This is fsverity-utils, a set of userspace utilities for fs-verity. fs-verity is a Linux kernel feature that does transparent on-demand integrity/authenticity verification of the contents of read-only files, using a hidden Merkle tree (hash tree) associated with the file. It is similar to dm-verity, but implemented at the file level rather than at the block device level. See the kernel documentation for more information about fs-verity.
fs-verity is supported by the ext4 and f2fs filesystems in Linux v5.4 and later when configured with CONFIG_FS_VERITY=y and when the verity filesystem feature flag has been enabled. Other filesystems might add support for fs-verity in the future.
fsverity-utils currently contains just one program, fsverity. The fsverity program allows you to set up fs-verity protected files. In addition, the file digest computation and signing functionality of fsverity is optionally exposed through a C library libfsverity. See libfsverity.h for the API of this library.
To build fsverity-utils, first install the needed build dependencies. For example, on Debian-based systems, run:
sudo apt-get install libssl-dev sudo apt-get install pandoc # optional
OpenSSL must be version 1.0.0 or later. This is the only runtime dependency.
Then, to build and install fsverity-utils:
make sudo make install sudo make install-man # optional
By default, the following targets are built and installed: the program fsverity, the static library libfsverity.a, and the shared library libfsverity.so. You can also run make check to build and run the tests, or make help to display all available build targets.
make install-man installs the fsverity.1 manual page. This step requires that pandoc be installed.
By default, fsverity is statically linked to libfsverity. You can use make USE_SHARED_LIB=1 to use dynamic linking instead.
See the Makefile for other supported build and installation options.
There is minimal support for building Windows executables using MinGW.
make CC=x86_64-w64-mingw32-gcc
fsverity.exe will be built, and it supports the digest and sign commands.
A Windows build of OpenSSL/libcrypto needs to be available.
Full usage information for fsverity can be found in the manual page (man fsverity). Here, we just show some typical examples.
mkfs.ext4 -O verity /dev/vdc mount /dev/vdc /vdc cd /vdc # Create a test file head -c 1000000 /dev/urandom > file sha256sum file # Enable verity on the file fsverity enable file # Show the verity file digest fsverity measure file # File should still be readable as usual. However, all data read # is now transparently checked against a hidden Merkle tree, whose # root hash is incorporated into the verity file digest. Reads of # any corrupted parts of the data will fail. sha256sum file
Note that in the above example, the file isn't signed. Therefore, to get any authenticity protection (as opposed to just integrity protection), the output of fsverity measure needs to be compared against a trusted value.
With CONFIG_FS_VERITY_BUILTIN_SIGNATURES=y, the filesystem supports automatically verifying a signed file digest that has been included in the verity metadata. The signature is verified against the set of X.509 certificates that have been loaded into the ".fs-verity" kernel keyring. Here's an example:
# Generate a new certificate and private key: openssl req -newkey rsa:4096 -nodes -keyout key.pem -x509 -out cert.pem # Convert the certificate from PEM to DER format: openssl x509 -in cert.pem -out cert.der -outform der # Load the certificate into the fs-verity keyring: keyctl padd asymmetric '' %keyring:.fs-verity < cert.der # Optionally, lock the keyring so that no more keys can be added # (requires keyctl v1.5.11 or later): keyctl restrict_keyring %keyring:.fs-verity # Optionally, require that all verity files be signed: sysctl fs.verity.require_signatures=1 # Now set up fs-verity on a test file: sha256sum file fsverity sign file file.sig --key=key.pem --cert=cert.pem fsverity enable file --signature=file.sig rm -f file.sig sha256sum file # The digest to be signed can also be printed separately, hex # encoded, in case the integrated signing cannot be used: fsverity digest file --compact --for-builtin-sig | tr -d '\n' | xxd -p -r | openssl smime -sign -in /dev/stdin ...
By default, it's not required that verity files have a signature. This can be changed with sysctl fs.verity.require_signatures=1. When set, it's guaranteed that the contents of every verity file has been signed by one of the certificates in the keyring.
Note: applications generally still need to check whether the file they're accessing really is a verity file, since an attacker could replace a verity file with a regular one.
IMA support for fs-verity is planned.
fsverity-utils is provided under the terms of the MIT license. A copy of this license can be found in the file named LICENSE.
Send questions and bug reports to linux-fscrypt@vger.kernel.org.
Signed release tarballs for fsverity-utils can be found on kernel.org.
Send patches to linux-fscrypt@vger.kernel.org with the additional tag fsverity-utils in the subject, i.e. [fsverity-utils PATCH]. Patches should follow the Linux kernel's coding style. A .clang-format file is provided to approximate this coding style; consider using git clang-format. Additionally, like the Linux kernel itself, patches require the following "sign-off" procedure:
The sign-off is a simple line at the end of the explanation for the patch, which certifies that you wrote it or otherwise have the right to pass it on as an open-source patch. The rules are pretty simple: if you can certify the below:
Developer's Certificate of Origin 1.1
By making a contribution to this project, I certify that:
(a) The contribution was created in whole or in part by me and I
have the right to submit it under the open source license
indicated in the file; or
(b) The contribution is based upon previous work that, to the best
of my knowledge, is covered under an appropriate open source
license and I have the right under that license to submit that
work with modifications, whether created in whole or in part
by me, under the same open source license (unless I am
permitted to submit under a different license), as indicated
in the file; or
(c) The contribution was provided directly to me by some other
person who certified (a), (b) or (c) and I have not modified
it.
(d) I understand and agree that this project and the contribution
are public and that a record of the contribution (including all
personal information I submit with it, including my sign-off) is
maintained indefinitely and may be redistributed consistent with
this project or the open source license(s) involved.
then you just add a line saying::
Signed-off-by: Random J Developer <random@developer.example.org>
using your real name (sorry, no pseudonyms or anonymous contributions.)