📖 ~1 min read
Table of contents
Symptom & Impact
Application returns permission errors despite correct UNIX permissions and ownership.
Environment & Reproduction
RHEL 8 in enforcing mode; trigger blocked operation like socket bind or file access.
Root Cause Analysis
SELinux context mismatch, missing boolean, or policy lacking required allow rules for workload path.
Quick Triage
Confirm SELinux mode with `getenforce` and quickly inspect AVC records in audit logs.
Step-by-Step Diagnosis
Run `ausearch -m AVC -ts recent`, analyze with `sealert -a /var/log/audit/audit.log`, and verify labels using `ls -Z`.
Solution – Primary Fix
Apply correct contexts with `restorecon`, set needed SELinux boolean, and only then craft minimal policy module if required.
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Solution – Alternative Approaches
Relocate app data to standard labeled paths or adjust service design to avoid custom policy footprint.
Verification & Acceptance Criteria
App functions as expected in enforcing mode and new AVC denials no longer appear during tests.
Rollback Plan
Remove custom module and revert booleans/context changes if policy causes side effects.
Prevention & Hardening
Include SELinux label checks in deployment scripts and avoid disabling SELinux in production.
Related Errors & Cross-Refs
`avc: denied`, `permission denied` with correct file mode bits, and service startup failures under enforcing mode.
Related tutorial: View the step-by-step tutorial for rhel-8.
View all rhel-8 tutorials on the Tutorials Hub →
Browse all common problems & solutions on the Tutorials Hub.
References & Further Reading
SELinux user/admin guides, `semanage(8)`, and audit troubleshooting workflows for RHEL 8.
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