Firejail - ArchWiki

# Firejail

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- Security

Firejail is an easy to use SUID sandbox program that reduces the risk of security breaches by restricting the running environment of untrusted applications using Linux namespaces, seccomp-bpf and Linux capabilities.

## Installation

Install either firejail, firejail-gitAUR or the firejail-apparmorAUR package. A GUI application for use with Firejail is also available, firetoolsAUR.

Note: For information about user_namespaces(7) support in Arch Linux kernels see Security#Sandboxing applications. Firejail can use it even if it is disabled.
Warning: While upstream is gradually adopting whitelists, (cf `/etc/firejail/firefox.profile`,) most of the supplied profiles still rely heavily on blacklists. This means that anything not explicitly forbidden by the profile will be accessible to the application. For example, if you have btrfs snapshots available in `/mnt/btrfs`, a jailed program may be forbidden from accessing `$HOME/.ssh`, but would still be able to access `/mnt/btrfs/@some-snapshot/$HOME/.ssh`. Make sure to audit your profiles, see #Testing profiles

### Apparmor integration

Since 0.9.42, firejail-apparmorAUR, has supported more direct integration with Apparmor through a generic apparmor profile. During installation, the profile, `firejail-default`, is placed in `/etc/apparmor.d` directory, and needs to be loaded into the kernel by running the following command as root:

    # apparmor_parser -r /etc/apparmor.d/firejail-default

To quote the manual:

  The installed profile is supplemental for main firejail functions and among other things does the following:

    - Disable ptrace. With ptrace it is possible to inspect and hijack running programs. Usually this is needed only for debugging.

    - Whitelist write access to several files under /run, /proc and /sys.

    - Allow running programs only from well-known system paths, such as /bin, /sbin, /usr/bin etc. Those paths are available as read-only. Running programs and scripts from user home or other directories writable by the user is not allowed.

    - Prevent using non-standard network sockets. Only unix, inet, inet6, netlink, raw and packet are allowed.

    - Deny access to known sensitive paths like .snapshots.

Local customizations of the apparmor profile are supported by editing the file `/etc/apparmor.d/local/firejail-local`

## Configuration

Most users will not require any custom configuration and can proceed to #Usage.

Firejail uses profiles to set the security protections for each of the applications executed inside of it - you can find the default profiles in `/etc/firejail/application.profile`. Should you require custom profiles for applications not included, or wish to modify the defaults, you may place new rules or copies of the defaults in the `~/.config/firejail/` directory. You may have multiple custom profile files for a single application, and you may share the same profile file among several applications.

If firejail does not have a profile for a particular application, it uses its restrictive system-wide default profile. This can result in the application not functioning as desired, without first creating a custom, and less restrictive profile.

Refer to firejail-profile(5).

## Usage

To execute an application using firejail's default protections for that application (the default profile), execute the following:

    $ firejail <program name>

One-time additions to the default profile can be added as command line options (see the man page). For example, to execute okular with seccomp protection, execute the following:

    $ firejail --seccomp okular

You may define multiple non-default profiles for a single program. Once you create your profile file, you can use it by executing:

    $ firejail --profile=/absolute/path/to/profile <program name>

### Using Firejail by default

To use Firejail by default for all applications for which it has profiles, run the firecfg tool as root.

    # firecfg

This creates symbolic links in `/usr/local/bin` pointing to `/usr/bin/firejail`, for all programs for which firejail has default profiles.

Tip: To run a program with custom Firejail setting, simple prefix firejail as seen in #Usage.

To manually map individual applications execute:

    # ln -s /usr/bin/firejail /usr/local/bin/<application>

Note:

- `/usr/local/bin` should be set before `/usr/bin` in the `PATH` environment variable.
- For a daemon, you will need to overwrite the systemd unit file for that daemon to call firejail, see systemd#Editing provided units.
- `firecfg` doesn't work with some cli shells such as: `tar`, `curl`, `wget`, and `git` which need to be symlinked manually.
- Symbolic links to `gzip` and `xz` interfere with `makepkg`'s ability to preload `libfakeroot.so`. See BBS#230913.

Warning: Upstream provides profiles for `gpg` and `gpg-agent`. If gpg is symlinked with the supplied profile, pacman will be unable to update archlinux-keyring.

### Enable AppArmor support

There are a number of ways to enable AppArmor confinement on top of a Firejail security profile:

- Pass the `--apparmor` flag to Firejail in the command line, e.g. `$ firejail --apparmor firefox`
- Use a custom profile.
- Enable Apparmor globally in `/etc/firejail/globals.local` and disable as needed through the use of `ignore apparmor` in `/etc/firejail/<ProgramName>.local`.

### Verifying Firejail is being used

    $ firejail --list

## Creating custom profiles

### Whitelists and Blacklists

Blacklists are permissive:

- Permit everything not explicitly forbidden: `blacklist <location/file>`
- Permit file or location in any later blacklist: `noblacklist <location/file>`

Whitelists are restrictive:

- Forbid everything not explicitly permitted: `whitelist <location/file>`
- Forbid file or location in any later whitelist: `nowhitelist <location/file>`

### Profile writing

The basic process is:

1. Copy the default profile (which uses blacklists) to your work folder and give it a unique name:
2. Change the line `include /etc/firejail/default.local` to `include /etc/firejail/ProfileName.local`
3. Gradually comment/uncomment the various options while checking at each stage that the application runs inside the new sandbox
4. Desirable options not available in the copied default profile can be found by consulting the manual
5. Build a whitelist of permitted locations. For portability, it may be advisable to place at least some of this list it in a `.local` file
6. Test the profile for security holes, see #Testing profiles
7. Once satisfied, copy your new profile to either `/etc/firejail/` or `~/.config/firejail/`

You may find the following to be useful:

1. `firejail --debug $OtherOptions $PathToProfile $Program > $PathToOutputFile` Gives a detailed breakdown of the sandbox
2. `firejail --debug-caps` gives a list of caps supported by the current Firejail software build. This is useful when building a caps whitelist.
3. `firejail --help` for a full list of `--debug` options
4. `firemon PID` monitors the running process. See `firemon --help` for details
5. checksec may also be useful in testing which standard security features are being used

Note:

- The idea is to be as restrictive as possible, while still maintaining usability. This may involve sacrificing potentially dangerous functionality and a change in cavalier work habits.
- By default, seccomp filters work on a blacklist (which can be found in the manual). It is possible to use `seccomp.keep` to build a custom whitelist of filters for an application. [1].
- The list of possible options for a firejail profile is extensive, and users should consult the firejail-profile(5) man page.

#### Persistent local customisation

The standard profile layout now includes the capability to make persistent local customisations through the inclusion of `.local` files. Basically, each officially supported profile contains the lines `include /etc/firejail/ProgramName.local` and `include /etc/firejail/globals.local`. Since the order of precedence is determined by which is read first, this makes for a very powerful way of making local customisations. For example, with reference this firejail question, to globally enable Apparmor and disable Internet connectivity, one could simply create/edit `/etc/firejail/globals.local` to include the lines

    # enable Apparmor and disable Internet globally
    net none
    apparmor

Then, to allow, for example, "curl" to connect to the internet, yet still maintain its apparmor confinement, one would create/edit `/etc/firejail/curl.local` to include the lines.

    # enable internet for curl
    ignore net

Since `curl.local` is read before `globals.local`, `ignore net` overrides `net none`, and, as a bonus, the above changes would be persistent across future updates.

### Testing profiles

Firejail's built in audit feature allows the user to find gaps in a security profile by replacing the program to be sandboxed with a test program. By default, firejail uses the `faudit` program distributed with Firejail. (Note: A custom test program supplied by the user can also be used.) Examples:

1. Run the default audit program: `$ firejail --audit transmission-gtk`
2. Run a custom audit program: `$ firejail --audit=~/sandbox-test transmission-gtk`

In the examples above, the sandbox configures the transmission-gtk profile and starts the test program. The real program, transmission-gtk, will not be started.

Note: The audit feature is not implemented for --x11 commands.

## Firejail with Xephyr

Xephyr will allow you to sandbox Xorg. If you want to be able to resize windows, install a window manager such as Openbox.

`xephyr-screen WidthxHeight` can be set in `/etc/firejail/firejail.config` where `Width` and `Height` are in pixels and based on your screen resolution.

To open the sandbox:

    $ firejail --x11 --net=device openbox

`device` is your active network interface. Then right click and select your applications to run.

Note: If you use Unbound, dnsmasq, Pdnsd or any other local cache as your resolver on 127.0.0.1 for example, you would leave `--net=device` out of the command as your network should work automatically.

A great guide can be found on the Firejail Wordpress.

According to the guide:

  The sandbox replaces the regular X11 server with Xpra or Xephyr server. This prevents X11 keyboard loggers and screenshot utilities from accessing the main X11 server.

Note that the statement:

  The only way to disable the abstract socket `@/tmp/.X11-unix/X0` is by using a network namespace. If for any reasons you cannot use a network namespace, the abstract socket will still be visible inside the sandbox. Hackers can attach keylogger and screenshot programs to this socket.

is incorrect, xserverrc can be edited to `-nolisten local` which disables the abstract sockets of X11 and helps isolate it.

### Sandboxing a browser

Openbox can be configured to start a certain browser at startup. `program.profile` is the respective profile contained in `/etc/firejail`, and `--startup "command"` is the command line used to start the program. For example, to start Chromium in the sandbox:

    $ firejail --x11 --profile=/etc/firejail/chromium.profile openbox --startup "chromium"

## Tips and tricks

### Paths containing spaces

If you need to reference, whitelist, or blacklist a directory within a custom profile, such as with palemoonAUR, you must do so using the absolute path, without encapsulation or escapes:

    /home/user/.moonchild productions

### Private mode

Firejail also includes a one time private mode, in which no mounts are made in the chroots to your home directory. In doing this, you can execute applications without performing any changes to disk. For example, to execute okular in private mode, do the following:

    $ firejail --seccomp --private okular

## Troubleshooting

Some applications do not work properly with Firejail, and others simply require special configuration. In the instance any directories are disallowed or blacklisted for any given application, you may have to further edit the profile to enable nonstandard directories that said application needs to access. One example is wine; wine will not work with seccomp in most cases.

Other configurations exist; it is suggested you check out the man page for firejail to see them all, as firejail is in rapid development.

### Remove Firejail symbolic links

To remove Firejail created symbolic links (e.g. reset to default):

    # firecfg --clean

Verify if any leftovers of Desktop entries are still overruled by Firejail.

### Desktop files

Some GUI application launchers (`.desktop` files) are coded using absolute paths to an executable, which circumvents firejail's symlink method of ensuring that it is being used. The firecfg tool includes an option to over-ride this on a per-user basis by copying the `.desktop` files from `/usr/share/applications/*.desktop` to `~/.local/share/applications/` and replacing the absolute paths with simple file names.

    $ firecfg --fix

There may be cases for which you need to manually modify the EXEC line of the `.desktop` file in `~/.local/share/applications/` to explicitly call Firejail.

### PulseAudio

Note: Using PulseAudio version 9.0 or later should fix this issue.

If Firejail causes PulseAudio issues with sandboxed applications [2], the following command may be used:

    $ firecfg --fix-sound

This commands creates a custom `~/.config/pulse/client.conf` file for the current user with `enable-shm = no` and possible other workarounds.

### Hidepid

If you have hidepid installed, Firemon can only be run as root. This, among other things, will cause problems with the Firetools GUI incorrectly reporting "Capabilities", "Protocols" and the status of "Seccomp". See [3]

### Proprietary Nvidia drivers

Some users report problems when using Firejail and proprietary graphic drivers from NVIDIA (e.g. [4], [5] or [6]). This can often be solved by disabling the `noroot` Firejail option in the application's profile file.

## See also

- Firejail GitHub project page
- bubblewrap, a minimal alternative to Firejail

Category:

- Sandboxing