security_getselfattr(9)

💅 security_getselfattr — Kernel API Manual, section 9 🎀

ok so real talk, bestie: security_getselfattr is a kernel API function from the Kernel API Manual, section 9 — yes, the fancy-pants kernel developer's manual, not your regular man 1 stuff. It's the little helper that goes "hey, what are my own LSM attributes rn?" about the current process. Main character energy fr — it's all about you. 👑

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✨ NAME ✨

security_getselfattr — read an LSM attribute of the current process. literally that's it, that's the whole vibe 🦋

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🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

int security_getselfattr (unsigned int attr , struct lsm_ctx __user *uctx , u32 __user *size , u32 flags );

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💖 ARGUMENTS 💖

• attr — the attribute you want back. which one? that one. pick it. 🎯
• uctx — the user-space destination for the info, or NULL (and ngl, NULL is kind of a power move here, more on that in a sec 👀)
• size — a pointer to how much space you've got available to receive the data. like knowing how many bags you can carry before you go shopping 🛍️
• flags — special handling options. LSM_FLAG_SINGLE means only attributes associated with the LSM identified in the passed ctx get reported. one LSM only, no plus-ones. 🙅‍♀️

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🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

ok so here's the slay part: a NULL value for uctx can be used to get both the number of attributes and the size of the data. so you ask "how much stuff is there and how big is it" before you commit to any memory. iconic behaviour honestly, very "let me check the menu before I order" 🍓

On success it returns the number of attributes found, and a negative value on error. size gets reset to the total size of the data — so bestie, watch that variable, it does not stay how you left it. 👀

⚠️ if size is insufficient to contain the data, -E2BIG is returned. not enough room, not enough room, periodt. 💀

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🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

bestie. buckle in. the kernel file lives at ./security/security.c, and the cross-reference list is long — like, "scrolling for days" long. every single one of these is here, no cap, in order, untouched 💜

lsm_file_alloc(9), lsm_backing_file_alloc(9), lsm_blob_alloc(9),
lsm_cred_alloc(9), lsm_inode_alloc(9), lsm_task_alloc(9),
lsm_ipc_alloc(9), lsm_key_alloc(9), lsm_msg_msg_alloc(9),
lsm_bdev_alloc(9), lsm_bpf_map_alloc(9), lsm_bpf_prog_alloc(9),
lsm_bpf_token_alloc(9), lsm_superblock_alloc(9), lsm_fill_user_ctx(9),
security_binder_set_context_mgr(9), security_binder_transaction(9),
security_binder_transfer_binder(9), security_binder_transfer_file(9),
security_ptrace_access_check(9), security_ptrace_traceme(9),
security_capget(9), security_capset(9), security_capable(9),
security_quotactl(9), security_quota_on(9), security_syslog(9),
security_settime64(9), security_vm_enough_memory_mm(9),
security_bprm_creds_for_exec(9), security_bprm_creds_from_file(9),
security_bprm_check(9), security_bprm_committing_creds(9),
security_bprm_committed_creds(9), security_fs_context_submount(9),
security_fs_context_dup(9), security_fs_context_parse_param(9),
security_sb_alloc(9), security_sb_delete(9), security_sb_free(9),
security_free_mnt_opts(9), security_sb_eat_lsm_opts(9),
security_sb_mnt_opts_compat(9), security_sb_remount(9),
security_sb_kern_mount(9), security_sb_show_options(9),
security_sb_statfs(9), security_sb_mount(9), security_sb_umount(9),
security_sb_pivotroot(9), security_sb_set_mnt_opts(9),
security_sb_clone_mnt_opts(9), security_move_mount(9),
security_path_notify(9), security_inode_alloc(9),
security_inode_free(9), security_dentry_init_security(9),
security_dentry_create_files_as(9), security_inode_init_security(9),
security_inode_init_security_anon(9), security_path_mknod(9),
security_path_post_mknod(9), security_path_mkdir(9),
security_path_rmdir(9), security_path_unlink(9),
security_path_symlink(9), security_path_link(9),
security_path_rename(9), security_path_truncate(9),
security_path_chmod(9), security_path_chown(9), security_path_chroot(9),
security_inode_create(9), security_inode_post_create_tmpfile(9),
security_inode_link(9), security_inode_unlink(9),
security_inode_symlink(9), security_inode_mkdir(9),
security_inode_rmdir(9), security_inode_mknod(9),
security_inode_rename(9), security_inode_readlink(9),
security_inode_follow_link(9), security_inode_permission(9),
security_inode_setattr(9), security_inode_post_setattr(9),
security_inode_getattr(9), security_inode_setxattr(9),
security_inode_set_acl(9), security_inode_post_set_acl(9),
security_inode_get_acl(9), security_inode_remove_acl(9),
security_inode_post_remove_acl(9), security_inode_post_setxattr(9),
security_inode_getxattr(9), security_inode_listxattr(9),
security_inode_removexattr(9), security_inode_post_removexattr(9),
security_inode_file_setattr(9), security_inode_file_getattr(9),
security_inode_need_killpriv(9), security_inode_killpriv(9),
security_inode_getsecurity(9), security_inode_setsecurity(9),
security_inode_listsecurity(9), security_inode_getlsmprop(9),
security_inode_copy_up(9), security_inode_copy_up_xattr(9),
security_inode_setintegrity(9), security_kernfs_init_security(9),
security_file_permission(9), security_file_alloc(9),
security_file_release(9), security_file_free(9),
security_backing_file_alloc(9), security_backing_file_free(9),
security_file_ioctl(9), security_file_ioctl_compat(9),
security_mmap_file(9), security_mmap_backing_file(9),
security_mmap_addr(9), security_file_mprotect(9), security_file_lock(9),
security_file_fcntl(9), security_file_set_fowner(9),
security_file_send_sigiotask(9), security_file_receive(9),
security_file_open(9), security_file_post_open(9),
security_file_truncate(9), security_task_alloc(9),
security_task_free(9), security_cred_alloc_blank(9),
security_cred_free(9), security_prepare_creds(9),
security_transfer_creds(9), security_cred_getsecid(9),
security_cred_getlsmprop(9), security_kernel_act_as(9),
security_kernel_create_files_as(9), security_kernel_module_request(9),
security_kernel_read_file(9), security_kernel_post_read_file(9),
security_kernel_load_data(9), security_kernel_post_load_data(9),
security_task_fix_setuid(9), security_task_fix_setgid(9),
security_task_fix_setgroups(9), security_task_setpgid(9),
security_task_getpgid(9), security_task_getsid(9),
security_current_getlsmprop_subj(9), security_task_getlsmprop_obj(9),
security_task_setnice(9), security_task_setioprio(9),
security_task_getioprio(9), security_task_prlimit(9),
security_task_setrlimit(9), security_task_setscheduler(9),
security_task_getscheduler(9), security_task_movememory(9),
security_task_kill(9), security_task_prctl(9),
security_task_to_inode(9), security_create_user_ns(9),
security_ipc_permission(9), security_ipc_getlsmprop(9),
security_msg_msg_alloc(9), security_msg_msg_free(9),
security_msg_queue_alloc(9), security_msg_queue_free(9),
security_msg_queue_associate(9), security_msg_queue_msgctl(9),
security_msg_queue_msgsnd(9), security_msg_queue_msgrcv(9),
security_shm_alloc(9), security_shm_free(9), security_shm_associate(9),
security_shm_shmctl(9), security_shm_shmat(9), security_sem_alloc(9),
security_sem_free(9), security_sem_associate(9), security_sem_semctl(9),
security_sem_semop(9), security_d_instantiate(9),
security_setselfattr(9), security_getprocattr(9),
security_setprocattr(9), security_ismaclabel(9),
security_secid_to_secctx(9), security_lsmprop_to_secctx(9),
security_secctx_to_secid(9), security_release_secctx(9),
security_inode_invalidate_secctx(9), security_inode_notifysecctx(9),
security_inode_setsecctx(9), security_inode_getsecctx(9),
security_post_notification(9), security_watch_key(9),
security_netlink_send(9), security_unix_stream_connect(9),
security_unix_may_send(9), security_socket_create(9),
security_socket_post_create(9), security_socket_socketpair(9),
security_socket_bind(9), security_socket_connect(9),
security_socket_listen(9), security_socket_accept(9),
security_socket_sendmsg(9), security_socket_recvmsg(9),
security_socket_getsockname(9), security_socket_getpeername(9),
security_socket_getsockopt(9), security_socket_setsockopt(9),
security_socket_shutdown(9), security_sock_rcv_skb(9),
security_socket_getpeersec_stream(9),
security_socket_getpeersec_dgram(9), lsm_sock_alloc(9),
security_sk_alloc(9), security_sk_free(9), security_sk_clone(9),
security_sk_classify_flow(9), security_req_classify_flow(9),
security_sock_graft(9), security_inet_conn_request(9),
security_inet_csk_clone(9), security_inet_conn_established(9),
security_secmark_relabel_packet(9), security_secmark_refcount_inc(9),
security_secmark_refcount_dec(9), security_tun_dev_alloc_security(9),
security_tun_dev_free_security(9), security_tun_dev_create(9),
security_tun_dev_attach_queue(9), security_tun_dev_attach(9),
security_tun_dev_open(9), security_sctp_assoc_request(9),
security_sctp_bind_connect(9), security_sctp_sk_clone(9),
security_sctp_assoc_established(9), security_mptcp_add_subflow(9),
security_unix_find(9), security_ib_pkey_access(9),
security_ib_endport_manage_subnet(9), security_ib_alloc_security(9),
security_ib_free_security(9), security_xfrm_policy_alloc(9),
security_xfrm_policy_clone(9), security_xfrm_policy_free(9),
security_xfrm_policy_delete(9), security_xfrm_state_alloc(9),
security_xfrm_state_alloc_acquire(9), security_xfrm_state_delete(9),
security_xfrm_state_free(9), security_xfrm_policy_lookup(9),
security_xfrm_state_pol_flow_match(9), security_xfrm_decode_session(9),
security_key_alloc(9), security_key_free(9), security_key_permission(9),
security_key_getsecurity(9), security_key_post_create_or_update(9),
security_audit_rule_init(9), security_audit_rule_known(9),
security_audit_rule_free(9), security_audit_rule_match(9),
security_bpf(9), security_bpf_map(9), security_bpf_prog(9),
security_bpf_map_create(9), security_bpf_prog_load(9),
security_bpf_token_create(9), security_bpf_token_cmd(9),
security_bpf_token_capable(9), security_bpf_map_free(9),
security_bpf_prog_free(9), security_bpf_token_free(9),
security_locked_down(9), security_bdev_alloc(9), security_bdev_free(9),
security_bdev_setintegrity(9), security_perf_event_open(9),
security_perf_event_alloc(9), security_perf_event_free(9),
security_perf_event_read(9), security_perf_event_write(9),
security_uring_override_creds(9), security_uring_sqpoll(9),
security_uring_cmd(9), security_uring_allowed(9),
security_initramfs_populated(9)

like I said. a LOT. go read them, iykyk 🔥

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ok that's the whole page, bestie, you ate that 💅 this one's brought to you straight from the ./security source, October 2026 edition, and it's the security_getselfattr(9) page — go forth and read your own attributes, you gorgeous little self-inspecting process 🫶✨🎀