[PATCH v2 -next 18/18] Documentation: Update landlock doc for metadata rights

[Cai Xinchen]

Update the user space documentation for the new
LANDLOCK_ACCESS_FS_READ_METADATA and
LANDLOCK_ACCESS_FS_WRITE_METADATA access rights: add them to the
example ruleset attributes, extend the ABI version fallback switch
to remove them for ABI < 13, and document their semantics in a new
"File metadata" section, including the fact that only explicit
metadata changes requested by user space are restricted.

The new section also warns that most of the time,
LANDLOCK_ACCESS_FS_READ_METADATA should be granted together with
LANDLOCK_ACCESS_FS_READ_FILE and LANDLOCK_ACCESS_FS_READ_DIR:
programs commonly read metadata alongside file contents and
directory listings (e.g. with stat(2)) and do not expect such calls
to fail, while denying only READ_FILE or READ_DIR does not hide
metadata.

Assisted-by: opencode: glm-5.3
Signed-off-by: Cai Xinchen <caixinchen1 at huawei.com>
---
 Documentation/userspace-api/landlock.rst | 47 +++++++++++++++++++++++-
 1 file changed, 46 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/Documentation/userspace-api/landlock.rst b/Documentation/userspace-api/landlock.rst
index 3d45b956b640..62fe39a8b61e 100644
--- a/Documentation/userspace-api/landlock.rst
+++ b/Documentation/userspace-api/landlock.rst
@@ -87,7 +87,9 @@ to be explicit about the denied-by-default access rights.
             LANDLOCK_ACCESS_FS_REFER |
             LANDLOCK_ACCESS_FS_TRUNCATE |
             LANDLOCK_ACCESS_FS_IOCTL_DEV |
-            LANDLOCK_ACCESS_FS_RESOLVE_UNIX,
+            LANDLOCK_ACCESS_FS_RESOLVE_UNIX |
+            LANDLOCK_ACCESS_FS_READ_METADATA |
+            LANDLOCK_ACCESS_FS_WRITE_METADATA,
         .handled_access_net =
             LANDLOCK_ACCESS_NET_BIND_TCP |
             LANDLOCK_ACCESS_NET_CONNECT_TCP |
@@ -159,6 +161,10 @@ version, and only use the available subset of access rights:
         ruleset_attr.handled_permissions &=
             ~(LANDLOCK_PERMISSION_NAMESPACE_USE |
               LANDLOCK_PERMISSION_CAPABILITY_USE);
+        /* Removes metadata rights for ABI < 13 */
+        ruleset_attr.handled_access_fs &=
+            ~(LANDLOCK_ACCESS_FS_READ_METADATA |
+              LANDLOCK_ACCESS_FS_WRITE_METADATA);
     }
 
 This enables the creation of an inclusive ruleset that will contain our rules.
@@ -669,6 +675,45 @@ for writing, sidestepping the ``LANDLOCK_ACCESS_FS_TRUNCATE`` right.
 
 The truncate right is associated with the opened file (see below).
 
+File metadata
+-------------
+
+The ``LANDLOCK_ACCESS_FS_READ_METADATA`` right governs reading file and
+directory metadata: :manpage:`stat(2)` and friends,
+:manpage:`getxattr(2)`, :manpage:`listxattr(2)` and friends, and POSIX ACL
+reads.
+
+The ``LANDLOCK_ACCESS_FS_WRITE_METADATA`` right governs explicit changes to
+file and directory metadata: :manpage:`chmod(2)` and friends,
+:manpage:`chown(2)` and friends, :manpage:`utimensat(2)`,
+:manpage:`setxattr(2)`, :manpage:`removexattr(2)` and friends, and POSIX ACL
+changes.  Both rights apply to files and directories alike.
+
+Implicit metadata changes performed by the kernel are not restricted by
+``LANDLOCK_ACCESS_FS_WRITE_METADATA``: reading a file may update its access
+time, writing a file updates its modification and change times and may change
+the file size, and writing to or truncating a file with a set-user-ID or
+set-group-ID bit clears these bits.  File size changes through
+:manpage:`truncate(2)` and friends are governed by
+``LANDLOCK_ACCESS_FS_TRUNCATE`` instead.  Metadata change requests that do
+not change any attribute (e.g. :manpage:`chown(2)` with owner and group
+``-1``) are not restricted either.
+
+.. warning::
+
+   Many programs read metadata as part of reading file contents or listing
+   directories (e.g. calling :manpage:`stat(2)` before or after
+   :manpage:`open(2)`), and do not expect such calls to fail with
+   ``EACCES``.  Most of the time, ``LANDLOCK_ACCESS_FS_READ_METADATA``
+   should therefore be granted together with
+   ``LANDLOCK_ACCESS_FS_READ_FILE`` and ``LANDLOCK_ACCESS_FS_READ_DIR``.
+   Conversely, denying only ``LANDLOCK_ACCESS_FS_READ_FILE`` or
+   ``LANDLOCK_ACCESS_FS_READ_DIR`` does not hide metadata: it remains
+   readable through :manpage:`stat(2)` and friends unless
+   ``LANDLOCK_ACCESS_FS_READ_METADATA`` is denied as well.  Tailored
+   programs that do not read metadata at all can still deny this right to
+   further restrict their sandbox.
+
 Rights associated with file descriptors
 ---------------------------------------
 
-- 
2.18.0.huawei.25