full-disclosure - Re: Linux kernel source archive vulnerable

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Date: Mon, 11 Sep 2006 15:05:32 -0700
From: coderpunk <coderpunk@...il.com>
To: "Gerald (Jerry) Carter" <jerry@...ba.org>
Cc: full-disclosure@...ts.grok.org.uk, bugtraq@...urityfocus.com
Subject: Re: Linux kernel source archive vulnerable

On 9/8/06, Gerald (Jerry) Carter <jerry@...ba.org> wrote:
> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
> Hash: SHA1
>
> Hadmut Danisch wrote:
> > Hi,
> >
> > there's a severe vulnerability in the Linux kernel
> > source code archives:
>
> It is my understanding that the permissions are
> intentionally set that way.
>
> This hash been discussed several times over the
> past year.
>
> http://marc.theaimsgroup.com/?l=linux-kernel&m=114635639325551&w=2
> http://marc.theaimsgroup.com/?l=linux-kernel&m=113304241100330&w=2
>
>

I skimmed them and it doesn't look like anyone has come up with a
reasonable explanation.

> > The Linux kernel is distributed as tar archives
> > in the form of linux-2.6.17.11.tar.bz2 from kernel.org.
> > It is usually unpacked, configured and compiled
> > under /usr/src. Since installing a new kernel
> > requires root privileges, this is usually done as root.
>
> The standard recommendation is to never compile
> the kernel as root.
>
>

Which obviously doesn't help you when a non-root user edits the
kernel, you compile it as 'jerry' but still have to install it as
'root'. You're still hosed.

Is this an artifact of using git? There certainly is NO reason for any
kernel files to be world writable.

.cp

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