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diff --git a/Documentation/keys.txt b/Documentation/keys.txt new file mode 100644 index 00000000000..36d80aeeaf2 --- /dev/null +++ b/Documentation/keys.txt @@ -0,0 +1,869 @@ + ============================ + KERNEL KEY RETENTION SERVICE + ============================ + +This service allows cryptographic keys, authentication tokens, cross-domain +user mappings, and similar to be cached in the kernel for the use of +filesystems other kernel services. + +Keyrings are permitted; these are a special type of key that can hold links to +other keys. Processes each have three standard keyring subscriptions that a +kernel service can search for relevant keys. + +The key service can be configured on by enabling: + + "Security options"/"Enable access key retention support" (CONFIG_KEYS) + +This document has the following sections: + + - Key overview + - Key service overview + - Key access permissions + - New procfs files + - Userspace system call interface + - Kernel services + - Defining a key type + - Request-key callback service + - Key access filesystem + + +============ +KEY OVERVIEW +============ + +In this context, keys represent units of cryptographic data, authentication +tokens, keyrings, etc.. These are represented in the kernel by struct key. + +Each key has a number of attributes: + + - A serial number. + - A type. + - A description (for matching a key in a search). + - Access control information. + - An expiry time. + - A payload. + - State. + + + (*) Each key is issued a serial number of type key_serial_t that is unique + for the lifetime of that key. All serial numbers are positive non-zero + 32-bit integers. + + Userspace programs can use a key's serial numbers as a way to gain access + to it, subject to permission checking. + + (*) Each key is of a defined "type". Types must be registered inside the + kernel by a kernel service (such as a filesystem) before keys of that + type can be added or used. Userspace programs cannot define new types + directly. + + Key types are represented in the kernel by struct key_type. This defines + a number of operations that can be performed on a key of that type. + + Should a type be removed from the system, all the keys of that type will + be invalidated. + + (*) Each key has a description. This should be a printable string. The key + type provides an operation to perform a match between the description on + a key and a criterion string. + + (*) Each key has an owner user ID, a group ID and a permissions mask. These + are used to control what a process may do to a key from userspace, and + whether a kernel service will be able to find the key. + + (*) Each key can be set to expire at a specific time by the key type's + instantiation function. Keys can also be immortal. + + (*) Each key can have a payload. This is a quantity of data that represent + the actual "key". In the case of a keyring, this is a list of keys to + which the keyring links; in the case of a user-defined key, it's an + arbitrary blob of data. + + Having a payload is not required; and the payload can, in fact, just be a + value stored in the struct key itself. + + When a key is instantiated, the key type's instantiation function is + called with a blob of data, and that then creates the key's payload in + some way. + + Similarly, when userspace wants to read back the contents of the key, if + permitted, another key type operation will be called to convert the key's + attached payload back into a blob of data. + + (*) Each key can be in one of a number of basic states: + + (*) Uninstantiated. The key exists, but does not have any data + attached. Keys being requested from userspace will be in this state. + + (*) Instantiated. This is the normal state. The key is fully formed, and + has data attached. + + (*) Negative. This is a relatively short-lived state. The key acts as a + note saying that a previous call out to userspace failed, and acts as + a throttle on key lookups. A negative key can be updated to a normal + state. + + (*) Expired. Keys can have lifetimes set. If their lifetime is exceeded, + they traverse to this state. An expired key can be updated back to a + normal state. + + (*) Revoked. A key is put in this state by userspace action. It can't be + found or operated upon (apart from by unlinking it). + + (*) Dead. The key's type was unregistered, and so the key is now useless. + + +==================== +KEY SERVICE OVERVIEW +==================== + +The key service provides a number of features besides keys: + + (*) The key service defines two special key types: + + (+) "keyring" + + Keyrings are special keys that contain a list of other keys. Keyring + lists can be modified using various system calls. Keyrings should not + be given a payload when created. + + (+) "user" + + A key of this type has a description and a payload that are arbitrary + blobs of data. These can be created, updated and read by userspace, + and aren't intended for use by kernel services. + + (*) Each process subscribes to three keyrings: a thread-specific keyring, a + process-specific keyring, and a session-specific keyring. + + The thread-specific keyring is discarded from the child when any sort of + clone, fork, vfork or execve occurs. A new keyring is created only when + required. + + The process-specific keyring is replaced with an empty one in the child + on clone, fork, vfork unless CLONE_THREAD is supplied, in which case it + is shared. execve also discards the process's process keyring and creates + a new one. + + The session-specific keyring is persistent across clone, fork, vfork and + execve, even when the latter executes a set-UID or set-GID binary. A + process can, however, replace its current session keyring with a new one + by using PR_JOIN_SESSION_KEYRING. It is permitted to request an anonymous + new one, or to attempt to create or join one of a specific name. + + The ownership of the thread keyring changes when the real UID and GID of + the thread changes. + + (*) Each user ID resident in the system holds two special keyrings: a user + specific keyring and a default user session keyring. The default session + keyring is initialised with a link to the user-specific keyring. + + When a process changes its real UID, if it used to have no session key, it + will be subscribed to the default session key for the new UID. + + If a process attempts to access its session key when it doesn't have one, + it will be subscribed to the default for its current UID. + + (*) Each user has two quotas against which the keys they own are tracked. One + limits the total number of keys and keyrings, the other limits the total + amount of description and payload space that can be consumed. + + The user can view information on this and other statistics through procfs + files. + + Process-specific and thread-specific keyrings are not counted towards a + user's quota. + + If a system call that modifies a key or keyring in some way would put the + user over quota, the operation is refused and error EDQUOT is returned. + + (*) There's a system call interface by which userspace programs can create + and manipulate keys and keyrings. + + (*) There's a kernel interface by which services can register types and + search for keys. + + (*) There's a way for the a search done from the kernel to call back to + userspace to request a key that can't be found in a process's keyrings. + + (*) An optional filesystem is available through which the key database can be + viewed and manipulated. + + +====================== +KEY ACCESS PERMISSIONS +====================== + +Keys have an owner user ID, a group access ID, and a permissions mask. The +mask has up to eight bits each for user, group and other access. Only five of +each set of eight bits are defined. These permissions granted are: + + (*) View + + This permits a key or keyring's attributes to be viewed - including key + type and description. + + (*) Read + + This permits a key's payload to be viewed or a keyring's list of linked + keys. + + (*) Write + + This permits a key's payload to be instantiated or updated, or it allows + a link to be added to or removed from a keyring. + + (*) Search + + This permits keyrings to be searched and keys to be found. Searches can + only recurse into nested keyrings that have search permission set. + + (*) Link + + This permits a key or keyring to be linked to. To create a link from a + keyring to a key, a process must have Write permission on the keyring and + Link permission on the key. + +For changing the ownership, group ID or permissions mask, being the owner of +the key or having the sysadmin capability is sufficient. + + +================ +NEW PROCFS FILES +================ + +Two files have been added to procfs by which an administrator can find out +about the status of the key service: + + (*) /proc/keys + + This lists all the keys on the system, giving information about their + type, description and permissions. The payload of the key is not + available this way: + + SERIAL FLAGS USAGE EXPY PERM UID GID TYPE DESCRIPTION: SUMMARY + 00000001 I----- 39 perm 1f0000 0 0 keyring _uid_ses.0: 1/4 + 00000002 I----- 2 perm 1f0000 0 0 keyring _uid.0: empty + 00000007 I----- 1 perm 1f0000 0 0 keyring _pid.1: empty + 0000018d I----- 1 perm 1f0000 0 0 keyring _pid.412: empty + 000004d2 I--Q-- 1 perm 1f0000 32 -1 keyring _uid.32: 1/4 + 000004d3 I--Q-- 3 perm 1f0000 32 -1 keyring _uid_ses.32: empty + 00000892 I--QU- 1 perm 1f0000 0 0 user metal:copper: 0 + 00000893 I--Q-N 1 35s 1f0000 0 0 user metal:silver: 0 + 00000894 I--Q-- 1 10h 1f0000 0 0 user metal:gold: 0 + + The flags are: + + I Instantiated + R Revoked + D Dead + Q Contributes to user's quota + U Under contruction by callback to userspace + N Negative key + + This file must be enabled at kernel configuration time as it allows anyone + to list the keys database. + + (*) /proc/key-users + + This file lists the tracking data for each user that has at least one key + on the system. Such data includes quota information and statistics: + + [root@andromeda root]# cat /proc/key-users + 0: 46 45/45 1/100 13/10000 + 29: 2 2/2 2/100 40/10000 + 32: 2 2/2 2/100 40/10000 + 38: 2 2/2 2/100 40/10000 + + The format of each line is + <UID>: User ID to which this applies + <usage> Structure refcount + <inst>/<keys> Total number of keys and number instantiated + <keys>/<max> Key count quota + <bytes>/<max> Key size quota + + +=============================== +USERSPACE SYSTEM CALL INTERFACE +=============================== + +Userspace can manipulate keys directly through three new syscalls: add_key, +request_key and keyctl. The latter provides a number of functions for +manipulating keys. + +When referring to a key directly, userspace programs should use the key's +serial number (a positive 32-bit integer). However, there are some special +values available for referring to special keys and keyrings that relate to the +process making the call: + + CONSTANT VALUE KEY REFERENCED + ============================== ====== =========================== + KEY_SPEC_THREAD_KEYRING -1 thread-specific keyring + KEY_SPEC_PROCESS_KEYRING -2 process-specific keyring + KEY_SPEC_SESSION_KEYRING -3 session-specific keyring + KEY_SPEC_USER_KEYRING -4 UID-specific keyring + KEY_SPEC_USER_SESSION_KEYRING -5 UID-session keyring + KEY_SPEC_GROUP_KEYRING -6 GID-specific keyring + + +The main syscalls are: + + (*) Create a new key of given type, description and payload and add it to the + nominated keyring: + + key_serial_t add_key(const char *type, const char *desc, + const void *payload, size_t plen, + key_serial_t keyring); + + If a key of the same type and description as that proposed already exists + in the keyring, this will try to update it with the given payload, or it + will return error EEXIST if that function is not supported by the key + type. The process must also have permission to write to the key to be + able to update it. The new key will have all user permissions granted and + no group or third party permissions. + + Otherwise, this will attempt to create a new key of the specified type + and description, and to instantiate it with the supplied payload and + attach it to the keyring. In this case, an error will be generated if the + process does not have permission to write to the keyring. + + The payload is optional, and the pointer can be NULL if not required by + the type. The payload is plen in size, and plen can be zero for an empty + payload. + + A new keyring can be generated by setting type "keyring", the keyring + name as the description (or NULL) and setting the payload to NULL. + + User defined keys can be created by specifying type "user". It is + recommended that a user defined key's description by prefixed with a type + ID and a colon, such as "krb5tgt:" for a Kerberos 5 ticket granting + ticket. + + Any other type must have been registered with the kernel in advance by a + kernel service such as a filesystem. + + The ID of the new or updated key is returned if successful. + + + (*) Search the process's keyrings for a key, potentially calling out to + userspace to create it. + + key_serial_t request_key(const char *type, const char *description, + const char *callout_info, + key_serial_t dest_keyring); + + This function searches all the process's keyrings in the order thread, + process, session for a matching key. This works very much like + KEYCTL_SEARCH, including the optional attachment of the discovered key to + a keyring. + + If a key cannot be found, and if callout_info is not NULL, then + /sbin/request-key will be invoked in an attempt to obtain a key. The + callout_info string will be passed as an argument to the program. + + +The keyctl syscall functions are: + + (*) Map a special key ID to a real key ID for this process: + + key_serial_t keyctl(KEYCTL_GET_KEYRING_ID, key_serial_t id, + int create); + + The special key specified by "id" is looked up (with the key being + created if necessary) and the ID of the key or keyring thus found is + returned if it exists. + + If the key does not yet exist, the key will be created if "create" is + non-zero; and the error ENOKEY will be returned if "create" is zero. + + + (*) Replace the session keyring this process subscribes to with a new one: + + key_serial_t keyctl(KEYCTL_JOIN_SESSION_KEYRING, const char *name); + + If name is NULL, an anonymous keyring is created attached to the process + as its session keyring, displacing the old session keyring. + + If name is not NULL, if a keyring of that name exists, the process + attempts to attach it as the session keyring, returning an error if that + is not permitted; otherwise a new keyring of that name is created and + attached as the session keyring. + + To attach to a named keyring, the keyring must have search permission for + the process's ownership. + + The ID of the new session keyring is returned if successful. + + + (*) Update the specified key: + + long keyctl(KEYCTL_UPDATE, key_serial_t key, const void *payload, + size_t plen); + + This will try to update the specified key with the given payload, or it + will return error EOPNOTSUPP if that function is not supported by the key + type. The process must also have permission to write to the key to be + able to update it. + + The payload is of length plen, and may be absent or empty as for + add_key(). + + + (*) Revoke a key: + + long keyctl(KEYCTL_REVOKE, key_serial_t key); + + This makes a key unavailable for further operations. Further attempts to + use the key will be met with error EKEYREVOKED, and the key will no longer + be findable. + + + (*) Change the ownership of a key: + + long keyctl(KEYCTL_CHOWN, key_serial_t key, uid_t uid, gid_t gid); + + This function permits a key's owner and group ID to be changed. Either + one of uid or gid can be set to -1 to suppress that change. + + Only the superuser can change a key's owner to something other than the + key's current owner. Similarly, only the superuser can change a key's + group ID to something other than the calling process's group ID or one of + its group list members. + + + (*) Change the permissions mask on a key: + + long keyctl(KEYCTL_SETPERM, key_serial_t key, key_perm_t perm); + + This function permits the owner of a key or the superuser to change the + permissions mask on a key. + + Only bits the available bits are permitted; if any other bits are set, + error EINVAL will be returned. + + + (*) Describe a key: + + long keyctl(KEYCTL_DESCRIBE, key_serial_t key, char *buffer, + size_t buflen); + + This function returns a summary of the key's attributes (but not its + payload data) as a string in the buffer provided. + + Unless there's an error, it always returns the amount of data it could + produce, even if that's too big for the buffer, but it won't copy more + than requested to userspace. If the buffer pointer is NULL then no copy + will take place. + + A process must have view permission on the key for this function to be + successful. + + If successful, a string is placed in the buffer in the following format: + + <type>;<uid>;<gid>;<perm>;<description> + + Where type and description are strings, uid and gid are decimal, and perm + is hexadecimal. A NUL character is included at the end of the string if + the buffer is sufficiently big. + + This can be parsed with + + sscanf(buffer, "%[^;];%d;%d;%o;%s", type, &uid, &gid, &mode, desc); + + + (*) Clear out a keyring: + + long keyctl(KEYCTL_CLEAR, key_serial_t keyring); + + This function clears the list of keys attached to a keyring. The calling + process must have write permission on the keyring, and it must be a + keyring (or else error ENOTDIR will result). + + + (*) Link a key into a keyring: + + long keyctl(KEYCTL_LINK, key_serial_t keyring, key_serial_t key); + + This function creates a link from the keyring to the key. The process + must have write permission on the keyring and must have link permission + on the key. + + Should the keyring not be a keyring, error ENOTDIR will result; and if + the keyring is full, error ENFILE will result. + + The link procedure checks the nesting of the keyrings, returning ELOOP if + it appears to deep or EDEADLK if the link would introduce a cycle. + + + (*) Unlink a key or keyring from another keyring: + + long keyctl(KEYCTL_UNLINK, key_serial_t keyring, key_serial_t key); + + This function looks through the keyring for the first link to the + specified key, and removes it if found. Subsequent links to that key are + ignored. The process must have write permission on the keyring. + + If the keyring is not a keyring, error ENOTDIR will result; and if the + key is not present, error ENOENT will be the result. + + + (*) Search a keyring tree for a key: + + key_serial_t keyctl(KEYCTL_SEARCH, key_serial_t keyring, + const char *type, const char *description, + key_serial_t dest_keyring); + + This searches the keyring tree headed by the specified keyring until a + key is found that matches the type and description criteria. Each keyring + is checked for keys before recursion into its children occurs. + + The process must have search permission on the top level keyring, or else + error EACCES will result. Only keyrings that the process has search + permission on will be recursed into, and only keys and keyrings for which + a process has search permission can be matched. If the specified keyring + is not a keyring, ENOTDIR will result. + + If the search succeeds, the function will attempt to link the found key + into the destination keyring if one is supplied (non-zero ID). All the + constraints applicable to KEYCTL_LINK apply in this case too. + + Error ENOKEY, EKEYREVOKED or EKEYEXPIRED will be returned if the search + fails. On success, the resulting key ID will be returned. + + + (*) Read the payload data from a key: + + key_serial_t keyctl(KEYCTL_READ, key_serial_t keyring, char *buffer, + size_t buflen); + + This function attempts to read the payload data from the specified key + into the buffer. The process must have read permission on the key to + succeed. + + The returned data will be processed for presentation by the key type. For + instance, a keyring will return an array of key_serial_t entries + representing the IDs of all the keys to which it is subscribed. The user + defined key type will return its data as is. If a key type does not + implement this function, error EOPNOTSUPP will result. + + As much of the data as can be fitted into the buffer will be copied to + userspace if the buffer pointer is not NULL. + + On a successful return, the function will always return the amount of + data available rather than the amount copied. + + + (*) Instantiate a partially constructed key. + + key_serial_t keyctl(KEYCTL_INSTANTIATE, key_serial_t key, + const void *payload, size_t plen, + key_serial_t keyring); + + If the kernel calls back to userspace to complete the instantiation of a + key, userspace should use this call to supply data for the key before the + invoked process returns, or else the key will be marked negative + automatically. + + The process must have write access on the key to be able to instantiate + it, and the key must be uninstantiated. + + If a keyring is specified (non-zero), the key will also be linked into + that keyring, however all the constraints applying in KEYCTL_LINK apply + in this case too. + + The payload and plen arguments describe the payload data as for add_key(). + + + (*) Negatively instantiate a partially constructed key. + + key_serial_t keyctl(KEYCTL_NEGATE, key_serial_t key, + unsigned timeout, key_serial_t keyring); + + If the kernel calls back to userspace to complete the instantiation of a + key, userspace should use this call mark the key as negative before the + invoked process returns if it is unable to fulfil the request. + + The process must have write access on the key to be able to instantiate + it, and the key must be uninstantiated. + + If a keyring is specified (non-zero), the key will also be linked into + that keyring, however all the constraints applying in KEYCTL_LINK apply + in this case too. + + +=============== +KERNEL SERVICES +=============== + +The kernel services for key managment are fairly simple to deal with. They can +be broken down into two areas: keys and key types. + +Dealing with keys is fairly straightforward. Firstly, the kernel service +registers its type, then it searches for a key of that type. It should retain +the key as long as it has need of it, and then it should release it. For a +filesystem or device file, a search would probably be performed during the +open call, and the key released upon close. How to deal with conflicting keys +due to two different users opening the same file is left to the filesystem +author to solve. + +When accessing a key's payload data, key->lock should be at least read locked, +or else the data may be changed by an update being performed from userspace +whilst the driver or filesystem is trying to access it. If no update method is +supplied, then the key's payload may be accessed without holding a lock as +there is no way to change it, provided it can be guaranteed that the key's +type definition won't go away. + +(*) To search for a key, call: + + struct key *request_key(const struct key_type *type, + const char *description, + const char *callout_string); + + This is used to request a key or keyring with a description that matches + the description specified according to the key type's match function. This + permits approximate matching to occur. If callout_string is not NULL, then + /sbin/request-key will be invoked in an attempt to obtain the key from + userspace. In that case, callout_string will be passed as an argument to + the program. + + Should the function fail error ENOKEY, EKEYEXPIRED or EKEYREVOKED will be + returned. + + +(*) When it is no longer required, the key should be released using: + + void key_put(struct key *key); + + This can be called from interrupt context. If CONFIG_KEYS is not set then + the argument will not be parsed. + + +(*) Extra references can be made to a key by calling the following function: + + struct key *key_get(struct key *key); + + These need to be disposed of by calling key_put() when they've been + finished with. The key pointer passed in will be returned. If the pointer + is NULL or CONFIG_KEYS is not set then the key will not be dereferenced and + no increment will take place. + + +(*) A key's serial number can be obtained by calling: + + key_serial_t key_serial(struct key *key); + + If key is NULL or if CONFIG_KEYS is not set then 0 will be returned (in the + latter case without parsing the argument). + + +(*) If a keyring was found in the search, this can be further searched by: + + struct key *keyring_search(struct key *keyring, + const struct key_type *type, + const char *description) + + This searches the keyring tree specified for a matching key. Error ENOKEY + is returned upon failure. If successful, the returned key will need to be + released. + + +(*) To check the validity of a key, this function can be called: + + int validate_key(struct key *key); + + This checks that the key in question hasn't expired or and hasn't been + revoked. Should the key be invalid, error EKEYEXPIRED or EKEYREVOKED will + be returned. If the key is NULL or if CONFIG_KEYS is not set then 0 will be + returned (in the latter case without parsing the argument). + + +(*) To register a key type, the following function should be called: + + int register_key_type(struct key_type *type); + + This will return error EEXIST if a type of the same name is already + present. + + +(*) To unregister a key type, call: + + void unregister_key_type(struct key_type *type); + + +=================== +DEFINING A KEY TYPE +=================== + +A kernel service may want to define its own key type. For instance, an AFS +filesystem might want to define a Kerberos 5 ticket key type. To do this, it +author fills in a struct key_type and registers it with the system. + +The structure has a number of fields, some of which are mandatory: + + (*) const char *name + + The name of the key type. This is used to translate a key type name + supplied by userspace into a pointer to the structure. + + + (*) size_t def_datalen + + This is optional - it supplies the default payload data length as + contributed to the quota. If the key type's payload is always or almost + always the same size, then this is a more efficient way to do things. + + The data length (and quota) on a particular key can always be changed + during instantiation or update by calling: + + int key_payload_reserve(struct key *key, size_t datalen); + + With the revised data length. Error EDQUOT will be returned if this is + not viable. + + + (*) int (*instantiate)(struct key *key, const void *data, size_t datalen); + + This method is called to attach a payload to a key during construction. + The payload attached need not bear any relation to the data passed to + this function. + + If the amount of data attached to the key differs from the size in + keytype->def_datalen, then key_payload_reserve() should be called. + + This method does not have to lock the key in order to attach a payload. + The fact that KEY_FLAG_INSTANTIATED is not set in key->flags prevents + anything else from gaining access to the key. + + This method may sleep if it wishes. + + + (*) int (*duplicate)(struct key *key, const struct key *source); + + If this type of key can be duplicated, then this method should be + provided. It is called to copy the payload attached to the source into + the new key. The data length on the new key will have been updated and + the quota adjusted already. + + This method will be called with the source key's semaphore read-locked to + prevent its payload from being changed. It is safe to sleep here. + + + (*) int (*update)(struct key *key, const void *data, size_t datalen); + + If this type of key can be updated, then this method should be + provided. It is called to update a key's payload from the blob of data + provided. + + key_payload_reserve() should be called if the data length might change + before any changes are actually made. Note that if this succeeds, the + type is committed to changing the key because it's already been altered, + so all memory allocation must be done first. + + key_payload_reserve() should be called with the key->lock write locked, + and the changes to the key's attached payload should be made before the + key is locked. + + The key will have its semaphore write-locked before this method is + called. Any changes to the key should be made with the key's rwlock + write-locked also. It is safe to sleep here. + + + (*) int (*match)(const struct key *key, const void *desc); + + This method is called to match a key against a description. It should + return non-zero if the two match, zero if they don't. + + This method should not need to lock the key in any way. The type and + description can be considered invariant, and the payload should not be + accessed (the key may not yet be instantiated). + + It is not safe to sleep in this method; the caller may hold spinlocks. + + + (*) void (*destroy)(struct key *key); + + This method is optional. It is called to discard the payload data on a + key when it is being destroyed. + + This method does not need to lock the key; it can consider the key as + being inaccessible. Note that the key's type may have changed before this + function is called. + + It is not safe to sleep in this method; the caller may hold spinlocks. + + + (*) void (*describe)(const struct key *key, struct seq_file *p); + + This method is optional. It is called during /proc/keys reading to + summarise a key's description and payload in text form. + + This method will be called with the key's rwlock read-locked. This will + prevent the key's payload and state changing; also the description should + not change. This also means it is not safe to sleep in this method. + + + (*) long (*read)(const struct key *key, char __user *buffer, size_t buflen); + + This method is optional. It is called by KEYCTL_READ to translate the + key's payload into something a blob of data for userspace to deal + with. Ideally, the blob should be in the same format as that passed in to + the instantiate and update methods. + + If successful, the blob size that could be produced should be returned + rather than the size copied. + + This method will be called with the key's semaphore read-locked. This + will prevent the key's payload changing. It is not necessary to also + read-lock key->lock when accessing the key's payload. It is safe to sleep + in this method, such as might happen when the userspace buffer is + accessed. + + +============================ +REQUEST-KEY CALLBACK SERVICE +============================ + +To create a new key, the kernel will attempt to execute the following command +line: + + /sbin/request-key create <key> <uid> <gid> \ + <threadring> <processring> <sessionring> <callout_info> + +<key> is the key being constructed, and the three keyrings are the process +keyrings from the process that caused the search to be issued. These are +included for two reasons: + + (1) There may be an authentication token in one of the keyrings that is + required to obtain the key, eg: a Kerberos Ticket-Granting Ticket. + + (2) The new key should probably be cached in one of these rings. + +This program should set it UID and GID to those specified before attempting to +access any more keys. It may then look around for a user specific process to +hand the request off to (perhaps a path held in placed in another key by, for +example, the KDE desktop manager). + +The program (or whatever it calls) should finish construction of the key by +calling KEYCTL_INSTANTIATE, which also permits it to cache the key in one of +the keyrings (probably the session ring) before returning. Alternatively, the +key can be marked as negative with KEYCTL_NEGATE; this also permits the key to +be cached in one of the keyrings. + +If it returns with the key remaining in the unconstructed state, the key will +be marked as being negative, it will be added to the session keyring, and an +error will be returned to the key requestor. + +Supplementary information may be provided from whoever or whatever invoked +this service. This will be passed as the <callout_info> parameter. If no such +information was made available, then "-" will be passed as this parameter +instead. + + +Similarly, the kernel may attempt to update an expired or a soon to expire key +by executing: + + /sbin/request-key update <key> <uid> <gid> \ + <threadring> <processring> <sessionring> + +In this case, the program isn't required to actually attach the key to a ring; +the rings are provided for reference. |