linux-kernel - Re: ThinkPad T480s & LED_MUTE, LED

lists.openwall.net		lists / announce owl-users owl-dev john-users john-dev passwdqc-users yescrypt popa3d-users / oss-security kernel-hardening musl sabotage tlsify passwords / crypt-dev xvendor / Bugtraq Full-Disclosure linux-kernel linux-netdev linux-ext4 linux-hardening linux-cve-announce PHC
Open Source and information security mailing list archives

Hash Suite: Windows password security audit tool. GUI, reports in PDF.

[<prev] [next>] [<thread-prev] [thread-next>] [day] [month] [year] [list]

Date:   Sat, 16 Jun 2018 11:12:31 -0300
From:   Henrique de Moraes Holschuh <hmh@....eng.br>
To:     Pavel Machek <pavel@....cz>
Cc:     Pali Rohár <pali.rohar@...il.com>,
        Henrique de Moraes Holschuh <ibm-acpi@....eng.br>,
        ibm-acpi-devel@...ts.sourceforge.net,
        platform-driver-x86@...r.kernel.org, linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org
Subject: Re: ThinkPad T480s & LED_MUTE, LED_MICMUTE

On Sat, 16 Jun 2018, Pavel Machek wrote:
> Question is if we want flexibility or security.

For thinkpad-acpi, it is security by default.  Flexibility is allowed as
*compile*-time (Kconfig) option, and only as long as it defaults to
secure *and* the help text is very explicit at instructing distros to
NOT enable this option.

That said, if mic-mute is under HDA mixer control, it will only be
"secure" if ALSA is also blocking userspace access to the relevant bits,
and if that is not possible to do properly, might as well go for
flexibility.  But only in that case.

That would be why I use phisical shutters on embedded webcams unless the
hardware actually airgaps them from the USB bus when the privacy switch
is active.

-- 
  Henrique Holschuh