kernel_selinux - Man Page

Security-Enhanced Linux secures the kernel processes via flexible mandatory access control.

The kernel processes execute with the kernel_t SELinux type. You can check if you have these processes running by executing the ps command with the -Z qualifier.

For example:

ps -eZ | grep kernel_t

SELinux defines process types (domains) for each process running on the system

You can see the context of a process using the -Z option to psbP

Policy governs the access confined processes have to files. SELinux kernel policy is very flexible allowing users to setup their kernel processes in as secure a method as possible.

The following process types are defined for kernel:

kernel_generic_helper_t, kernel_t, kernel_systemctl_t

Note: semanage permissive -a kernel_t can be used to make the process type kernel_t permissive. SELinux does not deny access to permissive process types, but the AVC (SELinux denials) messages are still generated.

SELinux policy is customizable based on least access required.  kernel policy is extremely flexible and has several booleans that allow you to manipulate the policy and run kernel with the tightest access possible.

If you want to allow all domains to execute in fips_mode, you must turn on the fips_mode boolean. Enabled by default.

setsebool -P fips_mode 1

If you want to allow any files/directories to be exported read/only via NFS, you must turn on the nfs_export_all_ro boolean. Enabled by default.

setsebool -P nfs_export_all_ro 1

If you want to allow any files/directories to be exported read/write via NFS, you must turn on the nfs_export_all_rw boolean. Enabled by default.

setsebool -P nfs_export_all_rw 1

If you want to allow system to run with NIS, you must turn on the nis_enabled boolean. Disabled by default.

setsebool -P nis_enabled 1

If you want to disable kernel module loading, you must turn on the secure_mode_insmod boolean. Disabled by default.

setsebool -P secure_mode_insmod 1

The SELinux process type kernel_t can manage files labeled with the following file types.  The paths listed are the default paths for these file types.  Note the processes UID still need to have DAC permissions.

file_type

all files on the system

semanage fcontext can also be used to manipulate default file context mappings.

semanage permissive can also be used to manipulate whether or not a process type is permissive.

semanage module can also be used to enable/disable/install/remove policy modules.

semanage boolean can also be used to manipulate the booleans

system-config-selinux is a GUI tool available to customize SELinux policy settings.

This manual page was auto-generated using sepolicy manpage .

selinux(8), kernel(8), semanage(8), restorecon(8), chcon(1), sepolicy(8), setsebool(8), kernel_generic_helper_selinux(8), kernel_generic_helper_selinux(8), kernel_systemctl_selinux(8), kernel_systemctl_selinux(8)