bugtraq - Re: Hijacking Apache 2 via mod

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Date: Thu, 22 Jan 2004 18:39:35 +0000
From: Ben Laurie <ben@...roup.co.uk>
To: 3APA3A <3APA3A@...URITY.NNOV.RU>
Cc: Steve Grubb <linux_4ever@...oo.com>, bugtraq@...urityfocus.com,
	httpd security <security@...pd.apache.org>
Subject: Re: Hijacking Apache 2 via mod_perl


3APA3A wrote:

> Dear Ben Laurie,
> 
> --Thursday, January 22, 2004, 6:53:01 PM, you wrote to linux_4ever@...oo.com:
> 
> BL> This is not a leak - mod_perl is a module that is compiled into Apache,
> BL> and hence has access to all its resources (including memory). If you
> BL> want to run untrusted Perl, then don't use mod_perl.
> 
> You're  right: mod_perl is inside apache memory space and can access any
> descriptor, so it's impossible to blame apache descriptor is leaked. But
> you're  wrong. mod_perl has access to memory, not perl script. At least,
> it's  possible  to  store  descriptors  table  and  implement  check for
> descriptor  in  every  perl  file/socket  function  inside mod_perl (and
> mod_php  and mod_something) and only allow access to std descriptors and
> to  descriptors open inside same script. The choice is between speed and
> security.

OK, you _might_ be able to do this (but I'll bet you five beers you'll 
never make Perl secure enough to avoid circumvention), and I doubt it'd 
even noticably impact speed. This is not something Apache can fix, though.

Cheers,

Ben.

-- 
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