linux-kernel - Re: The state of linux security

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Message-ID: <20080716185703.4c223ed8@the-village.bc.nu>
Date:	Wed, 16 Jul 2008 18:57:03 +0100
From:	Alan Cox <alan@...rguk.ukuu.org.uk>
To:	"Cheradenine Zakalwe" <sc.contact@...il.com>
Cc:	linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org
Subject: Re: The state of linux security

> the relative security of linux and the likely hood that smart people
> are able to cause a bit of mindless vandalism or get up to much worse.

Distributions assign CVE numbers to kernel vulnerabilities. As
distributions like Fedora ship current kernels they provide a pretty
complete summary.

> One more thing I'd like to throw out there on the issue of
> accountability is this:  How do I know that some developers have not
> been paid to specifically introduce some obscure security flaw? 

Wrong question. Thats a very naïve basis for thinking about security. Why
should end users care whether a flaw was added deliberately or by
mistake. What matters is that the flaw is identified. A passive attacker
observing a flaw and using it is at least as dangerous if not more so
than an active attacker.

Alan
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