paxctl(8) - NetBSD Manual Pages

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PAXCTL(8)               NetBSD System Manager's Manual               PAXCTL(8)


NAME

     paxctl -- list and modify PaX flags associated with an ELF program


SYNOPSIS

     paxctl [-0 | flags] program ...


DESCRIPTION

     The paxctl utility is used to list and manipulate PaX flags associated
     with an ELF program.  The PaX flags signify to the loader the privilege
     protections to be applied to mapped memory pages, and fuller explanations
     of the specific protections can be found in the security(7) manpage.

     If -0 option is specified, all PaX flags (including reserved bits) are
     cleared.  Otherwise, each flag can be prefixed either with a ``+'' or a
     ``-'' sign to add or remove the flag, respectively.

     The following flags are available:

     a     Explicitly disable PaX ASLR (Address Space Layout Randomization)
           for program.

     A     Explicitly enable PaX ASLR for program.

     g     Explicitly disable PaX Segvguard for program.

     G     Explicitly enable PaX Segvguard for program.

     m     Explicitly disable PaX MPROTECT (mprotect(2) restrictions) for
           program.

     M     Explicitly enable PaX MPROTECT (mprotect(2) restrictions) for
           program.

     To view existing flags on a file, execute paxctl without any flags.


SEE ALSO

     mprotect(2), sysctl(3), options(4), elf(5), security(7), sysctl(8),
     fileassoc(9)


HISTORY

     The paxctl utility first appeared in NetBSD 4.0.

     The paxctl utility is modeled after a tool of the same name available for
     Linux from the PaX project.


AUTHORS

     Elad Efrat <elad@NetBSD.org>
     Christos Zoulas <christos@NetBSD.org>


BUGS

     The paxctl utility currently uses elf(5) ``note'' sections to mark exe-
     cutables as having PaX flags enabled.  This will be done using
     fileassoc(9) in the future so that we can control who does the marking
     and not altering the binary file signature.  (Note this also means that
     at present any flags set do not survive binary file upgrades.)

NetBSD 10.1                      June 23, 2023                     NetBSD 10.1