[PATCH 7/8] selftests/capabilities: add clone3() tests for CLONE_NEWUSER_BSET
From: Hallgrimur H. Gunnarsson
Date: Wed Oct 28 2026 - 18:22:49 EST
Add tests to userns_bounding_set_test to verify per-namespace
capability bounding via CLONE_NEWUSER_BSET.
Signed-off-by: Hallgrimur H. Gunnarsson <halg@xxxxxxxxxx>
---
.../capabilities/userns_bounding_set_test.c | 146 ++++++++++++++++++
.../selftests/clone3/clone3_selftests.h | 1 +
2 files changed, 147 insertions(+)
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/capabilities/userns_bounding_set_test.c b/tools/testing/selftests/capabilities/userns_bounding_set_test.c
index 798758e0705d..140c12e16e9e 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/capabilities/userns_bounding_set_test.c
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/capabilities/userns_bounding_set_test.c
@@ -417,4 +417,150 @@ TEST_F(userns_bset, parent_owner_cap_restricted)
EXPECT_EQ(EPERM, run_parent_owner_setns(restricted_mask));
}
+/*
+ * Verify that CLONE_NEWUSER_BSET restricts capabilities in the child user
+ * namespace even when the global sysctl allows all capabilities.
+ */
+TEST_F(userns_bset, clone3_bset_restriction)
+{
+ struct __clone_args args = {
+ .flags = CLONE_NEWUSER | CLONE_NEWUSER_BSET,
+ .exit_signal = SIGCHLD,
+ .cap_bset = cap_full_set & ~(1ULL << CAP_NET_ADMIN),
+ };
+ pid_t pid;
+ int status;
+
+ ASSERT_EQ(0, write_sysctl_caps(cap_full_set));
+
+ pid = sys_clone3(&args, sizeof(args));
+ ASSERT_GE(pid, 0);
+
+ if (pid == 0) {
+ if (!cap_raised(CAP_SYS_ADMIN))
+ _exit(1);
+ if (!cap_dropped(CAP_NET_ADMIN))
+ _exit(2);
+ _exit(0);
+ }
+
+ ASSERT_EQ(pid, waitpid(pid, &status, 0));
+ ASSERT_TRUE(WIFEXITED(status));
+ EXPECT_EQ(0, WEXITSTATUS(status));
+}
+
+/*
+ * Verify that passing cap_bset = 0 with CLONE_NEWUSER_BSET drops all
+ * capabilities in the new user namespace.
+ */
+TEST_F(userns_bset, clone3_bset_empty)
+{
+ struct __clone_args args = {
+ .flags = CLONE_NEWUSER | CLONE_NEWUSER_BSET,
+ .exit_signal = SIGCHLD,
+ .cap_bset = 0,
+ };
+ pid_t pid;
+ int status;
+
+ ASSERT_EQ(0, write_sysctl_caps(cap_full_set));
+
+ pid = sys_clone3(&args, sizeof(args));
+ ASSERT_GE(pid, 0);
+
+ if (pid == 0) {
+ if (!cap_dropped(CAP_SYS_ADMIN))
+ _exit(1);
+ if (!cap_dropped(CAP_NET_ADMIN))
+ _exit(2);
+ _exit(0);
+ }
+
+ ASSERT_EQ(pid, waitpid(pid, &status, 0));
+ ASSERT_TRUE(WIFEXITED(status));
+ EXPECT_EQ(0, WEXITSTATUS(status));
+}
+
+/*
+ * Verify that an unprivileged caller cannot use CLONE_NEWUSER_BSET to bypass
+ * the global sysctl ceiling.
+ */
+TEST_F(userns_bset, clone3_bset_cannot_bypass_sysctl)
+{
+ uint64_t restricted_mask = cap_full_set & ~(1ULL << CAP_NET_ADMIN);
+ pid_t pid;
+ int status;
+
+ ASSERT_EQ(0, write_sysctl_caps(restricted_mask));
+
+ pid = fork();
+ ASSERT_GE(pid, 0);
+
+ if (pid == 0) {
+ struct __clone_args args = {
+ .flags = CLONE_NEWUSER | CLONE_NEWUSER_BSET,
+ .exit_signal = SIGCHLD,
+ .cap_bset = cap_full_set,
+ };
+ int child_status;
+ pid_t child;
+
+ if (drop_privileges() != 0)
+ _exit(1);
+
+ child = sys_clone3(&args, sizeof(args));
+ if (child < 0)
+ _exit(2);
+
+ if (child == 0) {
+ if (!cap_raised(CAP_SYS_ADMIN))
+ _exit(3);
+ if (!cap_dropped(CAP_NET_ADMIN))
+ _exit(4);
+ _exit(0);
+ }
+
+ if (waitpid(child, &child_status, 0) != child ||
+ !WIFEXITED(child_status) || WEXITSTATUS(child_status) != 0)
+ _exit(5);
+
+ _exit(0);
+ }
+
+ ASSERT_EQ(pid, waitpid(pid, &status, 0));
+ ASSERT_TRUE(WIFEXITED(status));
+ EXPECT_EQ(0, WEXITSTATUS(status));
+}
+
+/*
+ * Verify clone3() argument validation for CLONE_NEWUSER_BSET.
+ */
+TEST_F(userns_bset, clone3_bset_invalid_args)
+{
+ struct __clone_args args;
+
+ /* CLONE_NEWUSER_BSET without CLONE_NEWUSER must fail */
+ memset(&args, 0, sizeof(args));
+ args.flags = CLONE_NEWUSER_BSET;
+ args.exit_signal = SIGCHLD;
+ args.cap_bset = cap_full_set;
+ EXPECT_EQ(-1, sys_clone3(&args, sizeof(args)));
+ EXPECT_EQ(EINVAL, errno);
+
+ /* Non-zero cap_bset without CLONE_NEWUSER_BSET must fail */
+ memset(&args, 0, sizeof(args));
+ args.flags = CLONE_NEWUSER;
+ args.exit_signal = SIGCHLD;
+ args.cap_bset = cap_full_set;
+ EXPECT_EQ(-1, sys_clone3(&args, sizeof(args)));
+ EXPECT_EQ(EINVAL, errno);
+
+ /* CLONE_NEWUSER_BSET with struct size < VER3 must fail */
+ memset(&args, 0, sizeof(args));
+ args.flags = CLONE_NEWUSER | CLONE_NEWUSER_BSET;
+ args.exit_signal = SIGCHLD;
+ EXPECT_EQ(-1, sys_clone3(&args, CLONE_ARGS_SIZE_VER2));
+ EXPECT_EQ(EINVAL, errno);
+}
+
TEST_HARNESS_MAIN
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/clone3/clone3_selftests.h b/tools/testing/selftests/clone3/clone3_selftests.h
index a0593e8950f0..2145d14956e5 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/clone3/clone3_selftests.h
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/clone3/clone3_selftests.h
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ struct __clone_args {
__aligned_u64 set_tid;
__aligned_u64 set_tid_size;
__aligned_u64 cgroup;
+ __aligned_u64 cap_bset;
};
static pid_t sys_clone3(struct __clone_args *args, size_t size)
--
2.56.0.313.g2479322e68-goog