NAME
paxctl - user-space utility to control PaX flags
SYNTAX
paxctl <flags> <files>
DESCRIPTION
paxctl is a tool that allows PaX flags to be modified on a per-binary
basis. PaX is part of common security-enhancing kernel patches and
secure distributions, such as GrSecurity or Adamantix and Hardened
Gentoo, respectively. Your system needs to be running a properly
patched and configured kernel for this program to have any effect.
-P enforce paging based non-executable pages (PAGEEXEC)
-p do not enforce paging based non-executable pages (NOPAGEEXEC)
-E emulate trampolines (EMUTRAMP)
-e do not emulate trampolines (NOEMUTRAMP)
-M enforce secure memory protections (MPROTECT)
-m do not enforce secure memory protections (NOMPROTECT)
-R randomize memory regions (RANDMMAP)
-r do not randomize memory regions (NORANDMMAP)
-X randomize base address of normal (ET_EXEC) executables
(RANDEXEC)
-x do not randomize base address of normal (ET_EXEC) executables
(NORANDEXEC)
-S enforce segmentation based non-executable pages (SEGMEXEC)
-s do not enforce segmentation based non-executable pages
(NOSEGMEXEC)
-v view flags
-z restore default flags (further flags still apply)
-c create the PT_PAX_FLAGS program header if it does not exist by
converting the PT_GNU_STACK program header if it exists
-C create the PT_PAX_FLAGS program header if it does not exist by
adding a new program header, if it is possible
-q suppress error messages
-Q report flags in short format
CAVEATS
The old PaX flag location and control method have been obsoleted, if
your kernel and binaries use it you have to use chpax(1) instead (it is
recommended to use PT_PAX_FLAGS along with -c or -C however).
Converting PT_GNU_STACK into PT_PAX_FLAGS means that the information in
the former is destroyed, in particular you must make sure that the
EMUTRAMP PaX option is properly set in the newly created PT_PAX_FLAGS.
The secure way is to disable EMUTRAMP first and if PaX reports stack
execution attempts from nested function trampolines then enable it.
Note that the new PT_PAX_FLAGS is created in the same state that
binutils/ld itself would produce (equivalent to -zex).
Note that paxctl does not make backup copies of the files it modifies.
AUTHOR
Written by The PaX Team <pageexec@freemail.hu>
This manpage was adapted from the chpax manpage written by Martin F.
Krafft <madduck@debian.org> for the Debian GNU/Linux Distribution, but
may be used by others.
SEE ALSO
chpax(1), gradm(8)
PaX website: http://pax.grsecurity.net
GrSecurity website: http://www.grsecurity.net
Adamantix website: http://adamantix.org
Hardened Gentoo website: http://www.gentoo.org/proj/en/hardened