Lutomirski
Quoted 24 lines · Eric W. Biederman
Quoted 15 lines · Serge E. Hallyn

Hi,

So we've been over this many times... but unfortunately there is more breakage to report. Regular privileged and unprivileged containers work all right for us. But running an unprivileged container inside a privileged container is blocked.

When creating privileged containers, lxc by default does a few things:
it mounts some fuse.lxcfs files over procfiles include /proc/meminfo and /proc/uptime. It mounts proc rw but /proc/sysrq-trigger ro as well as moves /proc/sys/net out of the way, bind-mounts /proc/sys readonly (because this container is not in a user namespace) then moves /proc/sys/net back. Finally it mounts sys ro but bind-mounts /sys/devices/virtual/net as writeable.

Quoted 5 lines

If any of these are left enabled, unprivileged containers can't be started. If all are disabled, then they can be.

Can we find a way to make these not block remounts in child user namespaces? A boot flag, a procfs and sysfs mount option, a sysctl?

Quoted 7 lines

Are any of these overmounts done for the purpose of security? It appears the /proc/sys and /sys mounts being made read-only is for that purpose.

If none of the mounts are for secuirty the easy solution that works today is to also mount /proc and /sys somewhere else in your container so that the permission check for mounting a new copy passes.

Quoted 5 lines

Can we use the big hammer approach on /proc/sys? Specifically, what if we made it so that /proc mounts created in a non-root namespace *only* see things that are scoped to the active namespaces, and only those over which the mounter has capabilities? We could have mount options for this.

Of course the problem is precisely non-user-namespaced containers which do own and have capabilities over the /proc/sys/files. For user-namespaced containers /proc/sys/ isn't really an issue.

Better namespacing of sysctls and maybe some way to say "I relinquish the ability to update *those* sysctls for myself and all children" could help.

Quoted 17 lines

/proc/sys utterly sucks for namespaces things. So does the uid_map and similar crap. The API is simply awful.

On a related note, can we *please* find a way to constrain namespace creation in a way that might satisfy the RHEL crowd?

Quoted 11 lines

That said /proc/sys appears to be a show stopper in this scheme. As the root of your privileged container can enter your unprivileged container it can bypass your read-only /proc/sys by mounting a new copy of proc if we allow the relaxation you are requesting.

Therefore the only choice on the table (and I don't have a clue how realistic it is) is to have a variant of proc with just files describing processes. Call it processfs. That would not need the current restrictions.

Quoted 5 lines
Quoted 1 line

As for sysfs I am drawing a blank about what might be possible.

Lovely. Yet another vaguely-namespaced thing in a pseudo-filesystem.

--Andy

`

#5 lore raw
Quoted 40 lines · Serge E. Hallyn
Quoted 33 lines · Andy Lutomirski
Quoted 24 lines · Eric W. Biederman
Quoted 15 lines · Serge E. Hallyn

Hi,

So we've been over this many times... but unfortunately there is more breakage to report. Regular privileged and unprivileged containers work all right for us. But running an unprivileged container inside a privileged container is blocked.

When creating privileged containers, lxc by default does a few things:
it mounts some fuse.lxcfs files over procfiles include /proc/meminfo and /proc/uptime. It mounts proc rw but /proc/sysrq-trigger ro as well as moves /proc/sys/net out of the way, bind-mounts /proc/sys readonly (because this container is not in a user namespace) then moves /proc/sys/net back. Finally it mounts sys ro but bind-mounts /sys/devices/virtual/net as writeable.

Quoted 5 lines

If any of these are left enabled, unprivileged containers can't be started. If all are disabled, then they can be.

Can we find a way to make these not block remounts in child user namespaces? A boot flag, a procfs and sysfs mount option, a sysctl?

Quoted 7 lines

Are any of these overmounts done for the purpose of security? It appears the /proc/sys and /sys mounts being made read-only is for that purpose.

If none of the mounts are for secuirty the easy solution that works today is to also mount /proc and /sys somewhere else in your container so that the permission check for mounting a new copy passes.

Quoted 5 lines

Can we use the big hammer approach on /proc/sys? Specifically, what if we made it so that /proc mounts created in a non-root namespace *only* see things that are scoped to the active namespaces, and only those over which the mounter has capabilities? We could have mount options for this.

Quoted 3 lines

Of course the problem is precisely non-user-namespaced containers which do own and have capabilities over the /proc/sys/files. For user-namespaced containers /proc/sys/ isn't really an issue.

What I mean is:

mount -o nsonly=user,net -t proc none /proc

would show the list of processors and things scoped to the current userns and netns, would *not* show global sysctls, and would fail unless the caller has appropriate caps over the userns and netns. This would work even if the old procfs is not fully visbile.

--Andy

#6 lore raw
Quoted 45 lines · Andy Lutomirski
Quoted 40 lines · Serge E. Hallyn
Quoted 33 lines · Andy Lutomirski
Quoted 24 lines · Eric W. Biederman
Quoted 15 lines · Serge E. Hallyn

Hi,

So we've been over this many times... but unfortunately there is more breakage to report. Regular privileged and unprivileged containers work all right for us. But running an unprivileged container inside a privileged container is blocked.

When creating privileged containers, lxc by default does a few things:
it mounts some fuse.lxcfs files over procfiles include /proc/meminfo and /proc/uptime. It mounts proc rw but /proc/sysrq-trigger ro as well as moves /proc/sys/net out of the way, bind-mounts /proc/sys readonly (because this container is not in a user namespace) then moves /proc/sys/net back. Finally it mounts sys ro but bind-mounts /sys/devices/virtual/net as writeable.

Quoted 5 lines

If any of these are left enabled, unprivileged containers can't be started. If all are disabled, then they can be.

Can we find a way to make these not block remounts in child user namespaces? A boot flag, a procfs and sysfs mount option, a sysctl?

Quoted 7 lines

Are any of these overmounts done for the purpose of security? It appears the /proc/sys and /sys mounts being made read-only is for that purpose.

If none of the mounts are for secuirty the easy solution that works today is to also mount /proc and /sys somewhere else in your container so that the permission check for mounting a new copy passes.

Quoted 5 lines

Can we use the big hammer approach on /proc/sys? Specifically, what if we made it so that /proc mounts created in a non-root namespace *only* see things that are scoped to the active namespaces, and only those over which the mounter has capabilities? We could have mount options for this.

Quoted 3 lines

Of course the problem is precisely non-user-namespaced containers which do own and have capabilities over the /proc/sys/files. For user-namespaced containers /proc/sys/ isn't really an issue.

Quoted 8 lines

What I mean is:

mount -o nsonly=user,net -t proc none /proc

would show the list of processors and things scoped to the current userns and netns, would *not* show global sysctls, and would fail unless the caller has appropriate caps over the userns and netns. This would work even if the old procfs is not fully visbile.

Gah, so apparently I'd forgotten the workaround I'd implemented - I thought things had regressed, but they haven't, I'd just missed a step.

Sorry for the noise. I don't want to make things more complicated or more brittle when we can make it work as is - thanks.

-serge

#7 lore raw
In reply to Andy Lutomirski
Quoted 2 lines · Andy Lutomirski

On a related note, can we *please* find a way to constrain namespace creation in a way that might satisfy the RHEL crowd?

I am not certain to what you are referrring.

As long as folks are willing to work with me I am happy to help design and design something that makes things better for everyone. If someone pushes hard, suggestes crappy patches, and does not listen to constructive feedback I will shoot their patches down (especially when I am sick and tired as I have been more than I would like this development cycle).

Eric

#8 lore raw
Quoted 5 lines · Eric W. Biederman
Quoted 2 lines · Andy Lutomirski

On a related note, can we *please* find a way to constrain namespace creation in a way that might satisfy the RHEL crowd?

Quoted 8 lines

I am not certain to what you are referrring.

As long as folks are willing to work with me I am happy to help design and design something that makes things better for everyone. If someone pushes hard, suggestes crappy patches, and does not listen to constructive feedback I will shoot their patches down (especially when I am sick and tired as I have been more than I would like this development cycle).

I think we should add some mechanism that will allow the right to create various namespaces to be constrained in a useful and usable manner. I'll start a new thread.

#9 lore raw
Quoted 15 lines · Andy Lutomirski
Quoted 5 lines · Eric W. Biederman
Quoted 2 lines · Andy Lutomirski

On a related note, can we *please* find a way to constrain namespace creation in a way that might satisfy the RHEL crowd?

Quoted 8 lines

I am not certain to what you are referrring.

As long as folks are willing to work with me I am happy to help design and design something that makes things better for everyone. If someone pushes hard, suggestes crappy patches, and does not listen to constructive feedback I will shoot their patches down (especially when I am sick and tired as I have been more than I would like this development cycle).

Quoted 3 lines

I think we should add some mechanism that will allow the right to create various namespaces to be constrained in a useful and usable manner. I'll start a new thread.

On the general principle that there is more attack surface, and attack surface reduction is generally good I agree. I will await your follow on thread when you are ready.

Eric