Blacklisting a kernel module only prevents modprobe from loading it automatically. modprobe by name still works, even if the module is blacklisted, and so does insmod and the syscalls they use.

The author is way above their head and thinks that because they can write Copilot prompts they can write security critical software.

▲ Bender a day ago | parent | next [-]

modprobe by name still works, even if the module is blacklisted, and so does insmod and the syscalls they use.

Agreed. There is a way but I would never recommend it to anyone. Showing just for completeness sake in the event anyone else suggests it but do not do this and certainly never put it in a config file or "bad things will happen ©2009-2026".

    # rmmod the module of concern first, then if that exits with the correct exit code:
    sysctl -w kernel.modules_disabled = 1
    sysctl -w kernel.kexec_load_disabled = 1

Once activated these settings will remain immutable until reboot. These settings can break OS updates among a myriad of other things. Calculating risk requires a dungeon leader, 4d20 dice and 12 magic 8-balls to form a quorum. Probably safer to just limit access based on role and then update the OS as soon as it is feasible to do so. Leave the role based access controls in place. If anyone complains add them to the on-call rotation.

▲ bombcar 2 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Why does it check every five minutes? Do they think the kernel is changing in a running instance faster?

	▲	subscribed a day ago \| parent [-]
		AI made this decision. It seems that the (human)? operator didn't review that.

▲ petjuh a day ago | parent | prev | next [-]

OK, how about this then:

    sudo rm "$(modinfo -n algif_aead)"

Nice and simple. Or if we want to be more thorough:

    modinfo -n algif_aead && sudo mv "$(modinfo -n algif_aead)" "$(modinfo -n algif_aead)_"

▲ glacier9147 2 days ago | parent | prev [-]

Wouldn't manually loading a module require elevated privileges? Isn't the issue they are trying to solve that completely unprivileged users can exploit the module to elevate their privileges?

	▲	antiloper 2 days ago \| parent \| next [-]
		I just tried it on Ubuntu 24.04. Blacklisting algif_aead does not prevent the module from getting loaded by `nobody` using the unprivileged AF_ALG API. So this project literally does nothing except spew some vibe coded slop across your cluster. Please just upgrade your kernel packages, it's way safer.
	▲	ButlerianJihad 2 days ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		Let's consider a sysadmin who says "I blacklisted this module, so we shall never see it on this system." And then, some random service or cronjob goes down a list and "modprobes" things. Such as a vulnerability scanner. So the kernel module got loaded by name, until the next reboot. Yeah, it's another coincidence and another narrowing of the conditions by which this can be exploited. But it's correct to say that blacklisting modules is not the panacea or a 100% airtight solution.