diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'Documentation/sysctl/fs.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | Documentation/sysctl/fs.txt | 156 |
1 files changed, 138 insertions, 18 deletions
diff --git a/Documentation/sysctl/fs.txt b/Documentation/sysctl/fs.txt index f99254327ae..88152f214f4 100644 --- a/Documentation/sysctl/fs.txt +++ b/Documentation/sysctl/fs.txt @@ -1,5 +1,6 @@ Documentation for /proc/sys/fs/* kernel version 2.2.10 (c) 1998, 1999, Rik van Riel <riel@nl.linux.org> + (c) 2009, Shen Feng<shen@cn.fujitsu.com> For general info and legal blurb, please look in README. @@ -14,7 +15,12 @@ kernel. Since some of the files _can_ be used to screw up your system, it is advisable to read both documentation and source before actually making adjustments. +1. /proc/sys/fs +---------------------------------------------------------- + Currently, these files are in /proc/sys/fs: +- aio-max-nr +- aio-nr - dentry-state - dquot-max - dquot-nr @@ -26,12 +32,21 @@ Currently, these files are in /proc/sys/fs: - nr_open - overflowuid - overflowgid +- protected_hardlinks +- protected_symlinks - suid_dumpable - super-max - super-nr -Documentation for the files in /proc/sys/fs/binfmt_misc is -in Documentation/binfmt_misc.txt. +============================================================== + +aio-nr & aio-max-nr: + +aio-nr is the running total of the number of events specified on the +io_setup system call for all currently active aio contexts. If aio-nr +reaches aio-max-nr then io_setup will fail with EAGAIN. Note that +raising aio-max-nr does not result in the pre-allocation or re-sizing +of any kernel data structures. ============================================================== @@ -75,21 +90,23 @@ you might want to raise the limit. file-max & file-nr: -The kernel allocates file handles dynamically, but as yet it -doesn't free them again. - The value in file-max denotes the maximum number of file- handles that the Linux kernel will allocate. When you get lots of error messages about running out of file handles, you might want to increase this limit. -The three values in file-nr denote the number of allocated -file handles, the number of unused file handles and the maximum -number of file handles. When the allocated file handles come -close to the maximum, but the number of unused file handles is -significantly greater than 0, you've encountered a peak in your -usage of file handles and you don't need to increase the maximum. - +Historically,the kernel was able to allocate file handles +dynamically, but not to free them again. The three values in +file-nr denote the number of allocated file handles, the number +of allocated but unused file handles, and the maximum number of +file handles. Linux 2.6 always reports 0 as the number of free +file handles -- this is not an error, it just means that the +number of allocated file handles exactly matches the number of +used file handles. + +Attempts to allocate more file descriptors than file-max are +reported with printk, look for "VFS: file-max limit <number> +reached". ============================================================== nr_open: @@ -142,22 +159,68 @@ The default is 65534. ============================================================== +protected_hardlinks: + +A long-standing class of security issues is the hardlink-based +time-of-check-time-of-use race, most commonly seen in world-writable +directories like /tmp. The common method of exploitation of this flaw +is to cross privilege boundaries when following a given hardlink (i.e. a +root process follows a hardlink created by another user). Additionally, +on systems without separated partitions, this stops unauthorized users +from "pinning" vulnerable setuid/setgid files against being upgraded by +the administrator, or linking to special files. + +When set to "0", hardlink creation behavior is unrestricted. + +When set to "1" hardlinks cannot be created by users if they do not +already own the source file, or do not have read/write access to it. + +This protection is based on the restrictions in Openwall and grsecurity. + +============================================================== + +protected_symlinks: + +A long-standing class of security issues is the symlink-based +time-of-check-time-of-use race, most commonly seen in world-writable +directories like /tmp. The common method of exploitation of this flaw +is to cross privilege boundaries when following a given symlink (i.e. a +root process follows a symlink belonging to another user). For a likely +incomplete list of hundreds of examples across the years, please see: +http://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvekey.cgi?keyword=/tmp + +When set to "0", symlink following behavior is unrestricted. + +When set to "1" symlinks are permitted to be followed only when outside +a sticky world-writable directory, or when the uid of the symlink and +follower match, or when the directory owner matches the symlink's owner. + +This protection is based on the restrictions in Openwall and grsecurity. + +============================================================== + suid_dumpable: This value can be used to query and set the core dump mode for setuid or otherwise protected/tainted binaries. The modes are 0 - (default) - traditional behaviour. Any process which has changed - privilege levels or is execute only will not be dumped + privilege levels or is execute only will not be dumped. 1 - (debug) - all processes dump core when possible. The core dump is owned by the current user and no security is applied. This is intended for system debugging situations only. Ptrace is unchecked. + This is insecure as it allows regular users to examine the memory + contents of privileged processes. 2 - (suidsafe) - any binary which normally would not be dumped is dumped - readable by root only. This allows the end user to remove - such a dump but not access it directly. For security reasons - core dumps in this mode will not overwrite one another or - other files. This mode is appropriate when administrators are - attempting to debug problems in a normal environment. + anyway, but only if the "core_pattern" kernel sysctl is set to + either a pipe handler or a fully qualified path. (For more details + on this limitation, see CVE-2006-2451.) This mode is appropriate + when administrators are attempting to debug problems in a normal + environment, and either have a core dump pipe handler that knows + to treat privileged core dumps with care, or specific directory + defined for catching core dumps. If a core dump happens without + a pipe handler or fully qualifid path, a message will be emitted + to syslog warning about the lack of a correct setting. ============================================================== @@ -178,3 +241,60 @@ requests. aio-max-nr allows you to change the maximum value aio-nr can grow to. ============================================================== + + +2. /proc/sys/fs/binfmt_misc +---------------------------------------------------------- + +Documentation for the files in /proc/sys/fs/binfmt_misc is +in Documentation/binfmt_misc.txt. + + +3. /proc/sys/fs/mqueue - POSIX message queues filesystem +---------------------------------------------------------- + +The "mqueue" filesystem provides the necessary kernel features to enable the +creation of a user space library that implements the POSIX message queues +API (as noted by the MSG tag in the POSIX 1003.1-2001 version of the System +Interfaces specification.) + +The "mqueue" filesystem contains values for determining/setting the amount of +resources used by the file system. + +/proc/sys/fs/mqueue/queues_max is a read/write file for setting/getting the +maximum number of message queues allowed on the system. + +/proc/sys/fs/mqueue/msg_max is a read/write file for setting/getting the +maximum number of messages in a queue value. In fact it is the limiting value +for another (user) limit which is set in mq_open invocation. This attribute of +a queue must be less or equal then msg_max. + +/proc/sys/fs/mqueue/msgsize_max is a read/write file for setting/getting the +maximum message size value (it is every message queue's attribute set during +its creation). + +/proc/sys/fs/mqueue/msg_default is a read/write file for setting/getting the +default number of messages in a queue value if attr parameter of mq_open(2) is +NULL. If it exceed msg_max, the default value is initialized msg_max. + +/proc/sys/fs/mqueue/msgsize_default is a read/write file for setting/getting +the default message size value if attr parameter of mq_open(2) is NULL. If it +exceed msgsize_max, the default value is initialized msgsize_max. + +4. /proc/sys/fs/epoll - Configuration options for the epoll interface +-------------------------------------------------------- + +This directory contains configuration options for the epoll(7) interface. + +max_user_watches +---------------- + +Every epoll file descriptor can store a number of files to be monitored +for event readiness. Each one of these monitored files constitutes a "watch". +This configuration option sets the maximum number of "watches" that are +allowed for each user. +Each "watch" costs roughly 90 bytes on a 32bit kernel, and roughly 160 bytes +on a 64bit one. +The current default value for max_user_watches is the 1/32 of the available +low memory, divided for the "watch" cost in bytes. + |