Have You Driven an SELinux Lately?

Security Enhanced Linux (SELinux) [18] has evolved rapidly over the last few years, with many enhancements made to both its core technology and higher-level tools. Following integration into several Linux distributions, SELinux has become the first widely used Mandatory Access Control (MAC) scheme. It has helped Linux to receive the highest security certification likely possible for a mainstream off the shelf operating system. SELinux has also proven its worth for general purpose use in mitigating several serious security flaws. While SELinux has a reputation for being difficult to use, recent developments have helped significantly in this area, and user adoption is advancing rapidly. This paper provides an informal update on the project, discussing key developments and challenges, with the aim of helping people to better understand current SELinux and to make more effective use of it in a wide variety of situations.