[Devel] Re: [PATCH 8/8] af_unix: Allow connecting to sockets in other network namespaces.

[Daniel Lezcano]

On 06/13/2010 03:35 PM, Eric W. Biederman wrote:
> Remove the restriction that only allows connecting to a unix domain
> socket identified by unix path that is in the same network namespace.
>
> Crossing network namespaces is always tricky and we did not support
> this at first, because of a strict policy of don't mix the namespaces.
> Later after Pavel proposed this we did not support this because no one
> had performed the audit to make certain using unix domain sockets
> across namespaces is safe.
>
> What fundamentally makes connecting to af_unix sockets in other
> namespaces is safe is that you have to have the proper permissions on
> the unix domain socket inode that lives in the filesystem.  If you
> want strict isolation you just don't create inodes where unfriendlys
> can get at them, or with permissions that allow unfriendlys to open
> them.  All nicely handled for us by the mount namespace and other
> standard file system facilities.
>
> I looked through unix domain sockets and they are a very controlled
> environment so none of the work that goes on in dev_forward_skb to
> make crossing namespaces safe appears needed, we are not loosing
> controll of the skb and so do not need to set up the skb to look like
> it is comming in fresh from the outside world.  Further the fields in
> struct unix_skb_parms should not have any problems crossing network
> namespaces.
>
> Now that we handle SCM_CREDENTIALS in a way that gives useable values
> across namespaces.  There does not appear to be any operational
> problems with encouraging the use of unix domain sockets across
> containers either.
>
> Signed-off-by: Eric W. Biederman<ebiederm at xmission.com>
>    

Acked-by: Daniel Lezcano <daniel.lezcano at free.fr>

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