Re: Protecting root security
>Doesn't the fact that I can go to any Linux box with an install disk
or
>cd and gain root access mean that the all Linux systems are
>fundamentally insecure? Perhaps the install process could be
changed
>so that root password, or some other verification system is required,
>before a reinstall is permitted. It is true that compromising a
system
>this way requires unfettered access to the box. However as Linux is
>used more and more in commercial environments this issue will need to
be
>addressed.
If you think about it- this is no different than windows: power off,
insert cdrom or disk one and power on.
I don't think that there is any good answer for this. Workarounds
abound, for the paranoid: you can wire a hidden switch that must be
reset by hand after a power off (uses a small electromagnet to
maintain on status) that controlls power to all drives.
You can lock the computer, so that no one can get to the drives.
You can setup a computer that is not bootable from cdrom, and remove
the floppy drive (install it when you need to do a full
install.)...(and no, I have no idea how to make the cdrom unbootable
on a linux pc. I'll learn sooner or later.)
If someone wants to workaround these safety features, they can
just dismount your hdd and leave, anyway.
Encryption is called for, if you are concerned about the above.
Speaking of which, does anyone know of any KOH-like encryption daemon
programs for linux that work?
The problem with verification shemes for installation is this: What
happens if I copy from a cdrom and diustribute the copies to friends?
How do they get a password? Or is theirs identical to mine?
If you are talking about having a password resident in your boot
sector or some such soft password, I just come in and boot a floppy
that deletes it before loading your system. Sort of.
It's been a few years, and I probably coudn't this stuff without
some serious catching up, but all of the above used to be quite
doable.
Koyote
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