Securing the Linux kernel with lockdown mode
Lock It Up

© Lead Image © Corina Rosu, 123RF.com
Lockdown mode makes your Linux system more secure and even prevents root users from modifying the kernel.
The term lockdown does not have particularly positive connotations at present, but prior to COVID-19, the word was used in a very positive context as a term for air-tight security. Several months ago, Linux boss Linus Torvalds accepted a series of patches for the Linux kernel that introduced what is known as lockdown mode. Lockdown mode puts limits on the power of system users – including the once-all-powerful system administrator (root) account. Putting constraints on the root account might seem very strange to Unix/Linux veterans, but security experts are happy to see this powerful new feature in our dangerous times.
Long Time Ago
When Linus finally incorporated the lockdown patches into the official kernel at the end 2019, many observers described lockdown mode as a revolutionary new feature. But lockdown mode is not a new invention. In fact, the work on implementing the function took almost seven years. And for most of that time, the Linux kernel developers were arguing – sometimes heatedly – about the right way to do it (Figure 1). See the box entitled "Linux Security Modules" for more on a solution that arose from that heated debate.

[...]
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.

News
-
USB4 Maintainer Leaves Intel
Michael Jamet, one of the primary maintainers of USB4 and Thunderbolt drivers, has left Intel, leaving a gaping hole for the Linux community to deal with.
-
Budgie 10.9.3 Now Available
The latest version of this elegant and configurable Linux desktop aligns with changes in Gnome 49.
-
KDE Linux Alpha Available for Daring Users
It's official, KDE Linux has arrived, but it's not quite ready for prime time.
-
AMD Initiates Graphics Driver Updates for Linux Kernel 6.18
This new AMD update focuses on power management, display handling, and hardware support for Radeon GPUs.
-
AerynOS Alpha Release Available
With a choice of several desktop environments, AerynOS 2025.08 is almost ready to be your next operating system.
-
AUR Repository Still Under DDoS Attack
Arch User Repository continues to be under a DDoS attack that has been going on for more than two weeks.
-
RingReaper Malware Poses Danger to Linux Systems
A new kind of malware exploits modern Linux kernels for I/O operations.
-
Happy Birthday, Linux
On August 25, Linux officially turns 34.
-
VirtualBox 7.2 Has Arrived
With early support for Linux kernel 6.17 and other new additions, VirtualBox 7.2 is a must-update for users.
-
Linux Mint 22.2 Beta Available for Testing
Some interesting new additions and improvements are coming to Linux Mint. Check out the Linux Mint 22.2 Beta to give it a test run.