Quote https://www.openwall.com/lkrg/
Linux Kernel Runtime Guard (LKRG) is a loadable kernel module that performs runtime integrity checking of the Linux kernel and detection of security vulnerability exploits against the kernel. As controversial as this concept is, LKRG attempts to post -detect and hopefully promptly respond to unauthorized modifications to the running Linux kernel (integrity checking) or to credentials (such as user IDs) of the running processes (exploit detection). For process credentials, LKRG attempts to detect the exploit and take action before the kernel would grant the process access (such as open a file) based on the unauthorized credentials.
Please check out our presentation slides on LKRG.
While LKRG defeats many pre-existing exploits of Linux kernel vulnerabilities, and will likely defeat many future exploits (including of yet unknown vulnerabilities) that do not specifically attempt to bypass LKRG, it is bypassable by design (albeit sometimes at the expense of more complicated and/or less reliable exploits). Thus, it can be said that LKRG provides security through diversity , much like running an uncommon OS kernel would, yet without the usability drawbacks of actually running an uncommon OS. As free LKRG becomes somewhat popular and maybe a target of some exploits, we might introduce paid LKRG Pro as a means to fund the project and provide further diversity (with Pro’s smaller userbase being beneficial), extra and specialized functionality (e.g., detection of container escapes), and maybe distro-specific binary builds.
CONFidence 2018: Linux Kernel Runtime Guard (LKRG) under the hood (Adam “pi3” Zabrocki)
