Re: [RFC] [PATCH] file posix capabilities

From: Serge E. Hallyn
Date: Tue Aug 15 2006 - 23:21:42 EST


Quoting Albert Cahalan (acahalan@xxxxxxxxx):
> Casey Schaufler writes:
> >--- "Serge E. Hallyn" <serue@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> >>+ bprm->cap_effective = fscaps[0];
> >>+ bprm->cap_inheritable = fscaps[1];
> >>+ bprm->cap_permitted = fscaps[2];
> >
> >It does not appear that you're attempting
> >to maintain the POSIX exec semantics for
> >capability sets. (If you're doing it
> >elsewhere in the code, nevermind) I don't
> >know if this is intentional or not.
>
> Stop right there. No such POSIX semantics exist.
> There is no POSIX standard for this. Out in the
> wild there are numerous dangerously incompatible
> ideas about this concept:
>
> a. SGI IRIX, and one draft of a failed POSIX proposal
> b. Linux (half done), and a very different draft
> c. DG-UX, which actually had a workable system
> d. Solaris, which is workable and getting used
>
> My rant from 4 years ago mostly applies today.
> http://lkml.org/lkml/2003/10/22/135
>
> (yes, we have a lame SGI-style set of bits with
> a set of equations that is not compatible)
>
> Something has changed though: people are actually
> using this type of thing on Solaris. Probably the
> sanest thing to do is to copy Solaris: equations,
> tools, set of bits, #define names, API, etc. Just
> let Sun be the standard, and semi-portable apps
> will be able to use the feature. Cross-platform
> admins will be very grateful for the consistency.

Does anyone have a security/solaris_prm.ko module they've
been quietly working on or using?

(given the number of fscaps patches out there, it seems a
reasonable question)

thanks,
-serge
-
To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in
the body of a message to majordomo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html
Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/