Identify SELinux File and Process Context

Introduction

In this challenge, you will learn how to identify the SELinux file and process context on a Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) system. SELinux is a security feature in RHEL that provides mandatory access control (MAC) to protect the system from security threats. Understanding the SELinux context is crucial for managing security and troubleshooting issues related to SELinux.

Skills Graph

Identify SELinux File Context

Tasks

• Determine the SELinux file context of a given file
• Modify the SELinux file context of a file

Requirements

• The default working directory for this challenge is ~/project.
• Create a file named example.txt in the ~/project directory.
• Use the chcon command to change the SELinux file context of example.txt.

Example

After creating the example.txt file, the SELinux file context should be:

system_u:object_r:user_home_t:s0 example.txt

Identify SELinux Process Context

Tasks

• Determine the SELinux process context of a running process
• Modify the SELinux process context of a running process

Requirements

• The default working directory for this challenge is ~/project.
• Run a process that has a specific SELinux process context.
• Use the semanage command to change the SELinux process context of the running process.

Example

After running a process, the SELinux process context should be:

system_u:system_r:unconfined_t:s0-s0:c0.c1023

Summary

In this challenge, you learned how to identify and modify the SELinux file and process context on a Red Hat Enterprise Linux system. You practiced using the ls -Z, chcon, and semanage commands to manage the SELinux security context. Understanding SELinux context is crucial for maintaining the security of your RHEL system and troubleshooting any issues related to SELinux.