linux-kernel - Re: [GIT PULL] Kernel lockdown for secure boot

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Date:   Wed, 04 Apr 2018 01:22:27 +0100
From:   David Howells <dhowells@...hat.com>
To:     Linus Torvalds <torvalds@...ux-foundation.org>
Cc:     dhowells@...hat.com, Matthew Garrett <mjg59@...gle.com>,
        Andrew Lutomirski <luto@...nel.org>,
        Ard Biesheuvel <ard.biesheuvel@...aro.org>,
        James Morris <jmorris@...ei.org>,
        Alan Cox <gnomes@...rguk.ukuu.org.uk>,
        Greg Kroah-Hartman <gregkh@...uxfoundation.org>,
        Linux Kernel Mailing List <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>,
        Justin Forbes <jforbes@...hat.com>,
        linux-man <linux-man@...r.kernel.org>, joeyli <jlee@...e.com>,
        LSM List <linux-security-module@...r.kernel.org>,
        Linux API <linux-api@...r.kernel.org>,
        Kees Cook <keescook@...omium.org>,
        linux-efi <linux-efi@...r.kernel.org>
Subject: Re: [GIT PULL] Kernel lockdown for secure boot

Linus Torvalds <torvalds@...ux-foundation.org> wrote:

> ...  use the kernel command line to disable things.

An attacker could then modify grub.cfg, say, and cause a reboot (or wait for
the next reboot) to disable lockdown:-/

And whilst we could also distribute a non-locked-down variant of the kernel as
an alternative, the attacker could install and boot that instead since we
can't lock package installation down very easily since it doesn't impinge
directly on the running kernel.

Unfortunately, it's hard to come up with a disablement mechanism in the kernel
that an attacker can't also make use of:-/

David