Editing Security-Enhanced Linux (section)

{{short description|Linux kernel security module}}{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}}{{Infobox software
| name = SELinux
| logo = SELinux logo.svg
| logo caption = 
| logo_size = 210x232px
| logo_alt = 
| screenshot = SELinux seinfo and semanage screenshot.webp
| caption = Screenshot of <code>seinfo</code> and <code>semanage</code> showing SELinux information of a policy file used by the system, users of SELinux, and file labels related to [[Simple Desktop Display Manager]]
| screenshot_size = 
| screenshot_alt = 
| collapsible = 
| author = [[NSA]] and [[Red Hat]]
| developer = [[Red Hat]]
| released = {{Start date and age|2000|12|22|df=yes}}<ref>{{cite web
 | title      = Security-enhanced Linux available at NSA site - MARC
 | url      = https://marc.info/?l=linux-kernel&m=97749381725894
 | website      = [[MARC (archive)|MARC]]
 | access-date      = 24 December 2018
 | archive-date      = 17 March 2019
 | archive-url      = https://web.archive.org/web/20190317053151/https://marc.info/?l=linux-kernel&m=97749381725894
 | url-status      = live
 }}</ref>
| discontinued = 
| latest release version = 3.6
| latest release date = {{Start date and age|2023|12|13|df=yes}}<ref>{{cite web
 |url          = https://github.com/SELinuxProject/selinux/releases/tag/3.6
 |title        = SELinux userspace release 3.6
 |publisher    = SELinux Project
 |date         = 2023-12-14
 |access-date  = 2024-03-16
 |archive-date = 4 March 2024
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20240304021728/https://github.com/SELinuxProject/selinux/releases/tag/3.6
 |url-status   = live
}}</ref>
| latest preview version = 
| latest preview date = <!-- {{Start date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|df=yes/no}} -->
| programming language = [[C (programming language)|C]]
| operating system = [[Linux]]
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| language count = <!-- DO NOT include this parameter unless you know what it does -->
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| genre = Security, [[Linux Security Modules]] (LSM)
| license = [[GNU GPL]]
| website = {{URL|https://selinuxproject.org}}, {{URL|1=https://web.archive.org/web/20201022103915/https://www.nsa.gov/what-we-do/research/selinux/|2=https://www.nsa.gov/what-we-do/research/selinux/}}
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}}

'''Security-Enhanced Linux''' ('''SELinux''') is a [[Linux kernel]] [[Linux Security Modules|security module]] that provides a mechanism for supporting [[access control]] security policies, including [[mandatory access control]]s (MAC).

SELinux is a set of kernel modifications and user-space tools that have been added to various [[Linux distribution]]s. Its [[software architecture|architecture]] strives to separate enforcement of security decisions from the security policy, and streamlines the amount of software involved with security policy enforcement.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nsa.gov/what-we-do/research/selinux/faqs.shtml |title=SELinux Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) - NSA/CSS |publisher=National Security Agency |access-date=2013-02-06 |archive-date=2018-09-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180918010353/https://www.nsa.gov/what-we-do/research/selinux/faqs.shtml |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first1=Peter |last1=Loscocco |first2=Stephen |last2=Smalley |date=February 2001 |title=Integrating Flexible Support for Security Policies into the Linux Operating System |url=https://www.nsa.gov/resources/everyone/digital-media-center/publications/research-papers/assets/files/flexible-support-for-security-policies-into-linux-feb2001-report.pdf |access-date=23 August 2016 |archive-date=18 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180918010853/https://www.nsa.gov/resources/everyone/digital-media-center/publications/research-papers/assets/files/flexible-support-for-security-policies-into-linux-feb2001-report.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> The key concepts underlying SELinux can be traced to several earlier projects by the United States National Security Agency (NSA).