2 .\" Copyright (c) 2000 Robert N. M. Watson
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26 .\" $FreeBSD: src/lib/libposix1e/posix1e.3,v 1.3.2.6 2001/12/20 16:27:06 ru Exp $
27 .\" $DragonFly: src/lib/libposix1e/posix1e.3,v 1.6 2007/11/21 19:12:40 swildner Exp $
34 .Nd introduction to the POSIX.1e security API
44 The IEEE POSIX.1e specification never left draft form, but the interfaces
45 it describes are now widely used despite inherent limitations. Currently,
46 only a few of the interfaces and features are implemented in
48 although efforts are underway to complete the integration at this time.
50 POSIX.1e describes five security extensions to the base POSIX.1 API:
51 Access Control Lists (ACLs), Auditing, Capabilities, Mandatory Access
52 Control, and Information Flow Labels. Of these, the ACL interfaces are
53 currently included with
55 Auditing, Capabilities, and Mandatory
56 Access Control are in the wings, and Information Flow Labels are not on
59 POSIX.1e defines both syntax and semantics for these features, but fairly
60 substantial changes are required to implement these features in the
61 operating system. As shipped,
63 permits file systems to export
64 Access Control Lists via the VFS, and provides a library for userland
65 access to and manipulation of these ACLs, but support for ACLs is not
66 provided by any file systems shipped in the base operating system.
67 Available API calls relating to ACLs are described in detail in
70 The patches supporting other POSIX.1e features are not available in the
71 base operating system at this time--however, more information on them
74 POSIX.1e implementation web page:
76 .Pa http://www.watson.org/fbsd-hardening/posix1e/
77 .Sh IMPLEMENTATION NOTES
79 support for POSIX.1e interfaces and features is still under
80 development at this time.
82 POSIX.1e assigns security labels to all objects, extending the security
83 functionality described in POSIX.1. These additional labels provide
84 fine-grained discretionary access control, fine-grained capabilities,
85 and labels necessary for mandatory access control. POSIX.2c describes
86 a set of userland utilities for manipulating these labels. These userland
87 utilities are not bundled with
89 so as to discourage their
90 use in the short term.
97 POSIX.1e is described in IEEE POSIX.1e draft 17. Discussion
98 of the draft continues on the cross-platform POSIX.1e implementation
99 mailing list. To join this list, see the
101 POSIX.1e implementation
102 page for more information.
104 POSIX.1e support was introduced in
106 and development continues.
108 .An Robert N M Watson ,
109 .An Ilmar S Habibulin
111 These features are not yet fully implemented. In particular, the shipped
112 version of UFS/FFS does not support storage of additional security labels,
113 and so is unable to (easily) provide support for most of these features.