Re: [RFC][PATCH] rbind across namespaces

[Miklos Szeredi]

> > 
> >>Referencing vfsmounts in userspace using a file descriptor:
> >>http://marc.theaimsgroup.com/?l=linux-kernel&m=109871948812782&w=2
> > 
> > 
> > Why not just use /proc/PID/fd/FD?
> 
> In what sense?  readlink of /proc/PID/fd/* will provide a pathname
> relative to current's root: useless for any paths not in current's
> namespace.

Not readlink, but actual dereference of link will give you exactly the
vfsmount/dentry the file was opened on.  If you want to bind/move
whatever on that mount, that's possible, even if it's a "detached
tree".

> Also, if we were to hijack /proc/PID/fd/* for cross namespace
> manipulation, then we'd be enabling any root user on the system to
> modify anyone's namespace.

No.  Obviously there must be limitations on which process can access
/proc/PID/fd.  It's obviously safe to allow 'self' for example.  But
any process you can ptrace should also be safe.

> This interface also has the huge advantage that you gain all the goodies
> of using file descriptors, such as SCM_RIGHTS.  You can hand of entire
> trees of mountpoints between applications without ever even binding them
> to any namespace whatsoever.

Why is that dependent on the interface?  The /proc interface already
allows _everything_ you want to do with file descriptors.  Only the
the necessary restrictions should be worked out.

> Tie this in with some userspace code that can mount devices for users
> with restrictions and appropriate policy, you can create some API+daemon
> for regular user apps to get things mounted in a way that guarantees
> hiding from other users.

Yes.  And I think that can be done without any new magic ioctls.  Just
with mount/umount and /proc.

The implementation is another question.  I'll look through your
patches to see how you achieve all this.

Thanks,
Miklos
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