[LTP] [PATCH v5 6/8] fs/acl: Add symlink ACL operations test

Sachin Sant sachinp@linux.ibm.com
Mon Jun 8 11:21:58 CEST 2026


Add acl_link01 test to verify that ACL operations on symlinks
follow the symlink to the target file. The test validates that
setting and getting ACLs through a symlink path affects the
target file, not the symlink itself.

Test coverage:
- Create regular file with mode 0600 (rw-------)
- Set distinct ACL (rwxrw----) through symlink path
- Verify ACL was set on target file by reading directly
- Get ACL through symlink path
- Verify both ACLs match and differ from initial 0600 mode

The test uses distinct permissions to ensure it can detect
if symlink-following fails.

Test returns TCONF if ACL is not supported by the filesystem.

Suggested-by: Cyril Hrubis <chrubis@suse.cz>
Signed-off-by: Sachin Sant <sachinp@linux.ibm.com>
---
V5 changes:
- Switch to kernel only test validation to remove dependency on libacl
  and useradd/del commands.
- v4 link https://lore.kernel.org/ltp/20260604065417.25924-1-sachinp@linux.ibm.com/T/#t

V4 changes:
- Rewrite test logic to use distinct ACL (rwxrw----) that
  differs from initial mode.
- Update commit message to reflect the implementation.
- v3 link https://lore.kernel.org/ltp/20260603140147.50738-1-sachinp@linux.ibm.com/T/#t

V3 changes:
- Updated the test to read the ACL from both TESTSYMLINK
  and TESTFILE, and verify the expected entries/permissions match.
- Updated commit message to reflect this change.
- Updated copyright header as per LTP format.
- v2 link https://lore.kernel.org/ltp/20260603065744.47106-1-sachinp@linux.ibm.com/T/#t

V2 changes:
- Updated incorrect TCONF message and description text
- Updated commit message to remove incorrect symlinks wording
- Use reset_test_path_no_chown variant to skip chown step
  and removed needs_cmd tag to avoid useradd/userdel dependency
- v1 link https://lore.kernel.org/ltp/20260602121958.27494-1-sachinp@linux.ibm.com/T/#t
V1 changes:
- Use HAVE_LIBACL guards in .c code
- Report TCONF when libacl is not available
- rfc link https://lore.kernel.org/ltp/477836fd-80c8-4168-bfe6-00b374bb2534@linux.ibm.com/T/#t

---
 runtest/fs                           |   1 +
 testcases/kernel/fs/acl/.gitignore   |   1 +
 testcases/kernel/fs/acl/acl_link01.c | 217 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 3 files changed, 219 insertions(+)
 create mode 100644 testcases/kernel/fs/acl/acl_link01.c

diff --git a/runtest/fs b/runtest/fs
index f1eea055b..64deb56e6 100644
--- a/runtest/fs
+++ b/runtest/fs
@@ -94,3 +94,4 @@ acl_mask01 acl_mask01
 acl_other01 acl_other01
 acl_inherit01 acl_inherit01
 acl_file_ops01 acl_file_ops01
+acl_link01 acl_link01
diff --git a/testcases/kernel/fs/acl/.gitignore b/testcases/kernel/fs/acl/.gitignore
index eb4b4a227..4a071d516 100644
--- a/testcases/kernel/fs/acl/.gitignore
+++ b/testcases/kernel/fs/acl/.gitignore
@@ -3,3 +3,4 @@
 /acl_other01
 /acl_inherit01
 /acl_file_ops01
+/acl_link01
diff --git a/testcases/kernel/fs/acl/acl_link01.c b/testcases/kernel/fs/acl/acl_link01.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b55ef6c96
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testcases/kernel/fs/acl/acl_link01.c
@@ -0,0 +1,217 @@
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0-or-later
+/*
+ * Copyright (c) 2026 IBM
+ *
+ * Original shell test by Kai Zhao (ltcd3@cn.ibm.com)
+ * Converted to C by Sachin Sant <sachinp@linux.ibm.com>
+ */
+
+/*\
+ * Test ACL operations on symlinks using direct xattr manipulation.
+ *
+ * Verify that ACL operations on symlinks follow the symlink to the target
+ * file. When setting or getting ACLs through a symlink path, the operation
+ * should affect the target file, not the symlink itself.
+ *
+ * Note: Some filesystems may not support ACLs on the target file and will
+ * return EOPNOTSUPP, which is treated as TCONF (test not applicable).
+ *
+ * This test uses direct xattr manipulation without creating actual users,
+ * testing only the kernel ACL implementation.
+ *
+ * [Algorithm]
+ *
+ * 1. Create a regular file with mode 0600 (rw-------)
+ * 2. Create a symlink pointing to the file
+ * 3. Set a distinct ACL through the symlink path (rwxrw----)
+ * 4. Verify the ACL was set on the target file by reading it directly
+ * 5. Get ACL through the symlink path
+ * 6. Verify both ACLs match and differ from the initial 0600 mode
+ */
+
+#include "acl_lib.h"
+
+static void run(void)
+{
+	struct acl *acl = NULL, *target_acl = NULL, *symlink_acl = NULL;
+	int fd = -1;
+	int match;
+
+	tst_res(TINFO, "Testing ACL operations on symlinks");
+	reset_test_path_no_chown();
+
+	fd = SAFE_OPEN(TESTFILE, O_CREAT | O_WRONLY, 0600);
+	SAFE_CLOSE(fd);
+
+	SAFE_SYMLINK("testfile", TESTSYMLINK);
+
+	acl = acl_init();
+	if (!acl)
+		goto cleanup;
+
+	if (acl_add_entry(acl, ACL_USER_OBJ,
+			  ACL_READ | ACL_WRITE | ACL_EXECUTE, 0) < 0)
+		goto cleanup_acl;
+
+	if (acl_add_entry(acl, ACL_GROUP_OBJ, ACL_READ | ACL_WRITE, 0) < 0)
+		goto cleanup_acl;
+
+	if (acl_add_entry(acl, ACL_OTHER, 0, 0) < 0)
+		goto cleanup_acl;
+
+	if (acl_set_file(TESTSYMLINK, ACL_TYPE_ACCESS, acl) < 0) {
+		if (errno == EOPNOTSUPP) {
+			acl_free(acl);
+			if (unlink(TESTSYMLINK) == -1)
+				tst_res(TWARN | TERRNO, "unlink symlink failed");
+			cleanup_testfile();
+			tst_res(TCONF,
+				"ACL not supported by this filesystem");
+			return;
+		}
+		goto cleanup_acl;
+	}
+
+	acl_free(acl);
+	acl = NULL;
+
+	/* Verify ACL was actually set on target file with expected values */
+	target_acl = acl_get_file(TESTFILE, ACL_TYPE_ACCESS);
+	if (!target_acl)
+		goto cleanup;
+
+	/* Verify expected ACL entries: USER_OBJ=rwx, GROUP_OBJ=rw, OTHER=--- */
+	if (target_acl->count != 3) {
+		int count = target_acl->count;
+
+		acl_free(target_acl);
+		if (unlink(TESTSYMLINK) == -1)
+			tst_res(TWARN | TERRNO, "unlink symlink failed");
+		cleanup_testfile();
+		tst_res(TFAIL, "Expected 3 ACL entries, got %d", count);
+		return;
+	}
+
+	struct acl_entry *user_obj = acl_find_entry(target_acl, ACL_USER_OBJ, 0);
+	struct acl_entry *group_obj = acl_find_entry(target_acl, ACL_GROUP_OBJ, 0);
+	struct acl_entry *other = acl_find_entry(target_acl, ACL_OTHER, 0);
+
+	if (!user_obj || !group_obj || !other) {
+		acl_free(target_acl);
+		if (unlink(TESTSYMLINK) == -1)
+			tst_res(TWARN | TERRNO, "unlink symlink failed");
+		cleanup_testfile();
+		tst_res(TFAIL, "Missing required ACL entries");
+		return;
+	}
+
+	if (user_obj->perm != (ACL_READ | ACL_WRITE | ACL_EXECUTE)) {
+		acl_free(target_acl);
+		if (unlink(TESTSYMLINK) == -1)
+			tst_res(TWARN | TERRNO, "unlink symlink failed");
+		cleanup_testfile();
+		tst_res(TFAIL, "USER_OBJ has wrong permissions: %o (expected rwx)",
+			user_obj->perm);
+		return;
+	}
+
+	if (group_obj->perm != (ACL_READ | ACL_WRITE)) {
+		acl_free(target_acl);
+		if (unlink(TESTSYMLINK) == -1)
+			tst_res(TWARN | TERRNO, "unlink symlink failed");
+		cleanup_testfile();
+		tst_res(TFAIL, "GROUP_OBJ has wrong permissions: %o (expected rw-)",
+			group_obj->perm);
+		return;
+	}
+
+	if (other->perm != 0) {
+		acl_free(target_acl);
+		if (unlink(TESTSYMLINK) == -1)
+			tst_res(TWARN | TERRNO, "unlink symlink failed");
+		cleanup_testfile();
+		tst_res(TFAIL, "OTHER has wrong permissions: %o (expected ---)",
+			other->perm);
+		return;
+	}
+
+	/* Now verify that reading via symlink gives the same result */
+	symlink_acl = acl_get_file(TESTSYMLINK, ACL_TYPE_ACCESS);
+	if (!symlink_acl) {
+		acl_free(target_acl);
+		if (unlink(TESTSYMLINK) == -1)
+			tst_res(TWARN | TERRNO, "unlink symlink failed");
+		cleanup_testfile();
+		tst_brk(TBROK | TERRNO, "acl_get_file on symlink failed");
+	}
+
+	/* Compare ACLs */
+	match = 1;
+	if (target_acl->count != symlink_acl->count) {
+		match = 0;
+	} else {
+		for (int i = 0; i < target_acl->count; i++) {
+			struct acl_entry *t = &target_acl->entries[i];
+			struct acl_entry *s = &symlink_acl->entries[i];
+
+			if (t->tag != s->tag || t->perm != s->perm ||
+			    t->id != s->id) {
+				match = 0;
+				break;
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	acl_free(symlink_acl);
+	acl_free(target_acl);
+
+	if (unlink(TESTSYMLINK) == -1)
+		tst_res(TWARN | TERRNO, "unlink symlink failed");
+	cleanup_testfile();
+
+	if (!match) {
+		tst_res(TFAIL,
+			"ACL via symlink differs from ACL on target file");
+		return;
+	}
+
+	tst_res(TPASS,
+		"ACL set via symlink was applied to target file (rwxrw----)");
+	return;
+
+cleanup_acl:
+	acl_free(acl);
+cleanup:
+	if (unlink(TESTSYMLINK) == -1)
+		tst_res(TWARN | TERRNO, "unlink symlink failed");
+	cleanup_testfile();
+	tst_brk(TBROK | TERRNO, "ACL setup failed");
+}
+
+static void setup(void)
+{
+	reset_test_path_no_chown();
+}
+
+static void cleanup(void)
+{
+	cleanup_test_paths();
+}
+
+static struct tst_test test = {
+	.test_all = run,
+	.setup = setup,
+	.cleanup = cleanup,
+	.needs_root = 1,
+	.mount_device = 1,
+	.mntpoint = MNTPOINT,
+	.forks_child = 1,
+	.filesystems = (struct tst_fs[]) {
+		{.type = "ext2", .mnt_data = "acl"},
+		{.type = "ext3", .mnt_data = "acl"},
+		{.type = "ext4", .mnt_data = "acl"},
+		{.type = "xfs"},
+		{.type = "btrfs"},
+		{}
+	}
+};
-- 
2.39.1



More information about the ltp mailing list