98 lines
4.6 KiB
ReStructuredText
98 lines
4.6 KiB
ReStructuredText
.. _perf_security:
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Perf Events and tool security
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=============================
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Overview
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--------
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Usage of Performance Counters for Linux (perf_events) [1]_ , [2]_ , [3]_ can
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impose a considerable risk of leaking sensitive data accessed by monitored
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processes. The data leakage is possible both in scenarios of direct usage of
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perf_events system call API [2]_ and over data files generated by Perf tool user
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mode utility (Perf) [3]_ , [4]_ . The risk depends on the nature of data that
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perf_events performance monitoring units (PMU) [2]_ collect and expose for
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performance analysis. Having that said perf_events/Perf performance monitoring
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is the subject for security access control management [5]_ .
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perf_events/Perf access control
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-------------------------------
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To perform security checks, the Linux implementation splits processes into two
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categories [6]_ : a) privileged processes (whose effective user ID is 0, referred
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to as superuser or root), and b) unprivileged processes (whose effective UID is
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nonzero). Privileged processes bypass all kernel security permission checks so
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perf_events performance monitoring is fully available to privileged processes
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without access, scope and resource restrictions.
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Unprivileged processes are subject to a full security permission check based on
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the process's credentials [5]_ (usually: effective UID, effective GID, and
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supplementary group list).
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Linux divides the privileges traditionally associated with superuser into
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distinct units, known as capabilities [6]_ , which can be independently enabled
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and disabled on per-thread basis for processes and files of unprivileged users.
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Unprivileged processes with enabled CAP_SYS_ADMIN capability are treated as
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privileged processes with respect to perf_events performance monitoring and
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bypass *scope* permissions checks in the kernel.
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Unprivileged processes using perf_events system call API is also subject for
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PTRACE_MODE_READ_REALCREDS ptrace access mode check [7]_ , whose outcome
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determines whether monitoring is permitted. So unprivileged processes provided
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with CAP_SYS_PTRACE capability are effectively permitted to pass the check.
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Other capabilities being granted to unprivileged processes can effectively
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enable capturing of additional data required for later performance analysis of
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monitored processes or a system. For example, CAP_SYSLOG capability permits
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reading kernel space memory addresses from /proc/kallsyms file.
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perf_events/Perf unprivileged users
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-----------------------------------
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perf_events/Perf *scope* and *access* control for unprivileged processes is
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governed by perf_event_paranoid [2]_ setting:
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-1:
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Impose no *scope* and *access* restrictions on using perf_events performance
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monitoring. Per-user per-cpu perf_event_mlock_kb [2]_ locking limit is
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ignored when allocating memory buffers for storing performance data.
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This is the least secure mode since allowed monitored *scope* is
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maximized and no perf_events specific limits are imposed on *resources*
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allocated for performance monitoring.
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>=0:
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*scope* includes per-process and system wide performance monitoring
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but excludes raw tracepoints and ftrace function tracepoints monitoring.
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CPU and system events happened when executing either in user or
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in kernel space can be monitored and captured for later analysis.
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Per-user per-cpu perf_event_mlock_kb locking limit is imposed but
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ignored for unprivileged processes with CAP_IPC_LOCK [6]_ capability.
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>=1:
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*scope* includes per-process performance monitoring only and excludes
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system wide performance monitoring. CPU and system events happened when
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executing either in user or in kernel space can be monitored and
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captured for later analysis. Per-user per-cpu perf_event_mlock_kb
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locking limit is imposed but ignored for unprivileged processes with
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CAP_IPC_LOCK capability.
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>=2:
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*scope* includes per-process performance monitoring only. CPU and system
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events happened when executing in user space only can be monitored and
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captured for later analysis. Per-user per-cpu perf_event_mlock_kb
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locking limit is imposed but ignored for unprivileged processes with
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CAP_IPC_LOCK capability.
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Bibliography
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------------
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.. [1] `<https://lwn.net/Articles/337493/>`_
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.. [2] `<http://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man2/perf_event_open.2.html>`_
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.. [3] `<http://web.eece.maine.edu/~vweaver/projects/perf_events/>`_
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.. [4] `<https://perf.wiki.kernel.org/index.php/Main_Page>`_
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.. [5] `<https://www.kernel.org/doc/html/latest/security/credentials.html>`_
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.. [6] `<http://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man7/capabilities.7.html>`_
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.. [7] `<http://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man2/ptrace.2.html>`_
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