ima_load_data(9)

💖 ima_load_data(9) — the kernel API manual, but make it make sense 💖

okay so bestie, this is ima_load_data(9) from the Kernel API Manual, and we're gonna get into it. no cap, it's shorter than your last situationship's attention span, but it matters. 🫶

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✨ NAME ✨

ima_load_data — appraise decision based on policy

like, it's the vibe check for load data, and the policy is the one deciding whether you pass. 💅

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🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

int ima_load_data (enum kernel_load_data_id id , bool contents );

that's the whole signature, character for character, don't come for me. 🎀

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🦋 ARGUMENTS 🦋

• id — kernel load data caller identifier. it's giving "who dis" but for the kernel. 👀
• contents — whether the full contents will be available in a later call to ima_post_load_data. so like, are we getting the whole story later or not, bestie? 🔥

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💜 DESCRIPTION 💜

okay so real talk: callers of this LSM hook can not measure, appraise, or audit the data provided by userspace. not me, not you, not anyone. 😭

what it does do is enforce policy rules requiring a file signature — eg. kexec'ed kernel image. periodt. 👑

for permission, return 0. otherwise, return -EACCES. so like, you're either in or you're getting the door. no in-between. 💀

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🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

• Kernel file ./security/integrity/ima/ima_main.c
• ima_file_free(9)
• ima_file_mmap(9)
• ima_file_mprotect(9)
• ima_bprm_check(9)
• ima_creds_check(9)
• ima_bprm_creds_for_exec(9)
• ima_file_check(9)
• ima_file_hash(9)
• ima_inode_hash(9)
• ima_post_create_tmpfile(9)
• ima_post_path_mknod(9)
• ima_read_file(9)
• ima_post_read_file(9)
• ima_post_load_data(9)
• process_buffer_measurement(9)
• ima_kexec_cmdline(9)
• ima_measure_critical_data(9)
• ima_measure_raw_policy(9)
• ima_kernel_module_request(9)

the whole friend group, honestly. iykyk. 🌟

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bestie warning: if you're not returning 0 or -EACCES, you're not doing it right. this is not the place to freestyle. 🙈

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💖 that's the whole page, bestie — no cap, every detail kept, every vibe slayed. 💖

source: ./security/integrity/ima, version: October 2026, and yeah, the footer said ima_load_data(9) — so like, we been knew. 🎀✨🦋