Using SECCOMP to filter sync operations

Linux includes a syscall filter since a long time. It was restricted to a pre-defined set of syscalls. Since some versions Linux got a more generic filter.

Linux can use a BPF-filter to define actions for syscalls. This allows a fine granular specification on which syscalls to act. Also it supports different outcomes assigned to the filter. This filter can be used to filter out sync operations.

Debian already got a tool to do this called eatmydata. It is pretty limited as it uses a shared library to drop the library functions. It needs to be available at all times, or it will not do anything.

I wrote a small tool that asks the kernel to filter out sync operations for all children. It sets a filter with all currently supported sync-like operations and makes them return success. However it can't filter the O_SYNC-flag from the open-syscall, so it just makes it return an error. It executes the command given on the command-line after that.

This is just a proof of concept, but lets see.

/*
 * Copyright (C) 2013 Bastian Blank <waldi@debian.org>
 *
 * Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
 * modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:
 *
 * 1. Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, this
 *    list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
 * 2. Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice,
 *    this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation
 *    and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
 *
 * THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS "AS IS" AND
 * ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED
 * WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE
 * DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT OWNER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR
 * ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES
 * (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES;
 * LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND
 * ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT
 * (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS
 * SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 */

#define _GNU_SOURCE 1
#include <errno.h>
#include <fcntl.h>
#include <seccomp.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <string.h>
#include <unistd.h>

#define filter_rule_add(action, syscall, count, ...) \
  if (seccomp_rule_add(filter, action, syscall, count, ##__VA_ARGS__)) abort();

static int filter_init(void)
{
  scmp_filter_ctx filter;

  if (!(filter = seccomp_init(SCMP_ACT_ALLOW))) abort();
  if (seccomp_attr_set(filter, SCMP_FLTATR_CTL_NNP, 1)) abort();
  filter_rule_add(SCMP_ACT_ERRNO(EINVAL), SCMP_SYS(open), 1, SCMP_A1(SCMP_CMP_MASKED_EQ, O_SYNC, O_SYNC));
  filter_rule_add(SCMP_ACT_ERRNO(0), SCMP_SYS(fsync), 0);
  filter_rule_add(SCMP_ACT_ERRNO(0), SCMP_SYS(fdatasync), 0);
  filter_rule_add(SCMP_ACT_ERRNO(0), SCMP_SYS(msync), 0);
  filter_rule_add(SCMP_ACT_ERRNO(0), SCMP_SYS(sync), 0);
  filter_rule_add(SCMP_ACT_ERRNO(0), SCMP_SYS(syncfs), 0);
  filter_rule_add(SCMP_ACT_ERRNO(0), SCMP_SYS(sync_file_range), 0);
  return seccomp_load(filter);
}

int main(__attribute__((unused)) int argc, char *argv[])
{
  if (argc <= 1)
  {
    fprintf(stderr, "usage: %s COMMAND [ARG]...\n", argv[0]);
    return 2;
  }

  if (filter_init())
  {
    fprintf(stderr, "%s: can't initialize seccomp filter\n", argv[0]);
    return 1;
  }

  execvp(argv[1], &argv[1]);

  if (errno == ENOENT)
  {
    fprintf(stderr, "%s: command not found: %s\n", argv[0], argv[1]);
    return 127;
  }

  fprintf(stderr, "%s: failed to execute: %s: %s\n", argv[0], argv[1], strerror(errno));
  return 1;
}

Using SECCOMP to filter sync operations

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