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| author | Linus Torvalds <torvalds@linux-foundation.org> | 2026-08-19 10:09:22 -0700 |
|---|---|---|
| committer | Linus Torvalds <torvalds@linux-foundation.org> | 2026-08-19 10:09:22 -0700 |
| commit | f4cdf7ca9a1fdcca413157df19753f388a5a224e (patch) | |
| tree | 60a31895b2446cd7fa27514e8c2843534a0de0da /Documentation/security/keys/request-key.rst | |
| download | linux-stable-f4cdf7ca9a1fdcca413157df19753f388a5a224e.tar.gz linux-stable-f4cdf7ca9a1fdcca413157df19753f388a5a224e.zip | |
Merge tag 'media/v7.3-1' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/mchehab/linux-mediagrafted
Pull media updates from Mauro Carvalho Chehab:
- v4l2-core: added ISP statistics support and per-block validation
- v4l2-core: Allow unknown HDR10 white point and luminance
- New camera sensors: Sony IMX678 and IMX471m, Himax HM1092 IR sensor
- New codec: Milos: VPU v2.0 codec support
- isp driver: gained support for Dreamchip RPPX1 ISP framework
- vsp1 driver: gained support for RZ/T2H and RZ/N2H
- Novalake driver: gained CVS support for new NVL hardware
- dvb-core: fix feed leak on failed DMX_ADD_PID
- several driver fixes, cleanups and minor improvements
* tag 'media/v7.3-1' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/mchehab/linux-media: (308 commits)
media: ipu-bridge: check all DMI entries when overriding sensor rotation
media: v4l2-async: avoid deleting unlinked ASC entry on link error
media: rzg2l-cru: Align bytesperline to hardware DMA stride requirement
media: intel/ipu6: fix async notifier cleanup leak on parse error
media: staging/ipu7: fix async notifier UAF on probe error path
media: amd: isp4: fix self-deadlock in isp4sd_pwron_and_init() error path
media: amd: isp4: release partial allocations in isp4if_alloc_fw_gpumem()
media: rcar-isp: Fix VSPX reference leaks
media: rcar-isp: Release ISPCORE resources
media: i2c: imx415: Release runtime PM reference on VBLANK error
media: i2c: imx415: Return test pattern write errors
media: renesas: vsp1: Declare index variables in for loop statement
media: renesas: vsp1: Make reset control optional to support platforms without a reset line
media: dt-bindings: media: renesas,vsp1: Document RZ/T2H and RZ/N2H SoCs
media: dt-bindings: media: renesas,fcp: Document RZ/T2H and RZ/N2H SoCs
media: nxp: imx8-isi: Add additional 32-bit RGB format support
media: nxp: imx8-isi: Add 16-bit raw Bayer format support
media: nxp: imx8-isi: Implement per-stream reference counting for multiplexed streams
media: nxp: imx8-isi: Use BIT_ULL() for 64-bit stream masks
media: nxp: imx8-isi: Correct color map between V4L2 and ISI
...
Diffstat (limited to 'Documentation/security/keys/request-key.rst')
| -rw-r--r-- | Documentation/security/keys/request-key.rst | 207 |
1 files changed, 207 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/Documentation/security/keys/request-key.rst b/Documentation/security/keys/request-key.rst new file mode 100644 index 000000000..35f2296b7 --- /dev/null +++ b/Documentation/security/keys/request-key.rst @@ -0,0 +1,207 @@ +=================== +Key Request Service +=================== + +The key request service is part of the key retention service (refer to +Documentation/security/keys/core.rst). This document explains more fully how +the requesting algorithm works. + +The process starts by either the kernel requesting a service by calling +``request_key*()``:: + + struct key *request_key(const struct key_type *type, + const char *description, + const char *callout_info); + +or:: + + struct key *request_key_tag(const struct key_type *type, + const char *description, + const struct key_tag *domain_tag, + const char *callout_info); + +or:: + + struct key *request_key_with_auxdata(const struct key_type *type, + const char *description, + const struct key_tag *domain_tag, + const char *callout_info, + size_t callout_len, + void *aux); + +or:: + + struct key *request_key_rcu(const struct key_type *type, + const char *description, + const struct key_tag *domain_tag); + +Or by userspace invoking the request_key system call:: + + key_serial_t request_key(const char *type, + const char *description, + const char *callout_info, + key_serial_t dest_keyring); + +The main difference between the access points is that the in-kernel interface +does not need to link the key to a keyring to prevent it from being immediately +destroyed. The kernel interface returns a pointer directly to the key, and +it's up to the caller to destroy the key. + +The request_key_tag() call is like the in-kernel request_key(), except that it +also takes a domain tag that allows keys to be separated by namespace and +killed off as a group. + +The request_key_with_auxdata() calls is like the request_key_tag() call, except +that they permit auxiliary data to be passed to the upcaller (the default is +NULL). This is only useful for those key types that define their own upcall +mechanism rather than using /sbin/request-key. + +The request_key_rcu() call is like the request_key_tag() call, except that it +doesn't check for keys that are under construction and doesn't attempt to +construct missing keys. + +The userspace interface links the key to a keyring associated with the process +to prevent the key from going away, and returns the serial number of the key to +the caller. + + +The following example assumes that the key types involved don't define their +own upcall mechanisms. If they do, then those should be substituted for the +forking and execution of /sbin/request-key. + + +The Process +=========== + +A request proceeds in the following manner: + + 1) Process A calls request_key() [the userspace syscall calls the kernel + interface]. + + 2) request_key() searches the process's subscribed keyrings to see if there's + a suitable key there. If there is, it returns the key. If there isn't, + and callout_info is not set, an error is returned. Otherwise the process + proceeds to the next step. + + 3) request_key() sees that A doesn't have the desired key yet, so it creates + two things: + + a) An uninstantiated key U of requested type and description. + + b) An authorisation key V that refers to key U and notes that process A + is the context in which key U should be instantiated and secured, and + from which associated key requests may be satisfied. + + 4) request_key() then forks and executes /sbin/request-key with a new session + keyring that contains a link to auth key V. + + 5) /sbin/request-key assumes the authority associated with key U. + + 6) /sbin/request-key execs an appropriate program to perform the actual + instantiation. + + 7) The program may want to access another key from A's context (say a + Kerberos TGT key). It just requests the appropriate key, and the keyring + search notes that the session keyring has auth key V in its bottom level. + + This will permit it to then search the keyrings of process A with the + UID, GID, groups and security info of process A as if it was process A, + and come up with key W. + + 8) The program then does what it must to get the data with which to + instantiate key U, using key W as a reference (perhaps it contacts a + Kerberos server using the TGT) and then instantiates key U. + + 9) Upon instantiating key U, auth key V is automatically revoked so that it + may not be used again. + + 10) The program then exits 0 and request_key() deletes key V and returns key + U to the caller. + +This also extends further. If key W (step 7 above) didn't exist, key W would +be created uninstantiated, another auth key (X) would be created (as per step +3) and another copy of /sbin/request-key spawned (as per step 4); but the +context specified by auth key X will still be process A, as it was in auth key +V. + +This is because process A's keyrings can't simply be attached to +/sbin/request-key at the appropriate places because (a) execve will discard two +of them, and (b) it requires the same UID/GID/Groups all the way through. + + +Negative Instantiation And Rejection +==================================== + +Rather than instantiating a key, it is possible for the possessor of an +authorisation key to negatively instantiate a key that's under construction. +This is a short duration placeholder that causes any attempt at re-requesting +the key while it exists to fail with error ENOKEY if negated or the specified +error if rejected. + +This is provided to prevent excessive repeated spawning of /sbin/request-key +processes for a key that will never be obtainable. + +Should the /sbin/request-key process exit anything other than 0 or die on a +signal, the key under construction will be automatically negatively +instantiated for a short amount of time. + + +The Search Algorithm +==================== + +A search of any particular keyring proceeds in the following fashion: + + 1) When the key management code searches for a key (keyring_search_rcu) it + firstly calls key_permission(SEARCH) on the keyring it's starting with, + if this denies permission, it doesn't search further. + + 2) It considers all the non-keyring keys within that keyring and, if any key + matches the criteria specified, calls key_permission(SEARCH) on it to see + if the key is allowed to be found. If it is, that key is returned; if + not, the search continues, and the error code is retained if of higher + priority than the one currently set. + + 3) It then considers all the keyring-type keys in the keyring it's currently + searching. It calls key_permission(SEARCH) on each keyring, and if this + grants permission, it recurses, executing steps (2) and (3) on that + keyring. + +The process stops immediately a valid key is found with permission granted to +use it. Any error from a previous match attempt is discarded and the key is +returned. + +When request_key() is invoked, if CONFIG_KEYS_REQUEST_CACHE=y, a per-task +one-key cache is first checked for a match. + +When search_process_keyrings() is invoked, it performs the following searches +until one succeeds: + + 1) If extant, the process's thread keyring is searched. + + 2) If extant, the process's process keyring is searched. + + 3) The process's session keyring is searched. + + 4) If the process has assumed the authority associated with a request_key() + authorisation key then: + + a) If extant, the calling process's thread keyring is searched. + + b) If extant, the calling process's process keyring is searched. + + c) The calling process's session keyring is searched. + +The moment one succeeds, all pending errors are discarded and the found key is +returned. If CONFIG_KEYS_REQUEST_CACHE=y, then that key is placed in the +per-task cache, displacing the previous key. The cache is cleared on exit or +just prior to resumption of userspace. + +Only if all these fail does the whole thing fail with the highest priority +error. Note that several errors may have come from LSM. + +The error priority is:: + + EKEYREVOKED > EKEYEXPIRED > ENOKEY + +EACCES/EPERM are only returned on a direct search of a specific keyring where +the basal keyring does not grant Search permission. |
