nanog mailing list archives

Re: update


From: Jay Ashworth <jra () baylink com>
Date: Sun, 28 Sep 2014 13:26:33 -0400 (EDT)

----- Original Message -----
From: "Keith Medcalf" <kmedcalf () dessus com>

From: NANOG [mailto:nanog-bounces () nanog org] On Behalf Of
Valdis.Kletnieks () vt edu

On Sat, 27 Sep 2014 21:10:28 -0400, Jay Ashworth said:

I haven't an example case, but it is theoretically possible.

The sendmail setuid bug, where it failed to check the return code
because it was *never* possible for setuid from root to non-root to
fail...
... until the Linux kernel grew new features.

This is another case where a change was made.

If the change had not been made (implement the new kernel) then the
vulnerability would not have been introduced.

The more examples people think they find, the more it proves my
proposition. Vulnerabilities can only be introduced or removed through
change. If there is no change, then the vulnerability profile is
fixed.

[ quoting fixed because you were too lazy ]

We have established, Keith, that you place the boundary of the object
for which an end-deployer has administrative control in a different place
for the purpose of assigning blame than most other people seem to, yes.

The sendmail maintainers are *NOT RESPONSIBLE* for avoiding exploits that
cannot happen in any available or planned deployment environment, nor for
decisions made by the creators of those environments which *cause their
code to become exploitable ex-post-facto*.  That's the point which I see
being made here.  If that's orthogonal to your argument, so be it.

Could we drop this now?

Cheers,
-- jra

-- 
Jay R. Ashworth                  Baylink                       jra () baylink com
Designer                     The Things I Think                       RFC 2100
Ashworth & Associates       http://www.bcp38.info          2000 Land Rover DII
St Petersburg FL USA      BCP38: Ask For It By Name!           +1 727 647 1274


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