From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 From: Patrick McHardy Subject: Re: [RFC] Allowing non-root to get iptables info? Date: Wed, 27 Feb 2008 15:51:20 +0100 Message-ID: <47C578E8.8040800@trash.net> References: <20080225094951.5bd89c9c@extreme> <47C54F14.4010709@trash.net> <20080227123122.GA22353@rere.qmqm.pl> <47C55AFC.7090705@trash.net> <47C55FC5.60607@trash.net> <47C5761E.5070606@netoyen.net> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-15; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Cc: Jozsef Kadlecsik , =?ISO-8859-15?Q?Micha=B3?= =?ISO-8859-15?Q?_Miros=B3aw?= , Netfilter Developer Mailing List , Stephen Hemminger To: mouss Return-path: Received: from viefep18-int.chello.at ([213.46.255.22]:45031 "EHLO viefep16-int.chello.at" rhost-flags-OK-OK-OK-FAIL) by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S1753606AbYB0OvS (ORCPT ); Wed, 27 Feb 2008 09:51:18 -0500 In-Reply-To: <47C5761E.5070606@netoyen.net> Sender: netfilter-devel-owner@vger.kernel.org List-ID: mouss wrote: > Patrick McHardy wrote: >> [Adding Stephen back to CC list] >> >> Jozsef Kadlecsik wrote: >>> I'd be more happy with a module parameter and/or proc switch by which >>> this new feature could be enabled. So backward compatibility could be >>> kept and the users could list the rules only if the system is >>> explicitly configured to allow it. >> >> >> I don't think compatibility is a problem here, lifting this >> restriction can't possibly break anything in userspace. >> >> The question is more whether this causes privacy or other issues, >> if yes, we shouldn't do it, otherwise there's no harm in doing >> in unconditionally. I personally don't see any problems with >> this change. > > > on a server where are allowed to run commands, but we don't want them to > know more than they should, I am not sure one wants them to see the > rules. call it security by obscurity if you like, but some people may > want this. I guess this is what Jozef meant by compatibility (is it > "least surprise"?). Well, yes, the main question is whether this causes privacy issues. "Security by obscurity" is a pretty poor argument, does anyone have a well founded reason for not allowing users to see the rules and counters?