linux-kernel - Re: [RFC] Second attempt at kernel secure boot support

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Date:	Fri, 02 Nov 2012 01:49:25 -0700
From:	ebiederm@...ssion.com (Eric W. Biederman)
To:	Matthew Garrett <mjg59@...f.ucam.org>
Cc:	Alan Cox <alan@...rguk.ukuu.org.uk>,
	James Bottomley <James.Bottomley@...senPartnership.com>,
	Eric Paris <eparis@...isplace.org>,
	Jiri Kosina <jkosina@...e.cz>, Oliver Neukum <oneukum@...e.de>,
	Chris Friesen <chris.friesen@...band.com>,
	Josh Boyer <jwboyer@...il.com>, linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org,
	linux-security-module@...r.kernel.org, linux-efi@...r.kernel.org
Subject: Re: [RFC] Second attempt at kernel secure boot support

Matthew Garrett <mjg59@...f.ucam.org> writes:

> On Thu, Nov 01, 2012 at 09:58:17PM +0000, Alan Cox wrote:
>> On Thu, 1 Nov 2012 21:34:52 +0000
>> Matthew Garrett <mjg59@...f.ucam.org> wrote:
>> > I think you've misunderstood. Blacklist updates are append only.
>> 
>> I think you've misunderstood - thats a technical detail that merely
>> alters the cost to the people who did something improper.
>
> Winning a case is cold comfort if your software has been uninstallable 
> for the years it took to get through the courts. If others want to take 
> that risk, fine.

When the goal is to secure Linux I don't see how any of this helps.
Windows 8 compromises are already available so if we turn most of these
arguments around I am certain clever attackers can go through windows to
run compromised kernel on a linux system, at least as easily as the
reverse.

Short of instructing UEFI to stop trusting the Microsoft signing key I
don't see any of the secureboot dance gaining any security of computers
running linux or security from keys being revoked for non-sense reasons.

Eric
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