Re: [capabilities] Allow normal inheritance for a configurable set of capabilities

Serge E. Hallyn
2015-02-03T15:55:48Z

Quoting Christoph Lameter (cl@linux.com):
> On Mon, 2 Feb 2015, Serge Hallyn wrote:
>
> > A key concept behind posix capabilities is that the privilege comes from
> > both the person and the file being executed. As you say below basically
> > anything can be executed by the program so that is completely violated.
>
> Well this patch does not change that. Its just that the file being
> executed can inherit the parent caps without having to set caps in the new
> executable.
>
> > Still, it's not that different from mmapping some arbitrary code and
> > jumping into it whlie retaining caps.
>
> Owww. Thats a pretty far jump from what this patch does.

Hm? That's not something about a kernel patch - it's just something you
can do in userspace today to not lose your privilege in several mac
systems.

> > Not saying this is a good idea necessarily, but worth thinking about.
>
> Well we keep on having actual problems with caps for long years now. We
> need a solution. This means a patch that solves the issue.

We've currently got two proposals. (Three includig yours; but I explained my
problem with yours earlier this morning - do appreciate the proposal and
the patch though, really, thanks) It's worth digging into the details of
each, but if they end up complicating things then perhaps "dropping
capabilities and going with something new" ought to be another proposal.