Re: [SECURITY] [DSA 1681-1] New Linux 2.6.24 packages fix several vulnerabilities
On Sat, Dec 13, 2008 at 10:38:30AM +0100, Moritz Muehlenhoff wrote:
> On 2008-12-13, Marcin Owsiany <porridge@debian.org> wrote:
> > On Fri, Dec 12, 2008 at 11:37:35AM -0700, dann frazier wrote:
> >> On Fri, Dec 12, 2008 at 08:53:43AM +0000, Marcin Owsiany wrote:
> >> > On Thu, Dec 11, 2008 at 12:11:05PM -0700, dann frazier wrote:
> >> > > On Thu, Dec 11, 2008 at 06:49:59PM +0000, Dominic Hargreaves wrote:
> >> > > > On Thu, Dec 11, 2008 at 11:38:28AM -0700, dann frazier wrote:
> >> > > > > Yes - 2.6.18 is in stable, and as such will be security supported for
> >> > > > > at least another year. Minor/local DoS security issues in the kernel
> >> > > > > are very frequent, so updated packages are constantly in
> >> > > > > preparation. Preparing kernel updates is resource intensive so, unless
> >> > > > > there's a severe issue, etch users should expect 2.6.18 and 2.6.24
> >> > > > > updates to be staggered.
> >> > > >
> >> > > > Yup, that's pretty much what I expected to hear; thanks for confirming.
> >> > > >
> >> > > > May I make a suggestion that you include a comment along these lines in
> >> > > > the advisory texts? It would help reassure users that things haven't been
> >> > > > forgotten about greatly.
> >> > >
> >> > > Yes, this has been a FAQ since the release of etchnhalf. I'll see
> >> > > about adding something to the text template. Does this look ok?
> >> > >
> >> > > Debian 'etch' includes linux kernel packages based upon both the
> >> > > 2.6.18 and 2.6.24 linux releases. All known security issues are
> >> > > carefully tracked against both packages and both packages will
> >> > > receive security updates until security support for Debian 'etch'
> >> > > ceases. However, given the high frequency at which low-severity
> >> > > security issues are discovered in the kernel and the resource
> >> > > requirements of doing an update, non-critical 2.6.18 and 2.6.24
> >> > > updates will typically release in a staggered or "leap-frog"
> >> > > fashion.
> >> >
> >> > I'd suggest you add something more explicit, maybe:
> >> >
> >> > [fashion], that is when higher-severity issues are fixed.
> >> >
> >> > or something similar.
> >>
> >> Well, I don't think that's what I mean. High-severity fixes will
> >> release as soon as possible - likely simultaneously.
> >
> > Well, that is what I meant as well, but my English is apparently not
> > good enough to express it. I think there is a single fact that the
> > reader should get from this:
> >
> > Low severity fixes often wait until there is a need for a high-severity fix.
> >
> > Does that sound better?
>
> Not quite, in case of an emergency release such as the vmsplice issue (where
> the exploit was posted in the wild) the low severity issues will rather
> be postponed to a followup DSA.
I don't think my sentence implies that they never wait _even_ longer
than a high-severity fix. It just states they they wait.
Anyway, all I'm trying to achieve is make that FAQ entry easy to
understand for a non-native English speaker.
--
Marcin Owsiany <porridge@debian.org> http://marcin.owsiany.pl/
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