linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH 1/2] file capabilities: add no_file

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Message-ID: <20080922215032.GB502@us.ibm.com>
Date:	Mon, 22 Sep 2008 16:50:32 -0500
From:	"Serge E. Hallyn" <serue@...ibm.com>
To:	Andreas Gruenbacher <agruen@...e.de>
Cc:	Stephen Smalley <sds@...ho.nsa.gov>,
	lkml <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>,
	linux-security-module@...r.kernel.org,
	James Morris <jmorris@...hat.com>,
	Andrew Morgan <morgan@...nel.org>,
	Andrew Morton <akpm@...l.org>,
	Chris Wright <chrisw@...s-sol.org>
Subject: Re: [PATCH 1/2] file capabilities: add no_file_caps switch (v2)

Quoting Andreas Gruenbacher (agruen@...e.de):
> On Monday 22 September 2008 21:16:04 Stephen Smalley wrote:
> > On Mon, 2008-09-22 at 13:48 -0500, Serge E. Hallyn wrote:
> > > (Resend of two patches from late August.  If noone objects, would it be
> > > possible to see this pair take a turn in security-testing?)
> > >
> > > Add a no_file_caps boot option when file capabilities are
> > > compiled into the kernel (CONFIG_SECURITY_FILE_CAPABILITIES=y).
> >
> > Is there a reason you didn't just use a filecaps=0/1 approach ala the
> > selinux= boot parameter?  And let the default value be selectable as
> > well?
> 
> Sure, that would work as well, except that I think that file capabilities 
> should always default to "on" as they will become a standard security 
> mechanism before long. We just don't have much system management tool support 
> yet, and I would like to give that some more time safely, without putting 
> users at unnecessary risk.
> 
> I think we could get rid of the command line option again in a year or two ...
> 
> > Seems a bit confusing to offer a no_file_caps option with different
> > behavior than disabling it at build time.
> 
> I agree. These other behaviorial changes should not depend on 
> CONFIG_SECURITY_FILE_CAPABILITIES; the old behavior should just be fixed 
> instead.

That of course would be the point of the patch 3/3, which removes
CONFIG_SECURITY_FILE_CAPABILITIES as a config option.  Should I
do that when I redo the patch as per Stephen's suggestion to
use filecaps=0/1?

thanks,
-serge
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