Jail and monitor your applications
Seamless Overview
Software from unknown sources always poses some risks. With the strace analysis tool and the Firejail sandbox, you can monitor and isolate unknown applications to safeguard your system.
Malware can occasionally become an issue for Linux users. If you download software package from third-party providers then install them manually rather than relying on a distribution's official standard repositories, you need to trust the provider. If you aren't sure, you can monitor these programs to check which files they open and which network connections they establish. Starting these tests in a sandbox also denies the program access to your physical system and private configuration files. This article looks at strace
as a monitoring tool and Firejail as a sandbox.
Finding Traces
The strace
[1] system call tracer can be used to discover which software accesses which files. As an example, I'll show you how to use strace
to find out which files the passwd
command opens when you change your password.
Open two terminal windows and enter passwd
as a normal user in one window. Do not answer the prompts for the time being. Instead, pop up a second terminal and enter as root:
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Endless OS 6 has Arrived
After more than a year since the last update, the latest release of Endless OS is now available for general usage.
-
Fedora Asahi 40 Remix Available for Macs with Apple Silicon
If you've been anticipating KDE's Plasma 6 for your Apple Silicon-powered Mac, then you're in luck.
-
Red Hat Adds New Deployment Option for Enterprise Linux Platforms
Red Hat has re-imagined enterprise Linux for an AI future with Image Mode.
-
OSJH and LPI Release 2024 Open Source Pros Job Survey Results
See what open source professionals look for in a new role.
-
Proton 9.0-1 Released to Improve Gaming with Steam
The latest release of Proton 9 adds several improvements and fixes an issue that has been problematic for Linux users.
-
So Long Neofetch and Thanks for the Info
Today is a day that every Linux user who enjoys bragging about their system(s) will mourn, as Neofetch has come to an end.
-
Ubuntu 24.04 Comes with a “Flaw"
If you're thinking you might want to upgrade from your current Ubuntu release to the latest, there's something you might want to consider before doing so.
-
Canonical Releases Ubuntu 24.04
After a brief pause because of the XZ vulnerability, Ubuntu 24.04 is now available for install.
-
Linux Servers Targeted by Akira Ransomware
A group of bad actors who have already extorted $42 million have their sights set on the Linux platform.
-
TUXEDO Computers Unveils Linux Laptop Featuring AMD Ryzen CPU
This latest release is the first laptop to include the new CPU from Ryzen and Linux preinstalled.