Information Security

Questions tagged [mandatory-access-control]

Ask Question

In computer security, mandatory access control (MAC) refers to a type of access control by which the operating system constrains the ability of a subject or initiator to access or generally perform some sort of operation on an object or target.

32 questions
Newest
Active
Bountied
Unanswered
Filter by
Sorted by
Tagged with
0
votes
1answer
44 views

Difference between access control systems that can/can't be compromised without valid credentials?

Take the following examples: When I run sshd, it can in theory grant access to anything that the process itself has access to, regardless of provided credentials. For example, I could in theory ...
0
votes
0answers
71 views

Linux whitelist-based Mandatory Access Control instead of a blacklist-based model

I'm trying to harden a Linux installation on a personal computer - I decided to try both SELinux and AppArmor as a Mandatory Access Control (MAC) to supplement the default Discretionary Access Control ...
3
votes
4answers
117 views

Real value of MAC models in Linux

I have read about MAC vs. DAC in the Internet, but I still fail to understand, what kind of attack it is impossible to protect against if one only uses DAC+capabilities in comparison to MAC+DAC+...
1
vote
1answer
338 views

Is apparmor default deny?

Is apparmor default deny? For example consider the case under SELinux in enforcing mode, where I install a package with no policy associated with it. SELinux's default behaviour is to deny all ...
1
vote
3answers
2k views

Why is linux filesystem considered DAC and not MAC

Citing wikipedia's MAC article: With mandatory access control, this security policy is centrally controlled by a security policy administrator; users do not have the ability to override the ...
3
votes
1answer
2k views

Are Bell-LaPadula and Biba models used in real big software security design?

I am currently studying both Bell-LaPadula and Biba models, I found this models too theoretical as I see the examples and I can see that there are used for designing particular services that needs ...
2
votes
1answer
104 views

Can a badly configured AppArmor profile reduce security?

Can a badly or even maliciously configured AppArmor profile reduce security, or can it only improve it? I read that apparently AppArmor cannot override unix file permissions, so it shouldn't give a ...
1
vote
1answer
259 views

What are the security risks of running a daemon as root even though SELinux is enforcing?

On an board running Linux I see a daemon and an utility run under root when started. The SELinux is enforcing for this system. Are there any potential threats of running as root, even if the SELinux ...
0
votes
1answer
4k views

Question about compare Bell-LaPadula and Biba models with Chinese wall policy

what the Chinese wall models try to achieve and how it differ from or improve upon the Bell-LaPadula and Biba models
3
votes
1answer
177 views

Can too restrictive Linux MAC policy decrease security?

Can too restrictive MAC profile (e.x. AppArmor profile) decrease application security? For example: could it be that too restrictive environment for web browser will protect host system very well ...
1
vote
1answer
635 views

Isn't RBAC just an implementation of MAC?

So I've been reading up on MAC vs DAC vs RBAC and there is something which I do not understand. Everywhere you read, it tells you that these types are different (disjoint) but isn't RBAC just a type (...
0
votes
2answers
442 views

Lattice vs Level with regard to access control

With regard to access control, is "lattice" the same as "level"? Is "Multi-level access control" just another name of "lattice-based access control"? Are Biba and Bell-LaPadula Security Models ...
3
votes
1answer
992 views

Do AppArmor/SELinux provide any security for workstation?

I decided to harden security on my primary workstation a bit. Before I used to use firejail for certain less trusted apps (all apps with internet access) but it's kind of toy. Didn't work really well ...
2
votes
1answer
1k views

linux kernel security module smack transmutation example

In the kernel documentation for smack security module it reads: "If a directory is marked as transmuting (SMACK64TRANSMUTE=TRUE) and the access rule that allows a process to create an object in that ...
1
vote
0answers
170 views

Integrity Label management

How can I read and modify the Integrity Labels of specified user folders and files on Windows 7 and later via the command line. For my use case, I need the command to be able to read the Integrity ...
4
votes
3answers
393 views

Defense-In-Depth With Common Security Controls

Many operating systems implement system capabilities, Posix access controls (DAC/ACLs) and mandatory access controls (SELinux), each using different underlying security controls to provide individual ...
4
votes
1answer
431 views

Are Linux System Capabilities Considered Mandatory Access Controls?

DAC is not mandatory because access permissions are left up to the resource owner's discretion. Mandatory Access Control (Smack, SELinux, etc) administration can only be accomplished by a process/...
3
votes
2answers
153 views

Where do Access Controls Fit into the Parkerian Hexad?

The security elements of the Parkerian Hexad are: Confidentiality Possession or Control Integrity Authenticity Availability Utility Where do access controls (mandatory, discretionary and ACL) fit in?...
1
vote
1answer
3k views

Difference Between MAC and DAC

Are the only difference between DAC and MAC: the fact that MAC can also dictate DAC-type permissions to processes, not just users and name space objects? (files,etc) And there's no concept of ...
0
votes
1answer
458 views

Who is the Mandatory Access Control Administrator

Would a mandatory access control implementation administered by a 'normal' user be discretionary since the user could change permissions as he sees fit? And if so, wouldn't root as a MAC admin, being ...
3
votes
1answer
291 views

Protecting a database against insiders

Consider a network for a web-application with 1 webserver and 1 MySQL database, both on physically different servers and both running Linux. The database stores mission critical data and this data is ...
4
votes
1answer
10k views

What is a visible example for a mandatory access control (MAC)

I can see clearly how discretionary access control (DAC) works by checking the properties of a file on my MSWindows machine, the file has attributes and the owner of the file can do almost anything ...
1
vote
1answer
2k views

Physical vs Logical - Location/Address

According to the CJIS Security Policy - Access Enforcement The information system shall enforce assigned authorizations for controlling access to the system and contained information. The ...
3
votes
3answers
3k views

Apparmor system-wide security — white-listing

I want to only white-list applications that can run on my system using Apparmor, I know it is used to confine applications/programs based on their path names, but what I need is to contain those ...
1
vote
2answers
366 views

Mandatory Access Control Rulesets, how to deal with Python, Bash and other interpreters?

Question (a) Is there? and if so (b) what is a standard or accepted way for MAC systems to deal with complex software and in particular with Python, Bash and other interpreters? (in terms of ...
10
votes
3answers
4k views

Security tradeoffs of pathname-based MAC (e.g., TOMOYO, grsecurity, AppArmor, …)

I have been learning about MAC (Mandatory Access Control) systems in Linux. Often, but not always, these are tied to Linux Security Modules. Some systems I've looked at: SELinux, Tomoyo, AppArmor, ...
1
vote
2answers
206 views

How to forbid one directory only in TOMOYO (2.5)?

(For example) I want to restrict write access to /home/backup from anybody, except a particular backup script. (To protect from accidental deletion.) For this, I suppose, it is enough to have two ...
5
votes
2answers
2k views

What are the practical differences between SELinux targeted mode and a capability based OS?

I recently asked a question about the differences between capabilities and mandatory access controls. Among the answers I got the point was made that systems like SE Linux in targeted mode are not a ...
1
vote
1answer
586 views

Can HIPS software practically be considered a form of MAC

Host Intrusion Prevention Software can restrict applications from taking certain actions regardless if they have the privileged to do so as assigned by the operating system. Given that with the use ...
9
votes
5answers
2k views

What is the practical difference between MAC and Capabilities

Both Mandatory Access Controls and Capabilities allow for fine grained privileges to be assigned to applications irrespective or in place of privileges inherited by the running user. Is there any ...
7
votes
3answers
8k views

Bell-LaPadula imlementation example

I'm currently studying the Bell-LaPadula model and i need to do an implementation as an example. I understand how the model works, but I have difficulties implementing it in a programming language (...
11
votes
6answers
1k views

What is preventing the widespread common use of MAC-type systems?

Overall question What is preventing the uptake of MAC systems such as SELinux/AppArmor in corporate and desktop computing environments? Why don't you think it isn't already widespread? I do not ...