Re: [PATCH] (for 2.3.99pre6) audit_ids system calls

From: Linda Walsh (law@sgi.com)
Date: Tue May 02 2000 - 17:02:06 EST


Alan Curry wrote:

> Linda Walsh writes the following:
> > If we changed the login id to 'root', we'd tend to lose track of who the "real" user was who logged
> >in and "su"ed.
>
> Why do you think the `real uid' is called what it is?

---
    It is fairly trivial to write a suid program that somehow gives one a shell as another password -- no
login or 'su' or password required.  In fact I may *want* something like sendmail to run as my userid
when it runs my mail filter, but that doesn't mean it really is ME running the the program -- it
was run by a deamon.  Same thing with an "suid" program.  It could change my real and effective to
something else.  That doesn't mean I authenticated as that person.

> > Because that IS the real user. If you used su, you REALLY ARE who you su'ed > to. The previous uid is NOT REAL ANYMORE. If you want to believe otherwise, > go ahead and bloat your own kernel, but please quit trying to push that crap > into mine.

--- Your login is *your* identity on your system. Some signons like 'root' are not a person but a 'role' or a way of obtaining privilege. That doesn't mean you are now the *person* named "root" - there ain't such (disregarding anyone who is actually named 'root', but do we really think it that person who has logged on everytime we see a 'root' login? Of course not.) . CAPP requires the audit-id to be tracked corresponding to who was "authenticated" at the point the system went from being "closed" to "opening" an authenticated session. "O_AUDITING" calls for individual accountability (i.e TOE "users") whenever security-relevant actions occur. This component requires every auditable event to be associated with an individual user." [not User ID]

-l

-- Linda Walsh @ SGI | Core Linux - Trust Technology 1200 Crittenden Lane MS:30-3-802 | Voice: (650) 933-5338 Mountain View, CA 94043 | Email: law@sgi.com

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