Bug#334113: kernel allows loadkeys to be used by any user, allowing for local root compromise
- To: Rudolf Polzer <debian-ne@durchnull.de>
- Cc: Horms <horms@verge.net.au>, linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org, 334113@bugs.debian.org, Alastair McKinstry <mckinstry@debian.org>, security@kernel.org, team@security.debian.org, secure-testing-team@lists.alioth.debian.org
- Subject: Bug#334113: kernel allows loadkeys to be used by any user, allowing for local root compromise
- From: Krzysztof Halasa <khc@pm.waw.pl>
- Date: Wed, 19 Oct 2005 13:18:32 +0200
- Message-id: <[🔎] m3oe5l21rr.fsf@defiant.localdomain>
- Reply-to: Krzysztof Halasa <khc@pm.waw.pl>, 334113@bugs.debian.org
- In-reply-to: <[🔎] 20051018204919.GA21286%atfield-dt@durchnull.de> (Rudolf Polzer's message of "Tue, 18 Oct 2005 22:49:19 +0200")
- References: <[🔎] E1EQofT-0001WP-00@master.debian.org> <[🔎] 20051018044146.GF23462@verge.net.au> <[🔎] m37jcakhsm.fsf@defiant.localdomain> <[🔎] 20051018171645.GA59028%atfield-dt@durchnull.de> <[🔎] m3fyqyhdm8.fsf@defiant.localdomain> <[🔎] 20051018204919.GA21286%atfield-dt@durchnull.de>
Rudolf Polzer <debian-ne@durchnull.de> writes:
> However, pool computers like in this case are neither servers nor terminals.
> If they were terminals, we would need about 30 servers to handle the load of
> 100 active students. So they are workstation installations that do most of
> the
> work locally.
Ok. So they are exposed to known attacks with quite high probability.
This might be acceptable (as they are student machines) but not secure.
>> Hope they don't change the keys in the process.
>
> They HAVE to do that,
Well, I meant physical keys to match them to loaded keymaps :-)
> Many people here need that, but it's ok for them if it works only in X11
> (most
> of these users don't even know that text consoles exist).
I see. X11 is another story, though.
> However, Xorg and XFree86 have about the same problem: you can remap
> Ctrl-Alt-Backspace. So it would be good if the SAK also worked there which
> would require it to set a "sane" video mode.
I assume that one can notice that Ctrl-Alt-Backspace doesn't work,
and stop there. I think SAK/X11 video mode issue is possible to fix,
though.
--
Krzysztof Halasa
Reply to: