linux-kernel - Re: [patch] Add basic sanity checks to the syscall execution patch

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Date:	Sat, 6 Sep 2008 17:45:51 +0200
From:	Ingo Molnar <mingo@...e.hu>
To:	Willy Tarreau <w@....eu>
Cc:	Benjamin Herrenschmidt <benh@...nel.crashing.org>,
	pageexec@...email.hu, Andi Kleen <andi@...stfloor.org>,
	Arjan van de Ven <arjan@...radead.org>,
	linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org, tglx@...x.de, hpa@...or.com
Subject: Re: [patch] Add basic sanity checks to the syscall execution patch


* Willy Tarreau <w@....eu> wrote:

> Then they will simply proceed like this :
>   - patch /boot/vmlinuz
>   - sync
>   - crash system
> 
> => user says "oh crap" and presses the reset button. Patched kernel boots.
>    Game over. Patching vmlinuz for known targetted distros is even easier
>    because the attacker just has to embed binary changes for the most
>    common distro kernels.

a reboot often raises attention. But yes, in terms of end user boxes, 
probably not. Anyway, my points were about transparent rootkits 
installed on a running system without anyone noticing - obviously if the 
attacker can modify the kernel image and the user does not mind a reboot 
it's game over.

	Ingo
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