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Message-Id: <20070731214931.8d05f367.akpm@linux-foundation.org>
Date:	Tue, 31 Jul 2007 21:49:31 -0700
From:	Andrew Morton <akpm@...ux-foundation.org>
To:	Frank Benkstein <frank-lkml@...kstein.net>
Cc:	linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org
Subject: Re: VT_PROCESS, VT_LOCKSWITCH capabilities

On Wed, 01 Aug 2007 00:22:38 +0200 Frank Benkstein <frank-lkml@...kstein.net> wrote:

> I wonder why there are different permissions needed for VT_PROCESS
> (access to the current virtual console) and VT_LOCKSWITCH
> (CAP_SYS_TTY_CONFIG).
> 
> The first one lets the calling process decide if console switching is
> allowed, the second one simply disables it.  If a program wants to
> forbid console switching the only technical difference I can see is that
> switching is automatically reenabled when the program exits when using
> VT_PROCESS.  When using VT_LOCKSWITCH it must be manually reenabled.
> When the program uses the first method and disables terminal signals and
> SysRQ is disabled, too, I see no practical difference between the two.

It'd take some kernel archaeology to work out how things got the way they
are.

Perhaps the issue with VT_LOCKSWITCH is that its effects will persist after
the user has logged out?  So user A is effectively altering user B's
console, hence suitable capabilities are needed?

Is the current code actually causing any observable problem?
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