[PATCH security-next v4 23/32] selinux: Remove boot parameter

[James Morris]

On Tue, 2 Oct 2018, Kees Cook wrote:

> On Tue, Oct 2, 2018 at 11:57 AM, John Johansen
> <john.johansen at canonical.com> wrote:
> > Under the current scheme
> >
> > lsm.enabled=selinux
> >
> > could actually mean selinux,yama,loadpin,something_else are
> > enabled. If we extend this behavior to when full stacking lands
> >
> > lsm.enabled=selinux,yama
> >
> > might mean selinux,yama,apparmor,loadpin,something_else
> >
> > and what that list is will vary from kernel to kernel, which I think
> > is harder for the user than the lsm.enabled list being what is
> > actually enabled at boot
> 
> Ah, I think I missed this in your earlier emails. What you don't like
> here is that "lsm.enable=" is additive. You want it to be explicit.
> 

This is a path to madness.

How about enable flags set ONLY per LSM:

lsm.selinux.enable=x
lsm.apparmor.enable=x

With no lsm.enable, and removing selinux=x and apparmor=x.

Yes this will break existing docs, but they can be updated for newer 
kernel versions to say "replace selinux=0 with lsm.selinux.enable=0" from 
kernel X onwards.

Surely distro packages and bootloaders are able to cope with changes to 
kernel parameters?

We can either take a one-time hit now, or build new usability debt, which 
will confuse people forever.


-- 
James Morris
<jmorris at namei.org>