stdlib.h is a user space header.
User space is that set of memory locations in which user processes (i.e., everything other than the kernel) run. A process is an executing instance of a program. One of the roles of the kernel is to manage individual user processes within this space and to prevent them from interfering with each other.
Kernel space can be accessed by user processes only through the use of system calls. System calls are requests in a Unix-like operating system by an active process for a service performed by the kernel, such as input/output (I/O) or process creation. An active process is a process that is currently progressing in the CPU, as contrasted with a process that is waiting for its next turn in the CPU. I/O is any program, operation or device that transfers data to or from a CPU and to or from a peripheral device (such as disk drives, keyboards, mice and printers).
Please check KERNEL DIRECTORY/include folder for what headers can be used in kernel space.
There is no alternative to system command.
Once possible solution is that you can create a sys /proc entry from the kernel space to set a flag, from the user space you can check the flag and use system().