[refpolicy] Allowing aplication to run bin_t

[refpolicy] Allowing aplication to run bin_t

[Nicky726]

Hello,

when writing a policy for Konqueror I came by to an issue 
of allowing it to run an aplication in bin_t (drkonqi).

According to Dominick Grift it is no big deal to allow that
(http://oss.tresys.com/pipermail/refpolicy/2009-
August/001291.html)

So is that considered safe and what would be possible 
security riscs of allowing it?


Thanks for responses,

Ondrej Vadinsky

[refpolicy] Allowing aplication to run bin_t

[Christopher J. PeBenito]

On Thu, 2009-08-20 at 16:14 +0200, Nicky726 wrote:
> when writing a policy for Konqueror I came by to an issue 
> of allowing it to run an aplication in bin_t (drkonqi).
> 
> According to Dominick Grift it is no big deal to allow that
> (http://oss.tresys.com/pipermail/refpolicy/2009-
> August/001291.html)
> 
> So is that considered safe and what would be possible 
> security riscs of allowing it?

The main risk is arbitrary code execution.  Many system programs are
labeled bin_t, and konqueror would be able to execute any of them.
These programs are system binaries, so they should be safe to execute
(few domains can write to bin_t).  They would still be constrained by
konqueror's domain, so the risk depends on how privileged konqueror is.

-- 
Chris PeBenito
Tresys Technology, LLC
(410) 290-1411 x150