linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH v2] modsign: use shred to overwrite the private key before deleting it

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Message-ID: <54C38B6D.1060806@ahsoftware.de>
Date:	Sat, 24 Jan 2015 13:09:17 +0100
From:	Alexander Holler <holler@...oftware.de>
To:	linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org
CC:	linux-kbuild@...r.kernel.org, Michal Marek <mmarek@...e.cz>,
	David Howells <dhowells@...hat.com>,
	Linus Torvalds <torvalds@...ux-foundation.org>
Subject: Re: [PATCH v2] modsign: use shred to overwrite the private key before
 deleting it

Am 24.01.2015 um 12:37 schrieb Alexander Holler:
> Am 24.01.2015 um 11:45 schrieb Alexander Holler:
>
>> It uses shred, in the hope it will somedays learn how to shred stuff on
>> FLASH based devices securely too, once that has become possible.
>
> BTW: This is a good example where technology failed to keep the needs of
> users in mind.

Failed completely.

Since ever it's a problem for people to securely delete files on storage.

Also it should be very simple to securely erase files on block based 
devices, people have to try cruel ways in the hope to get securely rid 
of files nobody else should be able to see ever again.

It's almost unbelievable how completely the IT industry (including the 
field I'm working myself: SW) failed in regard to that since 30 years or 
even more.

Regards,

Alexander Holler

>
> It should be relatively easy to make that possible: Using secure trim
> which erases blocks instead of just marking them as free, it should be
> possible without much effort for file systems to implement a secure
> unlink. An obvious name would be sunlink(2). Or does such already exist?
> I've seen secure trim already exists for some devices, but not sunlink().


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