But nobody likes checking configs manually. So let the computers do their job!
__kconfig-hardened-check.py__ helps me to check the Linux kernel Kconfig option list
-against my hardening preferences for `x86_64`, which are based on the
+against my hardening preferences, which are based on the
[KSPP recommended settings][1] and last public [grsecurity][2] patch (options
which they disable).
Please don't cry if my Python code looks like C. I'm just a kernel developer.
+## Supported microarchitectures
+
+ - X86_64
+ - X86_32
+ - ARM64
+ - ARM
+
## Script output examples
### Usage
```
-#./kconfig-hardened-check.py
-Usage: ./kconfig-hardened-check.py [-p | -c <config_file>]
- -p, --print
- print hardening preferences
- -c <config_file>, --config=<config_file>
- check the config_file against these preferences
+#usage: kconfig-hardened-check.py [-h] [-p {X86_64,X86_32,ARM64,ARM}]
+ [-c CONFIG] [--debug]
+
+Checks the hardening options in the Linux kernel config
+
+optional arguments:
+ -h, --help show this help message and exit
+ -p {X86_64,X86_32,ARM64,ARM}, --print {X86_64,X86_32,ARM64,ARM}
+ print hardening preferences for selected architecture
+ -c CONFIG, --config CONFIG
+ check the config_file against these preferences
+ --debug enable internal debug mode
+
```
### Script output for `Ubuntu 18.04 (Bionic Beaver)` kernel config
```
-./kconfig-hardened-check.py -c ubuntu-bionic-generic.config
-[+] Checking "ubuntu-bionic-generic.config" against hardening preferences...
- option name | desired val | decision | reason || check result
- ===========================================================================================================
- CONFIG_BUG | y | ubuntu18 | self_protection || OK
- CONFIG_PAGE_TABLE_ISOLATION | y | ubuntu18 | self_protection || OK
- CONFIG_RETPOLINE | y | ubuntu18 | self_protection || OK
- CONFIG_X86_64 | y | ubuntu18 | self_protection || OK
- CONFIG_STRICT_KERNEL_RWX | y | ubuntu18 | self_protection || OK
- CONFIG_STRICT_MODULE_RWX | y | ubuntu18 | self_protection || OK
- CONFIG_DEBUG_WX | y | ubuntu18 | self_protection || OK
- CONFIG_RANDOMIZE_BASE | y | ubuntu18 | self_protection || OK
- CONFIG_RANDOMIZE_MEMORY | y | ubuntu18 | self_protection || OK
- CONFIG_CC_STACKPROTECTOR | y | ubuntu18 | self_protection || OK
- CONFIG_CC_STACKPROTECTOR_STRONG | y | ubuntu18 | self_protection || OK
- CONFIG_VMAP_STACK | y | ubuntu18 | self_protection || OK
- CONFIG_THREAD_INFO_IN_TASK | y | ubuntu18 | self_protection || OK
- CONFIG_SCHED_STACK_END_CHECK | y | ubuntu18 | self_protection || OK
- CONFIG_SLUB_DEBUG | y | ubuntu18 | self_protection || OK
- CONFIG_SLAB_FREELIST_HARDENED | y | ubuntu18 | self_protection || OK
- CONFIG_SLAB_FREELIST_RANDOM | y | ubuntu18 | self_protection || OK
- CONFIG_HARDENED_USERCOPY | y | ubuntu18 | self_protection || OK
- CONFIG_FORTIFY_SOURCE | y | ubuntu18 | self_protection || OK
- CONFIG_MODULE_SIG | y | ubuntu18 | self_protection || OK
- CONFIG_MODULE_SIG_ALL | y | ubuntu18 | self_protection || OK
- CONFIG_MODULE_SIG_SHA512 | y | ubuntu18 | self_protection || OK
- CONFIG_SYN_COOKIES | y | ubuntu18 | self_protection || OK
- CONFIG_DEFAULT_MMAP_MIN_ADDR | 65536 | ubuntu18 | self_protection || OK
- CONFIG_BUG_ON_DATA_CORRUPTION | y | kspp | self_protection || FAIL: "is not set"
- CONFIG_PAGE_POISONING | y | kspp | self_protection || FAIL: "is not set"
- CONFIG_GCC_PLUGINS | y | kspp | self_protection || FAIL: "is not set"
- CONFIG_GCC_PLUGIN_RANDSTRUCT | y | kspp | self_protection || FAIL: not found
- CONFIG_GCC_PLUGIN_STRUCTLEAK | y | kspp | self_protection || FAIL: not found
- CONFIG_GCC_PLUGIN_STRUCTLEAK_BYREF_ALL | y | kspp | self_protection || FAIL: not found
- CONFIG_GCC_PLUGIN_LATENT_ENTROPY | y | kspp | self_protection || FAIL: not found
- CONFIG_REFCOUNT_FULL | y | kspp | self_protection || FAIL: "is not set"
- CONFIG_DEBUG_LIST | y | kspp | self_protection || FAIL: "is not set"
- CONFIG_DEBUG_SG | y | kspp | self_protection || FAIL: "is not set"
- CONFIG_DEBUG_CREDENTIALS | y | kspp | self_protection || FAIL: "is not set"
- CONFIG_DEBUG_NOTIFIERS | y | kspp | self_protection || FAIL: "is not set"
- CONFIG_MODULE_SIG_FORCE | y | kspp | self_protection || FAIL: "is not set"
- CONFIG_HARDENED_USERCOPY_FALLBACK | is not set | kspp | self_protection || FAIL: not found
- CONFIG_GCC_PLUGIN_STACKLEAK | y | my | self_protection || FAIL: not found
- CONFIG_SLUB_DEBUG_ON | y | my | self_protection || FAIL: "is not set"
- CONFIG_SECURITY_DMESG_RESTRICT | y | my | self_protection || FAIL: "is not set"
- CONFIG_STATIC_USERMODEHELPER | y | my | self_protection || FAIL: "is not set"
- CONFIG_PAGE_POISONING_NO_SANITY | is not set | my | self_protection || FAIL: not found
- CONFIG_PAGE_POISONING_ZERO | is not set | my | self_protection || FAIL: not found
- CONFIG_SECURITY | y | ubuntu18 | security_policy || OK
- CONFIG_SECURITY_YAMA | y | ubuntu18 | security_policy || OK
- CONFIG_SECURITY_SELINUX_DISABLE | is not set | ubuntu18 | security_policy || OK
- CONFIG_SECCOMP | y | ubuntu18 | cut_attack_surface || OK
- CONFIG_SECCOMP_FILTER | y | ubuntu18 | cut_attack_surface || OK
- CONFIG_STRICT_DEVMEM | y | ubuntu18 | cut_attack_surface || OK
- CONFIG_ACPI_CUSTOM_METHOD | is not set | ubuntu18 | cut_attack_surface || OK
- CONFIG_COMPAT_BRK | is not set | ubuntu18 | cut_attack_surface || OK
- CONFIG_DEVKMEM | is not set | ubuntu18 | cut_attack_surface || OK
- CONFIG_COMPAT_VDSO | is not set | ubuntu18 | cut_attack_surface || OK
- CONFIG_X86_PTDUMP | is not set | ubuntu18 | cut_attack_surface || OK
- CONFIG_ZSMALLOC_STAT | is not set | ubuntu18 | cut_attack_surface || OK
- CONFIG_PAGE_OWNER | is not set | ubuntu18 | cut_attack_surface || OK
- CONFIG_DEBUG_KMEMLEAK | is not set | ubuntu18 | cut_attack_surface || OK
- CONFIG_IO_STRICT_DEVMEM | y | kspp | cut_attack_surface || FAIL: "is not set"
- CONFIG_LEGACY_VSYSCALL_NONE | y | kspp | cut_attack_surface || FAIL: "is not set"
- CONFIG_BINFMT_MISC | is not set | kspp | cut_attack_surface || FAIL: "m"
- CONFIG_INET_DIAG | is not set | kspp | cut_attack_surface || FAIL: "m"
- CONFIG_KEXEC | is not set | kspp | cut_attack_surface || FAIL: "y"
- CONFIG_PROC_KCORE | is not set | kspp | cut_attack_surface || FAIL: "y"
- CONFIG_LEGACY_PTYS | is not set | kspp | cut_attack_surface || FAIL: "y"
- CONFIG_IA32_EMULATION | is not set | kspp | cut_attack_surface || FAIL: "y"
- CONFIG_X86_X32 | is not set | kspp | cut_attack_surface || FAIL: "y"
- CONFIG_MODIFY_LDT_SYSCALL | is not set | kspp | cut_attack_surface || FAIL: "y"
- CONFIG_HIBERNATION | is not set | kspp | cut_attack_surface || FAIL: "y"
- CONFIG_KPROBES | is not set |grsecurity| cut_attack_surface || FAIL: "y"
- CONFIG_UPROBES | is not set |grsecurity| cut_attack_surface || FAIL: "y"
- CONFIG_GENERIC_TRACER | is not set |grsecurity| cut_attack_surface || FAIL: "y"
- CONFIG_PROC_VMCORE | is not set |grsecurity| cut_attack_surface || FAIL: "y"
- CONFIG_PROC_PAGE_MONITOR | is not set |grsecurity| cut_attack_surface || FAIL: "y"
- CONFIG_USELIB | is not set |grsecurity| cut_attack_surface || FAIL: "y"
- CONFIG_CHECKPOINT_RESTORE | is not set |grsecurity| cut_attack_surface || FAIL: "y"
- CONFIG_USERFAULTFD | is not set |grsecurity| cut_attack_surface || FAIL: "y"
- CONFIG_HWPOISON_INJECT | is not set |grsecurity| cut_attack_surface || FAIL: "m"
- CONFIG_MEM_SOFT_DIRTY | is not set |grsecurity| cut_attack_surface || FAIL: "y"
- CONFIG_DEVPORT | is not set |grsecurity| cut_attack_surface || FAIL: "y"
- CONFIG_DEBUG_FS | is not set |grsecurity| cut_attack_surface || FAIL: "y"
- CONFIG_NOTIFIER_ERROR_INJECTION | is not set |grsecurity| cut_attack_surface || FAIL: "m"
- CONFIG_KEXEC_FILE | is not set | my | cut_attack_surface || FAIL: "y"
- CONFIG_LIVEPATCH | is not set | my | cut_attack_surface || FAIL: "y"
- CONFIG_USER_NS | is not set | my | cut_attack_surface || FAIL: "y"
- CONFIG_IP_DCCP | is not set | my | cut_attack_surface || FAIL: "m"
- CONFIG_IP_SCTP | is not set | my | cut_attack_surface || FAIL: "m"
- CONFIG_FTRACE | is not set | my | cut_attack_surface || FAIL: "y"
- CONFIG_PROFILING | is not set | my | cut_attack_surface || FAIL: "y"
- CONFIG_BPF_JIT | is not set | my | cut_attack_surface || FAIL: "y"
- CONFIG_BPF_SYSCALL | is not set | my | cut_attack_surface || FAIL: "y"
- CONFIG_ARCH_MMAP_RND_BITS | 32 | my |userspace_protection|| FAIL: "28"
- CONFIG_LKDTM | m | my | feature_test || FAIL: "is not set"
-
-[-] config check is NOT PASSED: 55 errors
+#./kconfig-hardened-check.py -c config_files/distros/ubuntu-bionic-generic.config
+[+] Trying to detect architecture in "config_files/distros/ubuntu-bionic-generic.config"...
+[+] Detected architecture: X86_64
+[+] Checking "config_files/distros/ubuntu-bionic-generic.config" against hardening preferences...
+ option name | desired val | decision | reason || check result
+ ===================================================================================================================
+ CONFIG_BUG | y |defconfig | self_protection || OK
+ CONFIG_STRICT_KERNEL_RWX | y |defconfig | self_protection || OK
+ CONFIG_STACKPROTECTOR_STRONG | y |defconfig | self_protection ||OK: CONFIG_CC_STACKPROTECTOR_STRONG "y"
+ CONFIG_SLUB_DEBUG | y |defconfig | self_protection || OK
+ CONFIG_STRICT_MODULE_RWX | y |defconfig | self_protection || OK
+ CONFIG_PAGE_TABLE_ISOLATION | y |defconfig | self_protection || OK
+ CONFIG_RANDOMIZE_MEMORY | y |defconfig | self_protection || OK
+ CONFIG_RANDOMIZE_BASE | y |defconfig | self_protection || OK
+ CONFIG_RETPOLINE | y |defconfig | self_protection || OK
+ CONFIG_X86_SMAP | y |defconfig | self_protection || OK
+ CONFIG_X86_INTEL_UMIP | y |defconfig | self_protection || OK
+ CONFIG_SYN_COOKIES | y |defconfig | self_protection || OK
+ CONFIG_VMAP_STACK | y |defconfig | self_protection || OK
+ CONFIG_THREAD_INFO_IN_TASK | y |defconfig | self_protection || OK
+ CONFIG_BUG_ON_DATA_CORRUPTION | y | kspp | self_protection || FAIL: "is not set"
+ CONFIG_DEBUG_WX | y | kspp | self_protection || OK
+ CONFIG_SCHED_STACK_END_CHECK | y | kspp | self_protection || OK
+ CONFIG_SLAB_FREELIST_HARDENED | y | kspp | self_protection || OK
+ CONFIG_SLAB_FREELIST_RANDOM | y | kspp | self_protection || OK
+ CONFIG_FORTIFY_SOURCE | y | kspp | self_protection || OK
+ CONFIG_GCC_PLUGINS | y | kspp | self_protection || FAIL: "is not set"
+ CONFIG_GCC_PLUGIN_RANDSTRUCT | y | kspp | self_protection || FAIL: not found
+ CONFIG_GCC_PLUGIN_STRUCTLEAK | y | kspp | self_protection || FAIL: not found
+ CONFIG_GCC_PLUGIN_STRUCTLEAK_BYREF_ALL | y | kspp | self_protection || FAIL: not found
+ CONFIG_GCC_PLUGIN_LATENT_ENTROPY | y | kspp | self_protection || FAIL: not found
+ CONFIG_DEBUG_LIST | y | kspp | self_protection || FAIL: "is not set"
+ CONFIG_DEBUG_SG | y | kspp | self_protection || FAIL: "is not set"
+ CONFIG_DEBUG_CREDENTIALS | y | kspp | self_protection || FAIL: "is not set"
+ CONFIG_DEBUG_NOTIFIERS | y | kspp | self_protection || FAIL: "is not set"
+ CONFIG_PAGE_POISONING | y | kspp | self_protection || FAIL: "is not set"
+ CONFIG_HARDENED_USERCOPY | y | kspp | self_protection || OK
+ CONFIG_HARDENED_USERCOPY_FALLBACK | is not set | kspp | self_protection || OK: not found
+ CONFIG_MODULE_SIG | y | kspp | self_protection || OK
+ CONFIG_MODULE_SIG_ALL | y | kspp | self_protection || OK
+ CONFIG_MODULE_SIG_SHA512 | y | kspp | self_protection || OK
+ CONFIG_MODULE_SIG_FORCE | y | kspp | self_protection || FAIL: "is not set"
+ CONFIG_DEFAULT_MMAP_MIN_ADDR | 65536 | kspp | self_protection || OK
+ CONFIG_REFCOUNT_FULL | y | kspp | self_protection || FAIL: "is not set"
+ CONFIG_GCC_PLUGIN_STACKLEAK | y | my | self_protection || FAIL: not found
+ CONFIG_LOCK_DOWN_KERNEL | y | my | self_protection || OK
+ CONFIG_SLUB_DEBUG_ON | y | my | self_protection || FAIL: "is not set"
+ CONFIG_SECURITY_DMESG_RESTRICT | y | my | self_protection || FAIL: "is not set"
+ CONFIG_STATIC_USERMODEHELPER | y | my | self_protection || FAIL: "is not set"
+ CONFIG_SECURITY_LOADPIN | y | my | self_protection || FAIL: "is not set"
+ CONFIG_RESET_ATTACK_MITIGATION | y | my | self_protection || OK
+ CONFIG_SLAB_MERGE_DEFAULT | is not set | my | self_protection || FAIL: "y"
+ CONFIG_PAGE_POISONING_NO_SANITY | is not set | my | self_protection ||FAIL: CONFIG_PAGE_POISONING is needed
+ CONFIG_PAGE_POISONING_ZERO | is not set | my | self_protection ||FAIL: CONFIG_PAGE_POISONING is needed
+ CONFIG_SECURITY | y |defconfig | security_policy || OK
+ CONFIG_SECURITY_YAMA | y | kspp | security_policy || OK
+ CONFIG_SECURITY_SELINUX_DISABLE | is not set | kspp | security_policy || OK
+ CONFIG_SECCOMP | y |defconfig | cut_attack_surface || OK
+ CONFIG_SECCOMP_FILTER | y |defconfig | cut_attack_surface || OK
+ CONFIG_STRICT_DEVMEM | y |defconfig | cut_attack_surface || OK
+ CONFIG_MODULES | is not set | kspp | cut_attack_surface || FAIL: "y"
+ CONFIG_DEVMEM | is not set | kspp | cut_attack_surface || FAIL: "y"
+ CONFIG_IO_STRICT_DEVMEM | y | kspp | cut_attack_surface || FAIL: "is not set"
+ CONFIG_ACPI_CUSTOM_METHOD | is not set | kspp | cut_attack_surface || OK
+ CONFIG_COMPAT_BRK | is not set | kspp | cut_attack_surface || OK
+ CONFIG_DEVKMEM | is not set | kspp | cut_attack_surface || OK
+ CONFIG_COMPAT_VDSO | is not set | kspp | cut_attack_surface || OK
+ CONFIG_BINFMT_MISC | is not set | kspp | cut_attack_surface || FAIL: "m"
+ CONFIG_INET_DIAG | is not set | kspp | cut_attack_surface || FAIL: "m"
+ CONFIG_KEXEC | is not set | kspp | cut_attack_surface || FAIL: "y"
+ CONFIG_PROC_KCORE | is not set | kspp | cut_attack_surface || FAIL: "y"
+ CONFIG_LEGACY_PTYS | is not set | kspp | cut_attack_surface || FAIL: "y"
+ CONFIG_HIBERNATION | is not set | kspp | cut_attack_surface || FAIL: "y"
+ CONFIG_LEGACY_VSYSCALL_NONE | y | kspp | cut_attack_surface || FAIL: "is not set"
+ CONFIG_IA32_EMULATION | is not set | kspp | cut_attack_surface || FAIL: "y"
+ CONFIG_X86_X32 | is not set | kspp | cut_attack_surface || FAIL: "y"
+ CONFIG_MODIFY_LDT_SYSCALL | is not set | kspp | cut_attack_surface || FAIL: "y"
+ CONFIG_X86_PTDUMP | is not set |grsecurity| cut_attack_surface || OK
+ CONFIG_ZSMALLOC_STAT | is not set |grsecurity| cut_attack_surface || OK
+ CONFIG_PAGE_OWNER | is not set |grsecurity| cut_attack_surface || OK
+ CONFIG_DEBUG_KMEMLEAK | is not set |grsecurity| cut_attack_surface || OK
+ CONFIG_BINFMT_AOUT | is not set |grsecurity| cut_attack_surface || OK: not found
+ CONFIG_KPROBES | is not set |grsecurity| cut_attack_surface || FAIL: "y"
+ CONFIG_UPROBES | is not set |grsecurity| cut_attack_surface || FAIL: "y"
+ CONFIG_GENERIC_TRACER | is not set |grsecurity| cut_attack_surface || FAIL: "y"
+ CONFIG_PROC_VMCORE | is not set |grsecurity| cut_attack_surface || FAIL: "y"
+ CONFIG_PROC_PAGE_MONITOR | is not set |grsecurity| cut_attack_surface || FAIL: "y"
+ CONFIG_USELIB | is not set |grsecurity| cut_attack_surface || FAIL: "y"
+ CONFIG_CHECKPOINT_RESTORE | is not set |grsecurity| cut_attack_surface || FAIL: "y"
+ CONFIG_USERFAULTFD | is not set |grsecurity| cut_attack_surface || FAIL: "y"
+ CONFIG_HWPOISON_INJECT | is not set |grsecurity| cut_attack_surface || FAIL: "m"
+ CONFIG_MEM_SOFT_DIRTY | is not set |grsecurity| cut_attack_surface || FAIL: "y"
+ CONFIG_DEVPORT | is not set |grsecurity| cut_attack_surface || FAIL: "y"
+ CONFIG_DEBUG_FS | is not set |grsecurity| cut_attack_surface || FAIL: "y"
+ CONFIG_NOTIFIER_ERROR_INJECTION | is not set |grsecurity| cut_attack_surface || FAIL: "m"
+ CONFIG_ACPI_TABLE_UPGRADE | is not set | lockdown | cut_attack_surface || FAIL: "y"
+ CONFIG_ACPI_APEI_EINJ | is not set | lockdown | cut_attack_surface || FAIL: "m"
+ CONFIG_PROFILING | is not set | lockdown | cut_attack_surface || FAIL: "y"
+ CONFIG_BPF_SYSCALL | is not set | lockdown | cut_attack_surface || FAIL: "y"
+ CONFIG_MMIOTRACE_TEST | is not set | lockdown | cut_attack_surface || OK
+ CONFIG_MMIOTRACE | is not set | my | cut_attack_surface || FAIL: "y"
+ CONFIG_KEXEC_FILE | is not set | my | cut_attack_surface || FAIL: "y"
+ CONFIG_LIVEPATCH | is not set | my | cut_attack_surface || FAIL: "y"
+ CONFIG_USER_NS | is not set | my | cut_attack_surface || FAIL: "y"
+ CONFIG_IP_DCCP | is not set | my | cut_attack_surface || FAIL: "m"
+ CONFIG_IP_SCTP | is not set | my | cut_attack_surface || FAIL: "m"
+ CONFIG_FTRACE | is not set | my | cut_attack_surface || FAIL: "y"
+ CONFIG_BPF_JIT | is not set | my | cut_attack_surface || FAIL: "y"
+ CONFIG_ARCH_MMAP_RND_BITS | 32 | my |userspace_protection|| FAIL: "28"
+
+[+] config check is finished: 'OK' - 43 / 'FAIL' - 60
```
-__Go and fix them all!__
+
+### Questions and answers
+
+__Q:__ How disabling `CONFIG_USER_NS` cuts the attack surface? It's needed for containers!
+
+__A:__ Yes, the `CONFIG_USER_NS` option provides some isolation between the userspace programs,
+but the script recommends disabling it to cut the attack surface __of the kernel__.
+
+The rationale:
+
+ - A nice LWN article about the corresponding LKML discussion: https://lwn.net/Articles/673597/
+
+ - A twitter thread about `CONFIG_USER_NS` and security: https://twitter.com/robertswiecki/status/1095447678949953541
+
+<br />
+
+__Q:__ Why `CONFIG_GCC_PLUGINS` is automatically disabled during the kernel compilation?
+
+__A:__ It means that your gcc doesn't support plugins. For example, if you have `gcc-7` on Ubuntu,
+try to install `gcc-7-plugin-dev` package, it should help.
+
[1]: http://kernsec.org/wiki/index.php/Kernel_Self_Protection_Project/Recommended_Settings
[2]: https://grsecurity.net/