Running your programs in a jail with Firejail
Mount Miracles
In all of the configurations I've looked at thus far, the programs in the sandbox see a few, or many, files from your filesystem. But you can change this, too, by mounting a completely different Linux installation in the sandbox. The filesystem can reside on the second partition, or you can install a completely new Linux system in a separate directory. Various tools are available for doing this; on Debian, for example, you could use debootstrap
(Figures 4 and 5). When you are done, you only need to tell Firejail the name of the subdirectory:
firejail --chroot=/debian iceweasel --name=debian
![](/var/linux_magazin/storage/images/issues/2015/173/firejail/figure-4/646706-1-eng-US/Figure-4_large.png)
This command would mount the /debian
directory as the root filesystem in the sandbox and then launch Iceweasel. The browser thus only sees the files and directories below /debian
. If you launch the sandbox as a normal user, unlike in Figure 4, the program in the sandbox will run under this user ID (UID). The UIDs on your system and the one used in the sandbox need to match in this case. Finally, the --name=
option changes the hostname. In this example, Iceweasel would think it was running on a computer by the name of debian
.
Incapable
If you specify the additional --seccomp
option, Firejail prevents programs in the sandbox from performing a couple of security-critical actions. Among other things, they are not allowed to load kernel modules, manage swap memory, run programs with root privileges (SUID), or restart the system. If an application tries to call one of these system functions, the kernel immediately terminates it. This totally useful safety net is only available as of the Linux kernel version 3.5, however.
Additionally, Firejail supports the --caps
parameter. Firejail uses it to enable a security filter kernel-side. Among other things, the filter blocks any attempts to restart the system, replace the kernel, load kernel modules, escalate privileges of the processes in the sandbox (using the nice
value), or assign system administrator privileges to them. The --seccomp
and --caps
options thus partly prevent the same actions. In the case of --caps
, however, the kernel does not terminate the process but lets it continue running. This security filter also supports older Linux kernels.
On the Network
If desired, Firejail can integrate its own TCP/IP network interface into the sandbox. You can then connect to this with an existing network bridge, which is useful for test purposes or to set up a demilitarized zone (DMZ). The following command:
firejail --net=br0 --ip=10.10.20.10 firefox
tells Firejail to connect the network bridge that already exists on the PC, br0
, with the sandbox in which Firefox is running. If you leave out the --ip
parameter, Firejail will try to find a matching free IP address itself (as shown in Figure 6). Specifying the --net=none
parameter completely disconnects the sandbox from the network.
« Previous 1 2 3 Next »
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
![Learn More](https://www.linux-magazine.com/var/linux_magazin/storage/images/media/linux-magazine-eng-us/images/misc/learn-more/834592-1-eng-US/Learn-More_medium.png)
News
-
NVIDIA Released Driver for Upcoming NVIDIA 560 GPU for Linux
Not only has NVIDIA released the driver for its upcoming CPU series, it's the first release that defaults to using open-source GPU kernel modules.
-
OpenMandriva Lx 24.07 Released
If you’re into rolling release Linux distributions, OpenMandriva ROME has a new snapshot with a new kernel.
-
Kernel 6.10 Available for General Usage
Linus Torvalds has released the 6.10 kernel and it includes significant performance increases for Intel Core hybrid systems and more.
-
TUXEDO Computers Releases InfinityBook Pro 14 Gen9 Laptop
Sporting either AMD or Intel CPUs, the TUXEDO InfinityBook Pro 14 is an extremely compact, lightweight, sturdy powerhouse.
-
Google Extends Support for Linux Kernels Used for Android
Because the LTS Linux kernel releases are so important to Android, Google has decided to extend the support period beyond that offered by the kernel development team.
-
Linux Mint 22 Stable Delayed
If you're anxious about getting your hands on the stable release of Linux Mint 22, it looks as if you're going to have to wait a bit longer.
-
Nitrux 3.5.1 Available for Install
The latest version of the immutable, systemd-free distribution includes an updated kernel and NVIDIA driver.
-
Debian 12.6 Released with Plenty of Bug Fixes and Updates
The sixth update to Debian "Bookworm" is all about security mitigations and making adjustments for some "serious problems."
-
Canonical Offers 12-Year LTS for Open Source Docker Images
Canonical is expanding its LTS offering to reach beyond the DEB packages with a new distro-less Docker image.
-
Plasma Desktop 6.1 Released with Several Enhancements
If you're a fan of Plasma Desktop, you should be excited about this new point release.