[PATCH v3] audit: free proctitle in context so it can be re-set by fork on exec_binprm
From: Richard Guy Briggs
Date: Tue Aug 18 2026 - 14:29:54 EST
Between the actual process startup (fork systemd) and the executable file
replacement (exec), systemd sets a temporary file name (executable file
name in parentheses). If an auditable system call occurs at this point,
the audit context will latch the temporary process name into the cache.
This name will not change again. The patch clears proctitle into the
audit cache when the exec call is made, allowing the new process name to
be latched.
Suggested-by: Roman Dolgikh <rmd4work@xxxxxxx>
Link: https://github.com/user-attachments/files/20751461/fix_audit_proctitle.txt
Link: https://github.com/linux-audit/audit-kernel/issues/170
Signed-off-by: Richard Guy Briggs <rgb@xxxxxxxxxx>
Reviewed-by: Ricardo Robaina <rrobaina@xxxxxxxxxx>
---
kernel/auditsc.c | 2 ++
1 file changed, 2 insertions(+)
diff --git a/kernel/auditsc.c b/kernel/auditsc.c
index 2b9ce0b52511..ee7e53d2cd52 100644
--- a/kernel/auditsc.c
+++ b/kernel/auditsc.c
@@ -2601,6 +2601,8 @@ void __audit_bprm(struct linux_binprm *bprm)
{
struct audit_context *context = audit_context();
+ /* clear proctitle in audit context to allow replacement */
+ audit_proctitle_free(context);
context->type = AUDIT_EXECVE;
context->execve.argc = bprm->argc;
}
--
2.43.5