networks.Validate() requires that socket_vmnet is owned by root

cmd/limactl/sudoers.go

@@ -3,21 +3,16 @@ package main
 import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
-	"os"
-	"path/filepath"
 	"runtime"
 
 	"github.com/lima-vm/lima/pkg/networks"
+	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 )
 
+const networksURL = "https://lima-vm.io/docs/config/network/#socket_vmnet"
+
 func newSudoersCommand() *cobra.Command {
-	networksMD := "$PREFIX/share/doc/lima/docs/network.md"
-	if exe, err := os.Executable(); err == nil {
-		binDir := filepath.Dir(exe)
-		prefixDir := filepath.Dir(binDir)
-		networksMD = filepath.Join(prefixDir, "share/doc/lima/docs/network.md")
-	}
 	sudoersCommand := &cobra.Command{
 		Use: "sudoers [--check [SUDOERSFILE-TO-CHECK]]",
 		Example: `
@@ -31,7 +26,7 @@ $ limactl sudoers --check /etc/sudoers.d/lima
 		Long: fmt.Sprintf(`Generate the content of the /etc/sudoers.d/lima file for enabling vmnet.framework support.
 The content is written to stdout, NOT to the file.
 This command must not run as the root user.
-See %s for the usage.`, networksMD),
+See %s for the usage.`, networksURL),
 		Args:    WrapArgsError(cobra.MaximumNArgs(1)),
 		RunE:    sudoersAction,
 		GroupID: advancedCommand,
@@ -52,6 +47,7 @@ func sudoersAction(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	}
 	// Make sure the current network configuration is secure
 	if err := nwCfg.Validate(); err != nil {
+		logrus.Infof("Please check %s for more information.", networksURL)
 		return err
 	}
 	check, err := cmd.Flags().GetBool("check")

examples/vmnet.yaml

@@ -1,10 +1,6 @@
 # A template to enable vmnet.framework.
 
-# Usage:
-#   brew install socket_vmnet
-#   limactl sudoers >etc_sudoers.d_lima
-#   sudo install -o root etc_sudoers.d_lima /etc/sudoers.d/lima
-#   limactl start template://vmnet
+# Install socket_vmnet: https://lima-vm.io/docs/config/network/#socket_vmnet
 
 # This template requires Lima v0.7.0 or later.
 # Older versions of Lima were using a different syntax for supporting vmnet.framework.

pkg/networks/networks.TEMPLATE.yaml

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # Path to socket_vmnet executable. Because socket_vmnet is invoked via sudo it should be
 # installed where only root can modify/replace it. This means also none of the
-# parent directories should be writable by the user.
+# parent directories can be writable by the user.
 #
 # The varRun directory also must not be writable by the user because it will
 # include the socket_vmnet pid file. Those will be terminated via sudo, so replacing

pkg/networks/validate.go

@@ -5,11 +5,9 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"io/fs"
 	"os"
-	"os/user"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"reflect"
 	"runtime"
-	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/lima-vm/lima/pkg/osutil"
@@ -100,49 +98,24 @@ func validatePath(path string, allowDaemonGroupWritable bool) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	adminGroup, err := user.LookupGroup("admin")
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	adminGid, err := strconv.Atoi(adminGroup.Gid)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	owner, err := user.LookupId(strconv.Itoa(int(stat.Uid)))
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	ownerIsAdmin := owner.Uid == "0"
-	if !ownerIsAdmin {
-		ownerGroupIDs, err := owner.GroupIds()
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-		for _, g := range ownerGroupIDs {
-			if g == adminGroup.Gid {
-				ownerIsAdmin = true
-				break
-			}
-		}
-	}
-	if !ownerIsAdmin {
-		return fmt.Errorf(`%s %q owner %dis not an admin`, file, path, stat.Uid)
+	if stat.Uid != root.Uid {
+		return fmt.Errorf(`%s %q is not owned by %q (uid: %d), but by uid %d`, file, path, root.User, root.Uid, stat.Uid)
 	}
 	if allowDaemonGroupWritable {
 		daemon, err := osutil.LookupUser("daemon")
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
-		if fi.Mode()&0o20 != 0 && stat.Gid != root.Gid && stat.Gid != uint32(adminGid) && stat.Gid != daemon.Gid {
-			return fmt.Errorf(`%s %q is group-writable and group %d is not one of [wheel, admin, daemon]`,
-				file, path, stat.Gid)
+		if fi.Mode()&0o20 != 0 && stat.Gid != root.Gid && stat.Gid != daemon.Gid {
+			return fmt.Errorf(`%s %q is group-writable and group is neither %q (gid: %d) nor %q (gid: %d), but is gid: %d`,
+				file, path, root.User, root.Gid, daemon.User, daemon.Gid, stat.Gid)
 		}
 		if fi.Mode().IsDir() && fi.Mode()&1 == 0 && (fi.Mode()&0o010 == 0 || stat.Gid != daemon.Gid) {
 			return fmt.Errorf(`%s %q is not executable by the %q (gid: %d)" group`, file, path, daemon.User, daemon.Gid)
 		}
-	} else if fi.Mode()&0o20 != 0 && stat.Gid != root.Gid && stat.Gid != uint32(adminGid) {
-		return fmt.Errorf(`%s %q is group-writable and group %d is not one of [wheel, admin]`,
-			file, path, stat.Gid)
+	} else if fi.Mode()&0o20 != 0 && stat.Gid != root.Gid {
+		return fmt.Errorf(`%s %q is group-writable and group is not %q (gid: %d), but is gid: %d`,
+			file, path, root.User, root.Gid, stat.Gid)
 	}
 	if fi.Mode()&0o02 != 0 {
 		return fmt.Errorf("%s %q is world-writable", file, path)

pkg/store/filenames/filenames.go

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 // Package filenames defines the names of the files that appear under an instance dir
 // or inside the config directory.
 //
-// See docs/internal.md .
+// See https://lima-vm.io/docs/dev/internals/
 package filenames
 
 // Instance names starting with an underscore are reserved for lima internal usage

website/content/en/docs/config/network/_index.md

@@ -69,20 +69,38 @@ The configuration steps are different for each network type:
 #### Managed (192.168.105.0/24)
 
 [`socket_vmnet`](https://github.com/lima-vm/socket_vmnet) is required for adding another guest IP that is accessible from the host and other guests.
+It must be installed according to the instruction provided on https://github.com/lima-vm/socket_vmnet.
+
+Note that installation using Homebrew is not secure and not recommended by the Lima project.
+Homebrew installation will only work with Lima if password-less `sudo` is enabled for the current user.
+The `limactl sudoers` command requires that `socket_vmnet` is installed into a secure path only
+writable by `root` and will reject `socket_vmnet` installed by Homebrew into a user-writable location.
 
 ```bash
-# Install socket_vmnet
-brew install socket_vmnet
+# Install socket_vmnet as root from source to /opt/socket_vmnet
+# using instructions on https://github.com/lima-vm/socket_vmnet
+# This assumes that Xcode Command Line Tools are already installed
+git clone https://github.com/lima-vm/socket_vmnet
+cd socket_vmnet
+# Change "v1.1.5" to the actual latest release in https://github.com/lima-vm/socket_vmnet/releases
+git checkout v1.1.5
+make
+sudo make PREFIX=/opt/socket_vmnet install.bin
 
 # Set up the sudoers file for launching socket_vmnet from Lima
 limactl sudoers >etc_sudoers.d_lima
+less etc_sudoers.d_lima  # verify that the file looks correct
 sudo install -o root etc_sudoers.d_lima /etc/sudoers.d/lima
+rm etc_sudoers.d_lima
 ```
 
 > **Note**
 >
 > Lima before v0.12 used `vde_vmnet` for managing the networks.
 > `vde_vmnet` is no longer supported.
+>
+> Lima v0.14.0 and later used to also accept `socket_vmnet` installations if they were
+> owned by the `admin` user. Starting with v1.0.0 only `root` ownership is acceptable.
 
 The networks are defined in `$LIMA_HOME/_config/networks.yaml`. If this file doesn't already exist, it will be created with these default
 settings:
@@ -145,7 +163,7 @@ limactl start --network=lima:shared
 ```yaml
 networks:
   # Lima can manage the socket_vmnet daemon for networks defined in $LIMA_HOME/_config/networks.yaml automatically.
-  # The socket_vmnet binary must be installed into a secure location only alterable by the admin.
+  # The socket_vmnet binary must be installed into a secure location only alterable by the "root" user.
   # - lima: shared
   #   # MAC address of the instance; lima will pick one based on the instance name,
   #   # so DHCP assigned ip addresses should remain constant over instance restarts.
@@ -160,6 +178,17 @@ The network daemon is started automatically when the first instance referencing
 and will stop automatically once the last instance has stopped. Daemon logs will be stored in the
 `$LIMA_HOME/_networks` directory.
 
+Since the commands to start and stop the `socket_vmnet` daemon requires root, the user either must
+have password-less `sudo` enabled, or add the required commands to a `sudoers` file. This can
+be done via:
+
+```shell
+limactl sudoers >etc_sudoers.d_lima
+less etc_sudoers.d_lima  # verify that the file looks correct
+sudo install -o root etc_sudoers.d_lima /etc/sudoers.d/lima
+rm etc_sudoers.d_lima
+```
+
 The IP address is automatically assigned by macOS's bootpd.
 If the IP address is not assigned, try the following commands:
 ```bash