key_update(9)

💖 NAME 💖

okay so bestie, this is key_update(9) from the Kernel API Manual, and it's literally the page about updating a key's contents. No cap.

• key_update — Update a key's contents.

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

int key_update (key_ref_t key_ref , const void *payload , size_t plen );

🫶 ARGUMENTS 🫶

• key_ref — The pointer (plus possession flag) to the key. Yes, the whole package, bestie.
• payload — The data to be used to update the key. This is the new content vibe.
• plen — The length of payload. Gotta tell it how much data we're working with.

🔥 DESCRIPTION 🔥

Attempt to update the contents of a key with the given payload data. The caller must be granted Write permission on the key — no permission, no update, periodt. Negative keys can be instantiated by this method, which is lowkey iconic.

Returns 0 on success, -EACCES if not permitted, and -EOPNOTSUPP if the key type does not support updating. The key type may return other errors — so if you see something else, that's the key type doing its own thing, iykyk.

🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

Kernel file ./security/keys/key.c — and the whole bestie squad:

• key_alloc(9)
• key_payload_reserve(9)
• key_instantiate_and_link(9)
• key_reject_and_link(9)
• key_put(9)
• key_create_or_update(9)
• key_create(9)
• key_revoke(9)
• key_invalidate(9)
• generic_key_instantiate(9)
• register_key_type(9)
• unregister_key_type(9)

mwah 💋 — source/version: ./security/keys, dated October 2026. 🎀