Sandbox the systemd unit: DynamicUser, read-only FS, no capabilities

The Linux install now mirrors the Windows virtual-account hardening: the
unit runs with DynamicUser=yes (transient per-service UID, no login),
ProtectSystem=strict with only StateDirectory writable (the install dir,
so self-update can rewrite the binary), NoNewPrivileges, empty
capability sets, restricted address families and a @system-service
syscall filter. Install copies the binary to /var/lib/gpu-turnstile and
the config to /etc/gpu-turnstile.env; Remove cleans up the unit and
binary but keeps the config.

README.md

@@ -127,9 +127,13 @@ gpu-turnstile --remove-service
 The unit (`/etc/systemd/system/gpu-turnstile.service`) is `Type=notify`:
 `systemctl start` blocks until the listeners are actually bound, a 30 s
 watchdog restarts the process if it wedges, and logs land in the journal
-(`journalctl -u gpu-turnstile -f`) unless `LOG_FILE` is set. Put the
+(`journalctl -u gpu-turnstile -f`) unless `LOG_FILE` is set. Install
-config in a `gpu-turnstile.env` next to the binary (or pass
+copies the binary to `/var/lib/gpu-turnstile/` and the config to
-`-config /path` during install). The notify integration is a no-op in
+`/etc/gpu-turnstile.env` (edit that one after installing). The service
+runs sandboxed with `DynamicUser=yes` — a transient low-privilege UID,
+read-only filesystem except its install dir (so self-update keeps
+working), no capabilities, syscall-filtered: same least-privilege idea as
+the Windows virtual account. The notify integration is a no-op in
 containers and interactive shells.
 
 **Auto-update is on by default**: the binary checks the repo's latest

SPEC.md

@@ -195,12 +195,22 @@ install|remove` does the same thing.
 
 ### Linux (systemd)
 
-- `--install-service` writes `/etc/systemd/system/gpu-turnstile.service`
+- `--install-service` copies the binary to `/var/lib/gpu-turnstile/`,
-  with `ExecStart` pointing at the current executable and the `-config`
+  copies the config to `/etc/gpu-turnstile.env` if none exists there yet,
-  file, then runs `systemctl daemon-reload` and `enable --now`. The unit
+  writes `/etc/systemd/system/gpu-turnstile.service`, then runs `systemctl
-  runs as root (it must be able to overwrite its own binary for
+  daemon-reload` and `enable --now`. `--remove-service` removes the unit
-  self-updates); harden with `ProtectSystem=strict` plus a writable
+  and the installed binary; the `/etc` config stays.
-  `ReadWritePaths` if desired.
+- **Sandboxing** mirrors the Windows virtual account: the unit runs with
+  `DynamicUser=yes` — a transient per-service UID with no login, no home
+  and no password, managed entirely by systemd. `ProtectSystem=strict`
+  makes the filesystem read-only except `StateDirectory=gpu-turnstile`
+  (the install dir, so self-updates can rewrite the binary), plus
+  `NoNewPrivileges`, `ProtectHome`, `PrivateTmp`, `ProtectKernel*`,
+  `ProtectControlGroups`, `RestrictNamespaces`, `RestrictSUIDSGID`,
+  `RestrictRealtime`, `LockPersonality`, `MemoryDenyWriteExecute`, empty
+  capability sets, `RestrictAddressFamilies=AF_UNIX AF_INET AF_INET6` and
+  `SystemCallFilter=@system-service`. The proxy needs only outbound
+  TCP/UDP and the notify socket, so it loses nothing.
 - The unit is `Type=notify`: the binary sends `READY=1` via
   `github.com/coreos/go-systemd` only after the listeners are bound, so
   `systemctl start` blocks until the proxy accepts connections. A 30 s

internal/service/service_linux.go

@@ -2,12 +2,13 @@
 
 // Package service integrates gpu-turnstile with systemd on Linux: running
 // under a unit with readiness notification and watchdog, plus
-// install/remove helpers that manage a system unit.
+// install/remove helpers that manage a hardened system unit.
 package service
 
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
+	"io"
 	"os"
 	"os/exec"
 	"os/signal"
@@ -21,6 +22,14 @@ const Name = "gpu-turnstile"
 // unitPath is where Install writes the unit file.
 const unitPath = "/etc/systemd/system/" + Name + ".service"
 
+// stateDir holds the installed binary (and staged updates); the unit's
+// StateDirectory= directive makes systemd own it and grant the dynamic
+// user write access. etcConfig is the config file the unit loads.
+const (
+	stateDir  = "/var/lib/" + Name
+	etcConfig = "/etc/" + Name + ".env"
+)
+
 // IsService reports whether the process was started by systemd.
 func IsService() bool { return os.Getenv("INVOCATION_ID") != "" }
 
@@ -33,10 +42,17 @@ func Run(run func(ctx context.Context) error) error {
 	return run(ctx)
 }
 
-// renderUnit builds the systemd unit: Type=notify so systemctl start blocks
+// renderUnit builds the hardened systemd unit: Type=notify so systemctl
-// until the listeners are bound, a 30s watchdog, and restart-on-failure
+// start blocks until the listeners are bound, a 30s watchdog, and
-// with a 5s delay — which is also what brings up a staged update after the
+// restart-on-failure with a 5s delay — which is also what brings up a
-// updater exits with a non-zero code.
+// staged update after the updater exits with a non-zero code.
+//
+// Sandboxing mirrors the Windows virtual account: DynamicUser=yes gives
+// the service a transient per-service UID with no login and no home, the
+// filesystem is read-only except StateDirectory (the install dir, so
+// self-updates can rewrite the binary), and the usual no-privilege-escalation
+// directives apply. The proxy needs nothing but outbound TCP/UDP and the
+// notify socket, so it loses nothing.
 func renderUnit(exePath, configPath string) string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf(`[Unit]
 Description=gpu-turnstile GPU arbitration proxy for Ollama and ComfyUI
@@ -50,13 +66,55 @@ ExecStart=%q -config %q
 Restart=on-failure
 RestartSec=5s
 
+DynamicUser=yes
+StateDirectory=%s
+ProtectSystem=strict
+ProtectHome=yes
+PrivateTmp=yes
+NoNewPrivileges=yes
+ProtectKernelTunables=yes
+ProtectKernelModules=yes
+ProtectKernelLogs=yes
+ProtectControlGroups=yes
+ProtectClock=yes
+RestrictNamespaces=yes
+RestrictSUIDSGID=yes
+RestrictRealtime=yes
+LockPersonality=yes
+MemoryDenyWriteExecute=yes
+CapabilityBoundingSet=
+AmbientCapabilities=
+RestrictAddressFamilies=AF_UNIX AF_INET AF_INET6
+SystemCallFilter=@system-service
+SystemCallErrorNumber=EPERM
+
 [Install]
 WantedBy=multi-user.target
-`, exePath, configPath)
+`, exePath, configPath, Name)
 }
 
-// Install writes the unit for the current executable and the given config
+// copyFile copies src to dst, creating dst with the given mode.
-// file, then enables and starts it. Needs root.
+func copyFile(src, dst string, mode os.FileMode) error {
+	in, err := os.Open(src)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	defer in.Close()
+	out, err := os.OpenFile(dst, os.O_CREATE|os.O_TRUNC|os.O_WRONLY, mode)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	defer out.Close()
+	if _, err := io.Copy(out, in); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	return out.Close()
+}
+
+// Install copies the current executable into /var/lib/gpu-turnstile, makes
+// sure /etc/gpu-turnstile.env exists (copied from the given config file if
+// provided), writes the hardened unit, then enables and starts it. Needs
+// root.
 func Install(configPath string) error {
 	exe, err := os.Executable()
 	if err != nil {
@@ -65,7 +123,21 @@ func Install(configPath string) error {
 	if abs, absErr := filepath.Abs(exe); absErr == nil {
 		exe = abs
 	}
-	if err := os.WriteFile(unitPath, []byte(renderUnit(exe, configPath)), 0o644); err != nil {
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(stateDir, 0o755); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("create %s (run as root): %w", stateDir, err)
+	}
+	installedExe := filepath.Join(stateDir, Name)
+	if exe != installedExe {
+		if err := copyFile(exe, installedExe, 0o755); err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("install binary to %s: %w", installedExe, err)
+		}
+	}
+	if _, err := os.Stat(etcConfig); os.IsNotExist(err) && configPath != "" {
+		// Missing config is not fatal: the service fails fast with a clear
+		// "no consumer URL" error until the user writes one.
+		copyFile(configPath, etcConfig, 0o644) //nolint:errcheck // best effort
+	}
+	if err := os.WriteFile(unitPath, []byte(renderUnit(installedExe, etcConfig)), 0o644); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("write %s (run as root): %w", unitPath, err)
 	}
 	if out, err := exec.Command("systemctl", "daemon-reload").CombinedOutput(); err != nil {
@@ -77,12 +149,14 @@ func Install(configPath string) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-// Remove stops and disables the service and deletes the unit file.
+// Remove stops and disables the service and deletes the unit file and the
+// installed binary. The config file in /etc is left in place (user data).
 func Remove() error {
 	exec.Command("systemctl", "disable", "--now", Name+".service").Run() // ignore: may not exist
 	if err := os.Remove(unitPath); err != nil && !os.IsNotExist(err) {
 		return fmt.Errorf("remove %s: %w", unitPath, err)
 	}
+	os.RemoveAll(stateDir) // installed binary + staged updates; ignore error
 	if out, err := exec.Command("systemctl", "daemon-reload").CombinedOutput(); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("systemctl daemon-reload: %w (%s)", err, out)
 	}

internal/service/service_linux_test.go

@@ -8,13 +8,19 @@ import (
 )
 
 func TestRenderUnit(t *testing.T) {
-	unit := renderUnit("/usr/local/bin/gpu-turnstile", "/etc/gpu-turnstile.env")
+	unit := renderUnit("/var/lib/gpu-turnstile/gpu-turnstile", "/etc/gpu-turnstile.env")
 	for _, want := range []string{
 		"Type=notify",
 		"WatchdogSec=30s",
-		`ExecStart="/usr/local/bin/gpu-turnstile" -config "/etc/gpu-turnstile.env"`,
+		`ExecStart="/var/lib/gpu-turnstile/gpu-turnstile" -config "/etc/gpu-turnstile.env"`,
 		"Restart=on-failure",
 		"WantedBy=multi-user.target",
+		"DynamicUser=yes",
+		"StateDirectory=gpu-turnstile",
+		"ProtectSystem=strict",
+		"NoNewPrivileges=yes",
+		"RestrictAddressFamilies=AF_UNIX AF_INET AF_INET6",
+		"SystemCallFilter=@system-service",
 	} {
 		if !strings.Contains(unit, want) {
 			t.Fatalf("unit missing %q:\n%s", want, unit)