Re: Using fs views to isolate untrusted processes: I need an assistant architect in the USA for Phase I of a DARPA funded linux kernel project

[Hans Reiser <reiser@namesys.com>]

Christian Mayrhuber wrote:

>On Monday 02 August 2004 19:29, Hubert Chan wrote:
>  
>
>>>>>>>"Christian" == Christian Mayrhuber <christian.mayrhuber@gmx.net>
>>>>>>>writes:
>>>>>>>              
>>>>>>>
>>Christian> Linux VServer might be a project that already tries to
>>Christian> accomplish this task.
>>
>>After poking around the linux-veserver.org page, it sounds like Linux
>>VServer is completely different from what Hans/Namesys is trying to do.
>>Linux VServer still uses chroot.  From what I understand about views,
>>you don't need to set up a chroot; applications run under the same
>>filesystem as everything else.  You just need to, for example, say that
>>apache is allowed to read from /etc/apache/*, /var/www, /usr/lib, etc.,
>>and is allowed to write to /var/log/apache/*.  Then, even though apache
>>is running under the same filesystem, it won't even be able to see, say
>>/etc/passwd.
>>    
>>
>Yes, you are right, after reading Hans writeup on the homepage it's clear to 
>me. Views will be definitely very handy. Process Oriented Security seems to 
>be a rather complicated task to administer - it reads like tripwire 
>configuration.
>
>The vserver project has similiar goals:
> - ease administration
> - higher security
>
>chroot() + a marker is still used, because there is nothing better available 
>today ...
>Process separation is accomplished by attaching a context number to every 
>process. Processes with a higher context number than 1 are jailed in their 
>root directory. The network interfaces, process RAM, CPU and disk quota usage 
>is also bound to the same number.
>You can give a "view" to the world outside the chroot() jail by using
>"mount --bind" in the pre-start phase of the vserver.
>
>The views and process oriented security concepts seem to be orthogonal to 
>linux vserver.
>
>  
>
Perhaps we will be a tool verver will find useful.