security-misc: Enhance Miscellaneous Security Settings

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• Install Newer Kernels
• Kernel Modules
• hardened-kernel
• security-misc
• debug-misc

Hardened-kernel Advanced Documentation swap-file-creator Previous page: Hardened-kernel Index page: Advanced Documentation Next page: swap-file-creator security-misc: Enhance Miscellaneous Security Settings

Documentation for package security-misc.

Stable Features

Described here.

system map

TODO: document

• https://forums.whonix.org/t/kernel-hardening/7296/84
• https://forums.whonix.org/t/remove-system-map-cannot-work-lib-modules-is-mounted-read-only/13324

Optional Features

Note: See also the dedicated wiki page for Unprivileged User Namespace.

1. Open security-misc readme.

2. Optional: Read all.

3. Use the browser internal search for Optional - and read.

4. Learn about optional sysctl features.

Note: Look at the file but do not make any changes. This is because changes in any files in /usr folder are overwritten the next time the package which owns that file is updated.

Open file /usr/lib/sysctl.d/990-security-misc.conf in a text editor of your choice as a regular, non-root user.

If you are using a graphical environment, run. mousepad /usr/lib/sysctl.d/990-security-misc.conf

If you are using a terminal, run. nano /usr/lib/sysctl.d/990-security-misc.conf

5. Create a new sysctl configuration file.

Note: This is because this file in /etc folder will remain unmodified by the package manager APT.

Open file /etc/sysctl.d/50_user.conf in an editor with root rights.

Select your platform.

Kicksecure

See Open File with Root Rights for detailed instructions on why to use sudoedit for better security and how to use it.

Note: Mousepad (or the chosen text editor) must be closed before running the sudoedit command.

sudoedit /etc/sysctl.d/50_user.conf

Kicksecure for Qubes

NOTES:

• When using Kicksecure-Qubes, this needs to be done inside the Template.

sudoedit /etc/sysctl.d/50_user.conf

• After applying this change, shutdown the Template.
• All App Qubes based on the Template need to be restarted if they were already running.
• This is a general procedure required for Qubes and unspecific to Kicksecure for Qubes.

Others and Alternatives

• This is just an example. Other tools could achieve the same goal.
• If this example does not work for you or if you are not using Kicksecure, please refer to this link.

sudoedit /etc/sysctl.d/50_user.conf

6. Paste sysctl settings.

Example:

Note: Do not use these settings without learning what might break by using these settings. There are reasons why these settings are non-default.

kernel.unprivileged_userns_clone=0 user.max_user_namespaces=0 kernel.panic=-1 kernel.panic_on_oops=1 kernel.panic_on_warn=1 kernel.oops_limit=1 kernel.warn_limit=1 fs.binfmt_misc.status=0 net.ipv4.tcp_sack=0 net.ipv4.tcp_dsack=0 net.ipv6.conf.*.use_tempaddr=2

7. Save.

8. Learn about optional kernel parameter features.

Note: Look at the file but do not make any changes.

Open file /etc/default/grub.d/40_kernel_hardening.cfg in a text editor of your choice as a regular, non-root user.

If you are using a graphical environment, run. mousepad /etc/default/grub.d/40_kernel_hardening.cfg

If you are using a terminal, run. nano /etc/default/grub.d/40_kernel_hardening.cfg

9. Create a new Grub configuration file.

Open file /etc/default/grub.d/50_user.conf in an editor with root rights.

Select your platform.

Kicksecure

See Open File with Root Rights for detailed instructions on why to use sudoedit for better security and how to use it.

Note: Mousepad (or the chosen text editor) must be closed before running the sudoedit command.

sudoedit /etc/default/grub.d/50_user.conf

Kicksecure for Qubes

NOTES:

• When using Kicksecure-Qubes, this needs to be done inside the Template.

sudoedit /etc/default/grub.d/50_user.conf

• After applying this change, shutdown the Template.
• All App Qubes based on the Template need to be restarted if they were already running.
• This is a general procedure required for Qubes and unspecific to Kicksecure for Qubes.

Others and Alternatives

• This is just an example. Other tools could achieve the same goal.
• If this example does not work for you or if you are not using Kicksecure, please refer to this link.

sudoedit /etc/default/grub.d/50_user.conf

10. Paste kernel parameters.

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="$GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX oops=panic" GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="$GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX cfi=kcfi" GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="$GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX ia32_emulation=0" GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="$GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX ipv6.disable=1"

11. Save.

12. Update the GRUB configuration.

sudo update-grub

13. Reboot required.

sudo reboot

14. Done.

Appendix:

• /usr/lib/sysctl.d/990-security-misc.conf on github
• /etc/default/grub.d/40_kernel_hardening.cfg on github

Testing Features

Reduce Kernel Information Leaks

Known to make the Restart and Shut Down buttons dysfunctional in Xfce, and sometimes cause the operating system not to start.

By default, on most if not all (Linux based) operating systems, the Linux kernel makes lots of information available to running programs (and therefore by extension also to Malware). There's an optional feature to reduce such kernel information leaks.

Warning: This is for testers-only!

• Security Impact: There are many of hardware, kernel, debug information, etc. in /sys and /proc, which is especially problematic and has been the cause of many infoleaks such as kernel pointer leaks.
• Security / Privacy Impact: Details about your hardware can aid attacks and can be used for identification.
• Threat: This information is per Debian (and probably most popular Linux distributions) available to attackers with local code execution privileges which includes,
  • malicious applications collecting such information and submitting it to data collectors,
  • as well as both, compromised non-privileged users and the privileged root user.
• Non-Threat: This information does not randomly leak to third parties on clean (non-compromised) machines through use of legitimate applications such as the APT package manager. Legitimate applications do not request the information from the kernel, let alone leak them to third-parties over the internet.
• Goal: This information should by default be unavailable to non-privileged users and user-sysmaint-split.
• Solution: Therefore security-misc includes the hide-hardware-info.service systemd unit.
  • Restricts access to /sys, /proc/cpuinfo, /proc/bus, and /proc/scsi to the root user only.
  • This also hides most hardware identifiers.
• Status: This setting is disabled by default because it might break many applications. Testers-only! Call for testers and forum discussion: Restrict Hardware Information to Root - Testers Wanted!
• Enable: It can optionally be enabled by running the following command.
  • sudo systemctl enable hide-hardware-info.service
  • Reboot required.
  • A whitelist that allows specific applications to access /sys and /proc/cpuinfo is enabled by default to maintain basic functionality. For example, this allows the launching of applications like Xfce.
• Limitations of Solution:
  • root compromise: Attackers which gained root compromise and/or malicious/compromised whitelisted applications have access to this information.
  • CPUID: Cannot hide CPUID.
• Testing: See #Testing
• Possible Future Enhancements: user-sysmaint-split

Reduce Kernel Information Leaks - Known Issues

• breaks Xfce shutdown, reboot GUI buttons (but CLI commands for shutdown, reboot are functional) (maybe also fixed in testers repository)
• breaks APT updates and update-torbrowser run from within any Template when hide-hardware-information.service is running inside Qubes sys-whonix (fixed in testers repository)
• browsers:
  • Firefox: functional
  • Chromium:
    • from packages.debian.org: broken, fails with an error popup, because it attempts to read /proc/cpuinfo.
    • from flatpak: functional
• ISO image to USB writer tools:
  • breaks balanaEtcher

Whitelisting Applications

To whitelist applications, they must be run under the sysfs group (if allowing access to /sys) and/or the cpuinfo group (if allowing access to /proc/cpuinfo).

Remember that any whitelisted applications add to the attack surface. An attacker can attempt to exploit a vulnerability in the whitelisted application(s) to gain access to hardware information.

Linux User Group Member Method

1. For example, to add account user to group cpuinfo, run the following command. (Note, this is weakening protections.)

sudo adduser user cpuinfo

2. For example, to add account user to group sysfs, run the following command. (Note, this is weakening protections.)

sudo adduser user sysfs

3. Re-login required after changing groups.

Easiest: reboot.

sudo reboot

4. Done.

For example, after reboot it would be possible to run the cpu-info utility (from Debian package cpuinfo).

cpu-info

systemd

For example, to run a systemd service as the sysfs group, create a drop-in directory and add the following.

[Service] SupplementaryGroups=sysfs

setgid method

To run a specific binary as the sysfs group, the binary must be owned by the sysfs group and be made setgid. To achieve this,

1. change the ownership of the binary by running the following.

sudo chgrp sysfs /path/to/binary

2. Then make the binary setgid.

sudo chmod g+s /path/to/binary

3. Done.

The binary will now run with the permissions of the sysfs group and have access to /sys.

All of these steps can also be applied to the cpuinfo group.

Disable the Whitelist

In order to reduce the attack surface as much as possible, optionally the whitelist can be disabled entirely.

Warning:

Note that this setting will break many applications; for example, the desktop environment will not even start. Do not perform this action unless you understand the implications and can reverse the change.

1. Open file /etc/hide-hardware-info.d/50_user.conf in an editor with root rights.

Select your platform.

Kicksecure

See Open File with Root Rights for detailed instructions on why to use sudoedit for better security and how to use it.

Note: Mousepad (or the chosen text editor) must be closed before running the sudoedit command.

sudoedit /etc/hide-hardware-info.d/50_user.conf

Kicksecure for Qubes

NOTES:

• When using Kicksecure-Qubes, this needs to be done inside the Template.

sudoedit /etc/hide-hardware-info.d/50_user.conf

• After applying this change, shutdown the Template.
• All App Qubes based on the Template need to be restarted if they were already running.
• This is a general procedure required for Qubes and unspecific to Kicksecure for Qubes.

Others and Alternatives

• This is just an example. Other tools could achieve the same goal.
• If this example does not work for you or if you are not using Kicksecure, please refer to this link.

sudoedit /etc/hide-hardware-info.d/50_user.conf

2. Add.

sysfs_whitelist=0 cpuinfo_whitelist=0

3. Save.

4. Done.

Testing

Optional: Users who wish to verify the functionality can perform the instructions in the following box.

1. Install pciutils.

Install package(s) pciutils following these instructions

1 Platform specific notice.

• Kicksecure: No special notice.
• Kicksecure-Qubes: In Template.

2 Update the package lists and upgrade the system.

sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade

3 Install the pciutils package(s).

Using apt command line --no-install-recommends option is in most cases optional.

sudo apt install --no-install-recommends pciutils

4 Platform specific notice.

• Kicksecure: No special notice.
• Kicksecure-Qubes: Shut down Template and restart App Qubes based on it as per Qubes Template Modification.

5 Done.

The procedure of installing package(s) pciutils is complete.

2. Run lspci.

lspci

Expected printout:

pcilib: Cannot open /proc/bus/pci
lspci: Cannot find any working access method.

3. Attempt to view contents of virtual file /proc/cpuinfo:

cat /proc/cpuinfo

Expected printout:

cat: /proc/cpuinfo: Permission denied

Note: CPUID is still not hidden.

SUID Disabler and Permission Hardener

See SUID Disabler and Permission Hardener.

hidepid

The hidepid option in Linux is a feature of the proc filesystem (/proc) that controls the visibility of process information for non-root users. It is particularly useful for enhancing security by restricting access to information about other users' processes.

When hidepid is disabled, for example ps aux shows system processes. When hidepid is enabled, only the user account's own processes are shown.

Warning: This can break many things such as pkexec. This might cause symptoms similar to the ones mentioned in forum discussion cannot use pkexec.

1. Enable.

sudo systemctl enable proc-hidepid.service

2. Start.

sudo systemctl start proc-hidepid.service

3. Done.

hidepid has been enabled.

4. Testing.

pkexec test command (requires X11, will not work in Wayland):

pkexec mousepad /tmp/testfile

Error message if broken:

Error checking for authorization org.xfce.mousepad: GDBus.Error:org.gtk.GDBus.UnmappedGError.Quark._g_2dfile_2derror_2dquark.Code4: Failed to open file ?/proc/1423/status?: No such file or directory

Hopefully X11 and Wayland compatible.

pkexec nano /tmp/testfile

Install package(s) gparted following these instructions

1 Platform specific notice.

• Kicksecure: No special notice.
• Kicksecure-Qubes: In Template.

2 Update the package lists and upgrade the system.

sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade

3 Install the gparted package(s).

Using apt command line --no-install-recommends option is in most cases optional.

sudo apt install --no-install-recommends gparted

4 Platform specific notice.

• Kicksecure: No special notice.
• Kicksecure-Qubes: Shut down Template and restart App Qubes based on it as per Qubes Template Modification.

5 Done.

The procedure of installing package(s) gparted is complete.

gparted

Experimental Features

Unreleased. (Developers only.) Will flow into other repositories as per usual.

Harden Module Loading

Warning: Breaks desktop. Might work on servers.

sudo systemctl enable harden-module-loading.service

See also kernel module.

Remount Secure

Warning: This is for developers-only!

See also:

• Dev/remount-secure
• Enhanced Security via Mount Options and Compiler Restrictions

Design:

• runs at early boot
• no user freedom restriction
• can be disabled
• manual fstab hardening is possible
• broken applications? tb-starter?

The Remount Secure feature is currently not ready for use.

x. Maybe enable dracut module.

The following instructions based on kernel command line modification depend on a dracut module that is currently disabled by default.

/usr/lib/dracut/modules.d-disabled would need to be moved to /usr/lib/dracut/modules.d

sudo mv usr/lib/dracut/modules.d-disabled/20remount-secure /usr/lib/dracut/modules.d/

sudo dracut -f

x. Maybe enable systemd unit.

Do this only if not using the dracut module

sudo systemctl enable remount-secure

sudo systemctl start remount-secure

1. Create a new configuration file.

You'll need to make changes to the kernel boot parameters (see also grub).

Only useful if using the dracut module.

Open file /etc/default/grub.d/50_user.cfg in an editor with root rights.

Select your platform.

Kicksecure

See Open File with Root Rights for detailed instructions on why to use sudoedit for better security and how to use it.

Note: Mousepad (or the chosen text editor) must be closed before running the sudoedit command.

sudoedit /etc/default/grub.d/50_user.cfg

Kicksecure for Qubes

NOTES:

• When using Kicksecure-Qubes, this needs to be done inside the Template.

sudoedit /etc/default/grub.d/50_user.cfg

• After applying this change, shutdown the Template.
• All App Qubes based on the Template need to be restarted if they were already running.
• This is a general procedure required for Qubes and unspecific to Kicksecure for Qubes.

Others and Alternatives

• This is just an example. Other tools could achieve the same goal.
• If this example does not work for you or if you are not using Kicksecure, please refer to this link.

sudoedit /etc/default/grub.d/50_user.cfg

2. Add the required kernel parameters based on the security level you prefer:

• Option A (No Security): Disable Remount Secure:
  • GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="$GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX remountsecure=0"
• Option B (Low Security): Re-mount with nodev, nosuid:
  • GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="$GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX remountsecure=1"
• Option C (Medium Security): Re-mount with nodev, nosuid, noexec for most mount points, excluding /home.
  • GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="$GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX remountsecure=2"
• Option D (Highest Security): Re-mount with nodev, nosuid, noexec for all mount points including /home.
  • GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="$GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX remountsecure=3"

3. Save the configuration file.

4. Regenerate the grub configuration: sudo update-grub

5. Reboot your system.

A reboot is necessary for the kernel parameter changes to take effect.

6. Completion.

You have successfully enabled the Remount Secure feature.

For more details and developer information, see the following resources:

Installation of security-misc

This chapter is only required for users which aren't users of Kicksecure or its derivatives (such as Whonix^®). That is because security-misc is installed by default in Kicksecure and Kicksecure derivatives.

Prerequisites:

1. Essentials.

The user needs to verify that the following prerequisites are met.

• Debian bookworm installed.
• A user account such as for example account user exists.
• Calling the user name user is recommended because then you could copy and paste the commands below and do not need to adjust for another user name.

2. Gain administrative (root) rights.

Becoming root is required because the following commands need to be run with administrative (root) rights as documented below.

• A) Debian: Use su or sudo su as documented below.
• B) Most Qubes users: same as above.
• C) Advanced Qubes users: If using a Debian minimal template or not having the passwordless-root package installed, see footnote.

Try to come root by running the following command in a terminal.

su

Executing plain su might not be possible depending on how Debian has been installed. In that case, try.

sudo su

3. Install sudo and adduser package.

1. Update the package lists.

apt update

2. Upgrade the system.

apt full-upgrade

3. Install sudo and adduser package.

apt install --no-install-recommends sudo adduser

4. Root rights hardening notice.

Note:

• A) Most users: No special notice.
• B) Advanced users: If the user is intending to lockdown account user by not granting root rights, see footnote.

5. sudo configuration.

Optional.

Allow account user to run sudo without as password.

Note: Replace account user with your actual user name.

Configuration File Method

Securely create file /etc/sudoers.d/user.conf using visudo.

echo "user ALL=(ALL:ALL) NOPASSWD:ALL" | EDITOR=tee visudo -f /etc/sudoers.d/nopassword >/dev/null

Adduser Method

Add account user to group sudo.

/usr/sbin/adduser user sudo

Reboot required.

/sbin/reboot

Gain administrative rights after reboot. Same as in step 2.

6. Create group console.

/usr/sbin/addgroup --system console

7. Add your Linux account user name to group console.

Note: Replace account user with your actual user name.

/usr/sbin/adduser user console

8. Install console related packages.

This might also result in removal of plymouth, which is good, because it is unsupported.

sudo apt install console-data console-common kbd keyboard-configuration

1. Download the Signing Key.

wget https://www.kicksecure.com/keys/derivative.asc

2. Optional: Check the Signing Key for better security.

3. Add Kicksecure signing key.

sudo cp derivative.asc /usr/share/keyrings/derivative.asc

4. Kicksecure APT repository choices.

Optional: See Kicksecure Packages for Debian Hosts and Kicksecure Host Enhancements instead of the next step for more secure and complex options.

5. Add Kicksecure APT repository.

echo "deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/derivative.asc] https://deb.kicksecure.com bookworm main contrib non-free" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/derivative.list

Install security-misc.

Install package(s) security-misc following these instructions

1 Platform specific notice.

• Kicksecure: No special notice.
• Kicksecure-Qubes: In Template.

2 Update the package lists and upgrade the system.

sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade

3 Install the security-misc package(s).

Using apt command line --no-install-recommends option is in most cases optional.

sudo apt install --no-install-recommends security-misc

4 Platform specific notice.

• Kicksecure: No special notice.
• Kicksecure-Qubes: Shut down Template and restart App Qubes based on it as per Qubes Template Modification.

5 Done.

The procedure of installing package(s) security-misc is complete.

selinux

COMMUNITY SUPPORT ONLY : THIS wiki CHAPTER only is only supported by the community. Kicksecure developers are very unlikely to provide free support for this content. See Community Support for further information, including implications and possible alternatives.

• https://github.com/Kicksecure/security-misc/pull/100
• https://forums.whonix.org/t/restrict-hardware-information-to-root/7329/88

Debugging

Should security-misc create issues, the most likely causes might be the following two files.

Option A) option would be Kernel Boot Parameter Change.

Option B)

Delete.

sudo mv /etc/default/grub.d/40_cpu_mitigations.cfg ~/

And/or delete.

sudo mv /etc/default/grub.d/40_kernel_hardening.cfg ~/

And.

sudo update-grub

Then reboot.

If that helps, it means that one or another security hardening is causing issues.

References

Hardened-kernel Advanced Documentation swap-file-creator Previous page: Hardened-kernel Index page: Advanced Documentation Next page: swap-file-creator

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