[fpc-devel] Linux kernel behaviour change regarding keyboard

Daniël Mantione daniel.mantione at freepascal.org
Wed Jul 18 20:45:12 CEST 2007



Op Wed, 18 Jul 2007, schreef Sergei Gorelkin:

> Jonas Maebe wrote:
> > =

> > On 18 Jul 2007, at 14:08, Jonas Maebe wrote:
> > =

> > > > Install the IDE setuid.
> > > =

> > > That would be an extremely bad idea with the current stability record
> > > of the IDE.
> > =

> > Not to mention that it allows you to open and overwrite any arbitrary
> > file.
> > =

> =

> Looking at that kernel patch, I see that it requires not uid=3D0, but rat=
her
> certain caller's capability present.
> I don't have deep knowledge of the subject, but 'capability' sounds like
> 'privilege' (in Windows terms) for me. If it is so, then probably there i=
s a
> way to solve the problem by assigning the required capability to IDE user=
(s)
> or process.

Yes, you need a certain capability, but in practise this means you must =

be root. This is because:

* You can only drop a capability, not get a capability as a process.
* Root has all capabilities, users don't have any capabilities.

However, there is the SETPCAP capability, where a process can set the =

capabilities of another process. So, a setuid helper program cuild assign =

the needed capability if certain conditions are met. Unfortunately due to =

a security hole SETPCAP has been revoked from even root. Without kernel =

modification this possible solution is unfortunately sabotaged.

Dani=EBl


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