NAME

       chroot - change root directory

SYNOPSIS

       #include <unistd.h>

       int chroot(const char *path);

   Feature Test Macro Requirements for glibc (see feature_test_macros(7)):

       chroot():
           Since glibc 2.2.2:
               _BSD_SOURCE ||
                   (_XOPEN_SOURCE >= 500 ||
                       _XOPEN_SOURCE && _XOPEN_SOURCE_EXTENDED) &&
                   !(_POSIX_C_SOURCE >= 200112L || _XOPEN_SOURCE >= 600)
           Before glibc 2.2.2: none

DESCRIPTION

       chroot()  changes  the  root  directory  of the calling process to that specified in path.
       This directory will be used for  pathnames  beginning  with  /.   The  root  directory  is
       inherited by all children of the calling process.

       Only  a  privileged  process  (Linux:  one  with  the  CAP_SYS_CHROOT capability) may call
       chroot().

       This call changes an ingredient in the pathname resolution process and does nothing  else.
       In  particular, it is not intended to be used for any kind of security purpose, neither to
       fully sandbox a process nor to restrict filesystem system calls.  In  the  past,  chroot()
       has  been  used  by  daemons  to  restrict  themselves  prior to passing paths supplied by
       untrusted users to system calls such as open(2).  However, if a folder is moved out of the
       chroot directory, an attacker can exploit that to get out of the chroot directory as well.
       The easiest way to do that is to chdir(2) to the to-be-moved directory, wait for it to  be
       moved out, then open a path like ../../../etc/passwd.

       A  slightly  trickier  variation  also  works  under some circumstances if chdir(2) is not
       permitted.  If a daemon allows a "chroot directory" to be specified,  that  usually  means
       that  if  you  want  to  prevent  remote  users  from  accessing  files outside the chroot
       directory, you must ensure that folders are never moved out of it.

       This call does not change the current working directory, so that after the call '.' can be
       outside  the  tree  rooted at '/'.  In particular, the superuser can escape from a "chroot
       jail" by doing:

           mkdir foo; chroot foo; cd ..

       This call does not close open file descriptors, and such file descriptors may allow access
       to files outside the chroot tree.

RETURN VALUE

       On success, zero is returned.  On error, -1 is returned, and errno is set appropriately.

ERRORS

       Depending  on  the  filesystem, other errors can be returned.  The more general errors are
       listed below:

       EACCES Search permission is  denied  on  a  component  of  the  path  prefix.   (See  also
              path_resolution(7).)

       EFAULT path points outside your accessible address space.

       EIO    An I/O error occurred.

       ELOOP  Too many symbolic links were encountered in resolving path.

       ENAMETOOLONG
              path is too long.

       ENOENT The file does not exist.

       ENOMEM Insufficient kernel memory was available.

       ENOTDIR
              A component of path is not a directory.

       EPERM  The caller has insufficient privilege.

CONFORMING TO

       SVr4, 4.4BSD, SUSv2 (marked LEGACY).  This function is not part of POSIX.1-2001.

NOTES

       A  child  process  created  via  fork(2)  inherits  its parent's root directory.  The root
       directory is left unchanged by execve(2).

       FreeBSD has a stronger jail() system call.

SEE ALSO

       chdir(2), path_resolution(7)

COLOPHON

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