Re: Legitimate Question

From: Seth Arnold (sarnoldat_private)
Date: Thu Jan 24 2002 - 13:50:19 PST

  • Next message: Crispin Cowan: "Re: Legitimate Question"

    On Thu, Jan 24, 2002 at 04:25:26PM -0500, jmjonesat_private wrote:
    > What I'm looking for is a way to install a product on the system that
    > works, rather than a way to bypass security.  Perhaps a small
    > application that ASKS for such a access, or a way for the install code
    > to similarly ask and answer.  If this is well beyond the concept of
    > "security", I understand, but this is the way that INSTALL scripts
    > have worked in the pass.  I'm looking for a new way to do the same
    > thing.
    
    If retaining compatibility with existing applications is an important
    requirement for _your_ security module, _you_ will have to take care
    when implementing your module that you do not arbitrarily break expected
    behavior.
    
    You could write a small wrapper to interface with your security module,
    if you *do* break backwards compatibility, if your module implements
    methods to modify the security environment. Your tool could be like a
    mix of sudo and SuSE's compartment[1], or Norm Hardy's Factory[2], that
    grants privileges to processes as they are started.
    
    If you break backwards compatibility, it ought to be either for a Good
    Reason (the point of your module, perhaps :), or you need to know that
    no applications you are intending to run are going to need that feature,
    or your module should provide an easy back door to traditional
    semantics.
    
    I hope this helps. :)
    
    
    [1]: http://www.suse.de/~marc/compartment.html
    [2]: http://www.cap-lore.com/CapTheory/KK/Patent.html
    
    -- 
    The Bill of Rights: 7 out of 10 rights haven't been sold yet! Contact
    your congressman for details how *you* can buy one today!
    
    
    

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