vfs_getattr_nosec(9)

💅 vfs_getattr_nosec — a kernel API manual moment

okay so this is a page straight out of the Kernel API Manual, and bestie, it's a short one but it matters. Sit down, grab a boba, let's get into it 🍓

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✨ NAME ✨

vfs_getattr_nosec — getattr, but make it skip the security checks 🙈

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🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

int vfs_getattr_nosec (const struct path *path , struct kstat *stat ,
       u32 request_mask , unsigned int query_flags );

like, that's the whole vibe. four args, one int back. no cap 💅

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🎀 ARGUMENTS 🎀

• path — the file you wanna pull attributes from, bestie. that's the target 🎯
• stat — the structure where the attributes get handed back to you. it's the little gift bag 🫶
• request_mask — the STATX_xxx flags, aka the lil wishlist of what the caller actually wants. be specific, the kernel loves specificity ✨
• query_flags — the query mode, and it's AT_STATX_SYNC_TYPE. that's the whole thing, no more no less 🌈

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👑 DESCRIPTION 👑

so what does it do? it gets attributes without calling security_inode_getattr. that's the entire bit. the "nosec" in the name is not a vibe, it's literally the feature 💀

and like — right now? the only caller besides vfs_getattr is something internal to the filehandle lookup code. and that one's built different: it uses only the inode number and returns no attributes to any user. none. zero. so it's not out here leaking stat data to anybody 🙅‍♀️

so if you're literally any other code? you probably want vfs_getattr. like, seriously. this one is not the main character for you, it's giving "internal use only" energy fr fr 🧚

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🦋 SEE ALSO 🦋

• Kernel file ./fs/stat.c
• fill_mg_cmtime(9)
• generic_fillattr(9)
• generic_fill_statx_attr(9)
• generic_fill_statx_atomic_writes(9)
• vfs_fstat(9)
• vfs_statx(9)
• sys_statx(9)

go read those, iykyk 📚✨

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and that's the page!! mwah 💖 shoutout to ./fs for being the source, and to October 2026 for the timestamp — iconic of them honestly 🗓️👑 periodt.