Re: Legitimate Question

From: jmjonesat_private
Date: Fri Jan 25 2002 - 07:38:14 PST

  • Next message: Stephen Smalley: "Re: Legitimate Question"

    On Fri, 25 Jan 2002 Valdis.Kletnieksat_private wrote:
    
    > As far as /bin/test goes, I think the only security-sane way to do
    > this is to run the configure step using whatever the module's
    > equivalent of the SELinux 'newrole' command.
    
    While this is a good solution, it does imply a certain "commonality" among
    modules.  All modules must support some sort of "newrole" equivalent to 
    be "security-sane."  Perhaps inevitable.
    
    Also, all the things needed by the configure step must be 
    available in the "role".  It occurs to me that it's quite possible that 
    the "final role" that the application will operate under may be far more
    restrictive than this.  For example, it may be necessary to allow
    permission to execute, say, gcc, during the configuration step, do the
    configuration/install, then deny that access in the context where the
    application ultimately operates.  It may therefore not be really testing
    the operating context, but rather the configuration context.
    
    Perhaps I misunderstand "newrole", and if I do I apologize, but thank you
    for setting me on the right track.  It requires new ways of thinking and 
    I suspect it may take a while for application designers to wrap their
    minds around what techniques and documentation will be necessary to
    provide the best possible support.
    
    Not a big problem except for the overhead for the administrator in
    adjusting the context for the application between configuration,
    installation, and operation... which has been pointed out
    as being "the price one pays for security."
    
    Sincerely,
    J. Melvin Jones
    
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