new: add config options and docs for capture feature

Signed-off-by: Leonardo Grasso <me@leonardograsso.com>
This commit is contained in:
Leonardo Grasso 2025-07-18 13:00:55 +02:00 committed by poiana
parent bff2f619df
commit 5ebfa1b05b
3 changed files with 161 additions and 70 deletions

View File

@ -83,7 +83,6 @@
#
# For more info, please take a look at the proposal: https://github.com/falcosecurity/falco/blob/master/proposals/20231220-features-adoption-and-deprecation.md.
################################
# Falco command-line arguments #
################################
@ -95,11 +94,10 @@
# three config options (`json_output`, `log_level`, and
# `engine.kind`) are passed as command-line
# arguments with their corresponding values: falco -o "json_output=true"
# -o "log_level=debug" -o "engine.kind=kmod"
# -o "log_level=debug" -o "engine.kind=kmod"
# Please note that command-line arguments take precedence over the options
# specified in this config file.
###############################
# Falco environment variables #
###############################
@ -108,7 +106,7 @@
#
# - HOST_ROOT: Specifies the prefix to the underlying host `/proc` filesystem
# when deploying Falco over a container with read-only host mounts instead of
# directly on the host. Defaults to "/host".
# directly on the host. Defaults to "/host".
#
# - FALCO_HOSTNAME: Customize the hostname output field logged by Falco by
# setting the "FALCO_HOSTNAME" environment variable.
@ -119,17 +117,16 @@
#
# - SKIP_DRIVER_LOADER is used by the Falco fat image to skip the driver loading part.
#
# - FALCO_FRONTEND is useful when set to noninteractive to skip the dialog choice during
# - FALCO_FRONTEND is useful when set to noninteractive to skip the dialog choice during
# the installation of Falco deb/rpm packages. This setting is somewhat similar to DEBIAN_FRONTEND.
#
# - FALCO_DRIVER_CHOICE is useful when set to kmod, ebpf, or modern_ebpf (matching the names
# used in engine.kind in the Falco config) during the installation of Falco deb/rpm packages.
# - FALCO_DRIVER_CHOICE is useful when set to kmod, ebpf, or modern_ebpf (matching the names
# used in engine.kind in the Falco config) during the installation of Falco deb/rpm packages.
# It skips the dialog choice but retains the driver configuration.
#
# - FALCOCTL_ENABLED is useful when set to 'no' during the installation of Falco deb/rpm packages,
# - FALCOCTL_ENABLED is useful when set to 'no' during the installation of Falco deb/rpm packages,
# disabling the automatic artifacts followed by falcoctl.
###############################
# Falco config files settings #
###############################
@ -168,7 +165,6 @@ config_files:
#- path: $HOME/falco_local_configs/
# strategy: add-only
# [Stable] `watch_config_files`
#
# Falco monitors configuration and rules files for changes and automatically
@ -213,14 +209,14 @@ watch_config_files: true
# By arranging the order of files and rules thoughtfully, you can ensure that
# desired customizations and rule behaviors are prioritized and applied as
# intended.
#
# With Falco 0.36 and beyond, it's now possible to apply multiple rules that match
# the same event type, eliminating concerns about rule prioritization based on the
#
# With Falco 0.36 and beyond, it's now possible to apply multiple rules that match
# the same event type, eliminating concerns about rule prioritization based on the
# "first match wins" principle. However, enabling the `all` matching option may result
# in a performance penalty. We recommend carefully testing this alternative setting
# in a performance penalty. We recommend carefully testing this alternative setting
# before deploying it in production. Read more under the `rule_matching` configuration.
#
# Since Falco 0.41 only files with .yml and .yaml extensions are considered,
# Since Falco 0.41 only files with .yml and .yaml extensions are considered,
# including directory contents. This means that you may specify directories that
# contain yaml files for rules and other files which will be ignored.
rules_files:
@ -325,7 +321,7 @@ rules_files:
# However, in most cases, these constraints do not pose a limitation, and all
# indexes from 1 to 10 can be used. You can check your system's page size using
# the Falco `--page-size` command-line option.
#
#
# --- [Suggestions]
#
# The buffer size was previously fixed at 8 MB (index 4). You now have the
@ -416,13 +412,13 @@ rules_files:
# compared to the other two drivers (bpf and kernel module). However, you have
# the flexibility to experiment and find the optimal configuration for your
# system.
#
#
# When considering a fixed buf_size_preset and a fixed buffer dimension:
# - Increasing this configs value results in lower number of buffers and you can
# speed up your system and reduce memory usage
# - However, using too few buffers may increase contention in the kernel,
# leading to a slowdown.
#
#
# If you have low event throughputs and minimal drops, reducing the number of
# buffers (higher `cpus_for_each_buffer`) can lower the memory footprint.
#
@ -452,6 +448,75 @@ engine:
# is the one usually passed to 'runsc --root' flag.
root: ""
##################
# Falco captures #
##################
# [Sandbox] `capture`
#
# --- [Description]
#
# Falco captures allow you to record events and their associated data for
# later analysis. This feature is particularly useful for debugging and
# forensics purposes.
#
# Captures operate in two modes:
#
# 1. `rules`: Captures events only when specific rules are triggered.
# Enable capturing for individual rules by adding `capture: true` to the rule.
#
# 2. `all_rules`: Captures events when any enabled rule is triggered.
#
# When a capture starts, Falco records events from the moment the triggering rule
# fires until the deadline is reached. The deadline is determined by the rule's
# `capture_duration` if specified, otherwise the `default_duration` is used.
# If additional rules trigger during an active capture, the deadline is extended
# accordingly. Once the deadline expires, the capture stops and data is written
# to a file. Subsequent captures create new files with unique names.
#
# Captured data is stored in files with a `.scap` extension, which can be
# analyzed later using:
# falco -o engine.kind=replay -o replay.capture_file=/path/to/file.scap
#
# --- [Usage]
#
# Enable captures by setting `capture.enabled` to `true`.
#
# Configure `capture.path_prefix` to specify where capture files are stored.
# Falco generates unique filenames based on timestamp and event number for
# proper ordering. For example, with `path_prefix: /tmp/falco`, files are
# named like `/tmp/falco_00000001234567890_00000000000000042.scap`.
#
# Use `capture.mode` to choose between `rules` and `all_rules` modes.
#
# Set `capture.default_duration` to define the default capture duration
# in milliseconds.
#
# --- [Suggestion]
#
# When using `mode: rules`, configure individual rules to enable capture by
# adding `capture: true` and optionally `capture_duration` to specific rules.
# For example:
#
# - rule: Suspicious File Access
# desc: Detect suspicious file access patterns
# condition: >
# open_read and fd.name startswith "/etc/"
# output: >
# Suspicious file access (user=%user.name command=%proc.cmdline file=%fd.name)
# priority: WARNING
# capture: true
# capture_duration: 10000 # Capture for 10 seconds when this rule triggers
#
# This configuration will capture events for 10 seconds whenever the
# "Suspicious File Access" rule is triggered, overriding the default duration.
capture:
enabled: false
path_prefix: /tmp/falco
mode: rules # or "all_rules"
default_duration: 5000 # in milliseconds
#################
# Falco plugins #
#################
@ -483,9 +548,9 @@ engine:
#
# Disabled by default, indicated by an empty `load_plugins` list. Each plugin meant
# to be enabled needs to be listed as explicit list item.
#
#
# For example, if you want to use the `k8saudit` plugin,
# ensure it is configured appropriately and then change this to:
# ensure it is configured appropriately and then change this to:
# load_plugins: [k8saudit, json]
load_plugins: []
@ -591,12 +656,12 @@ json_include_tags_property: true
# [Stable] `buffered_outputs`
#
# Global buffering option for output channels. When disabled, the output channel
# that supports buffering flushes the output buffer on every alert. This can lead to
# increased CPU usage but is useful when piping outputs to another process or script.
# Buffering is currently supported by `file_output`, `program_output`, and `std_output`.
# Some output channels may implement buffering strategies you cannot control.
# Additionally, this setting is separate from the `output_queue` option. The output queue
# sits between the rule engine and the output channels, while output buffering occurs
# that supports buffering flushes the output buffer on every alert. This can lead to
# increased CPU usage but is useful when piping outputs to another process or script.
# Buffering is currently supported by `file_output`, `program_output`, and `std_output`.
# Some output channels may implement buffering strategies you cannot control.
# Additionally, this setting is separate from the `output_queue` option. The output queue
# sits between the rule engine and the output channels, while output buffering occurs
# afterward once the specific channel implementation outputs the formatted message.
buffered_outputs: false
@ -605,15 +670,15 @@ buffered_outputs: false
# The `rule_matching` configuration key's values are:
# - `first`: Falco stops checking conditions of rules against upcoming event
# at the first matching rule
# - `all`: Falco will continue checking conditions of rules even if a matching
# - `all`: Falco will continue checking conditions of rules even if a matching
# one was already found
#
# Rules conditions are evaluated in the order they are defined in the rules files.
# For this reason, when using `first` as value, only the first defined rule will
# For this reason, when using `first` as value, only the first defined rule will
# trigger, possibly shadowing other rules.
# In case `all` is used as value, rules still trigger in the order they were
# defined.
#
#
# Effectively, with this setting, it is now possible to apply multiple rules that match
# the same event type. This eliminates concerns about rule prioritization based on the
# "first match wins" principle. However, enabling the `all` matching option may result in
@ -629,15 +694,15 @@ rule_matching: first
# On a healthy system with optimized Falco rules, the queue should not fill up.
# If it does, it is most likely happening due to the entire event flow being too slow,
# indicating that the server is under heavy load.
#
# `capacity`: the maximum number of items allowed in the queue is determined by this value.
# Setting the value to 0 (which is the default) is equivalent to keeping the queue unbounded.
# In other words, when this configuration is set to 0, the number of allowed items is
#
# `capacity`: the maximum number of items allowed in the queue is determined by this value.
# Setting the value to 0 (which is the default) is equivalent to keeping the queue unbounded.
# In other words, when this configuration is set to 0, the number of allowed items is
# effectively set to the largest possible long value, disabling this setting.
#
# In the case of an unbounded queue, if the available memory on the system is consumed,
# the Falco process would be OOM killed. When using this option and setting the capacity,
# the current event would be dropped, and the event loop would continue. This behavior mirrors
#
# In the case of an unbounded queue, if the available memory on the system is consumed,
# the Falco process would be OOM killed. When using this option and setting the capacity,
# the current event would be dropped, and the event loop would continue. This behavior mirrors
# kernel-side event drops when the buffer between kernel space and user space is full.
outputs_queue:
capacity: 0
@ -660,7 +725,7 @@ outputs_queue:
# `tags`: append output only to rules that have all of the specified tags
# If none of the above are specified (or `match` is omitted)
# output is appended to all events.
# If more than one match condition is specified output will be appended to events
# If more than one match condition is specified output will be appended to events
# that match all conditions.
# And several options to add output:
# `extra_output`: add output to the Falco message
@ -671,7 +736,7 @@ outputs_queue:
# `suggested_output`: automatically append fields that are suggested to rules output
#
# Example:
#
#
# append_output:
# - match:
# source: syscall
@ -805,7 +870,6 @@ program_output:
grpc_output:
enabled: false
##########################
# Falco exposed services #
##########################
@ -817,7 +881,7 @@ grpc_output:
# ensures secure communication
# 2. Local Unix socket binding with no authentication. By default, the
# gRPCserver in Falco is turned off with no enabled services (see
# `grpc_output`setting).
# `grpc_output`setting).
#
# To configure the gRPC server in Falco, you can make the following changes to
# the options:
@ -895,7 +959,6 @@ webserver:
ssl_enabled: false
ssl_certificate: /etc/falco/falco.pem
##############################################################################
# Falco logging / alerting / metrics related to software functioning (basic) #
##############################################################################
@ -935,7 +998,6 @@ libs_logger:
enabled: true
severity: info
#################################################################################
# Falco logging / alerting / metrics related to software functioning (advanced) #
#################################################################################
@ -1090,7 +1152,7 @@ syscall_event_drops:
#
# Time durations are specified as a number, followed immediately by one of the
# following units:
#
#
# ms - millisecond
# s - second
# m - minute
@ -1104,7 +1166,7 @@ syscall_event_drops:
# A minimum interval of 100ms is enforced for metric collection. However, for
# production environments, we recommend selecting one of the following intervals
# for optimal monitoring:
#
#
# 15m
# 30m
# 1h
@ -1128,20 +1190,20 @@ syscall_event_drops:
# number of CPUs to determine overall usage. Memory metrics are provided in raw
# units (`kb` for `RSS`, `PSS` and `VSZ` or `bytes` for `container_memory_used`)
# and can be uniformly converted to megabytes (MB) using the
# `convert_memory_to_mb` functionality. In environments such as Kubernetes when
# deployed as daemonset, it is crucial to track Falco's container memory usage.
# To customize the path of the memory metric file, you can create an environment
# variable named `FALCO_CGROUP_MEM_PATH` and set it to the desired file path. By
# default, Falco uses the file `/sys/fs/cgroup/memory/memory.usage_in_bytes` to
# monitor container memory usage, which aligns with Kubernetes'
# `container_memory_working_set_bytes` metric. Finally, we emit the overall host
# CPU and memory usages, along with the total number of processes and open file
# descriptors (fds) on the host, obtained from the proc file system unrelated to
# Falco's monitoring. These metrics help assess Falco's usage in relation to the
# `convert_memory_to_mb` functionality. In environments such as Kubernetes when
# deployed as daemonset, it is crucial to track Falco's container memory usage.
# To customize the path of the memory metric file, you can create an environment
# variable named `FALCO_CGROUP_MEM_PATH` and set it to the desired file path. By
# default, Falco uses the file `/sys/fs/cgroup/memory/memory.usage_in_bytes` to
# monitor container memory usage, which aligns with Kubernetes'
# `container_memory_working_set_bytes` metric. Finally, we emit the overall host
# CPU and memory usages, along with the total number of processes and open file
# descriptors (fds) on the host, obtained from the proc file system unrelated to
# Falco's monitoring. These metrics help assess Falco's usage in relation to the
# server's workload intensity.
#
# `state_counters_enabled`: Emit counters related to Falco's state engine, including
# added, removed threads or file descriptors (fds), and failed lookup, store, or
# `state_counters_enabled`: Emit counters related to Falco's state engine, including
# added, removed threads or file descriptors (fds), and failed lookup, store, or
# retrieve actions in relation to Falco's underlying process cache table (threadtable).
#
# `kernel_event_counters_enabled`: Emit kernel side event and drop counters, as
@ -1168,9 +1230,9 @@ syscall_event_drops:
# beneficial for exploring the data schema and ensuring that fields with empty
# values are included in the output.
#
# `plugins_metrics_enabled`: Falco can now expose your custom plugins'
# metrics. Please note that if the respective plugin has no metrics implemented,
# there will be no metrics available. In other words, there are no default or
# `plugins_metrics_enabled`: Falco can now expose your custom plugins'
# metrics. Please note that if the respective plugin has no metrics implemented,
# there will be no metrics available. In other words, there are no default or
# generic plugin metrics at this time. This may be subject to change.
#
# `jemalloc_stats_enabled`: Falco can now expose jemalloc related stats.
@ -1183,7 +1245,7 @@ syscall_event_drops:
metrics:
enabled: false
interval: 1h
# Typically, in production, you only use `output_rule` or `output_file`, but not both.
# Typically, in production, you only use `output_rule` or `output_file`, but not both.
# However, if you have a very unique use case, you can use both together.
# Set `webserver.prometheus_metrics_enabled` for Prometheus output.
output_rule: true
@ -1336,16 +1398,16 @@ base_syscalls:
#
# `thread_table_size`
#
# Set the maximum number of entries (the absolute maximum value can only be MAX UINT32)
# for Falco's internal threadtable (process cache). Please note that Falco operates at a
# granular level, focusing on individual threads. Falco rules reference the thread leader
# as the process. The size of the threadtable should typically be much higher than the
# number of currently alive processes. The default value should work well on modern
# Set the maximum number of entries (the absolute maximum value can only be MAX UINT32)
# for Falco's internal threadtable (process cache). Please note that Falco operates at a
# granular level, focusing on individual threads. Falco rules reference the thread leader
# as the process. The size of the threadtable should typically be much higher than the
# number of currently alive processes. The default value should work well on modern
# infrastructures and be sufficient to absorb bursts.
#
# Reducing its size can help in better memory management, but as a consequence, your
# process tree may be more frequently disrupted due to missing threads. You can explore
# `metrics.state_counters_enabled` to measure how the internal state handling is performing,
# Reducing its size can help in better memory management, but as a consequence, your
# process tree may be more frequently disrupted due to missing threads. You can explore
# `metrics.state_counters_enabled` to measure how the internal state handling is performing,
# and the fields called `n_drops_full_threadtable` or `n_store_evts_drops` will inform you
# if you should increase this value for optimal performance.
#

View File

@ -74,6 +74,12 @@ const char rule_schema_string[] = LONG_STRING_CONST(
"priority": {
"$ref": "#/definitions/Priority"
},
"capture": {
"type": "boolean"
},
"capture_duration": {
"type": "integer"
},
"source": {
"type": "string"
},

View File

@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
/*
Copyright (C) 2024 The Falco Authors.
Copyright (C) 2025 The Falco Authors.
Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@ -311,6 +311,29 @@ const char config_schema_string[] = LONG_STRING_CONST(
}
}
},
"Capture": {
"type": "object",
"additionalProperties": false,
"properties": {
"enabled": {
"type": "boolean"
},
"path_prefix": {
"type": "string"
},
"mode": {
"type": "string",
"enum": [
"rules",
"all_rules"
]
},
"default_duration": {
"type": "integer"
}
},
"title": "Capture"
},
"BaseSyscalls": {
"type": "object",
"additionalProperties": false,