Re: [Vserver] Half OT: Capabilities!

From: Herbert Poetzl <herbert_at_13thfloor.at>
Date: Wed 26 Jul 2006 - 15:52:36 BST
Message-ID: <20060726145236.GD11859@MAIL.13thfloor.at>

On Sun, Jul 23, 2006 at 03:30:58PM -0300, Sergio Belkin wrote:
> Excuse me for the 1/2 OT but I was searching in the web,
> and I am surprised the little documentation about capabilities.

a quick google search gave those:

http://ftp.kernel.org/pub/linux/libs/security/linux-privs/kernel-2.4/capfaq-0.2.txt
http://www.gentoo.org/proj/en/hardened/capabilities.xml
http://www.securityfocus.com/infocus/1400

> I've read that capabilities is something no so good.

well, I don't know what you did read, but IMHO the
following statements hold some truth:

 - capabilities are a good concept to break down
   super user powers into smaller chunks

 - the posix capability system was designed more
   powerful than the current linux capability
   system implementation

 - giving (too many) capabilities to guests in a
   Linux-VServer system (except for the default set)
   reduces security and is in general considered a
   bad idea :)

> But, however, it seems that on vserver works well.

yes, Linux-VServer uses the capability system to
make the guests 'secure'

> Could somebody explain me why?

why we use it? or why it works quite fine? or what?

> Is all of this a matter of ignorance on this topic?

I don't think so :)

HTH,
Herbert

> TIA
> --
> Sergio Belkin
> Soluciones Informáticas Open Source
> Mandriva Authorized Solutions Provider
> http://www.escritorioya.com.ar (011) 4788-8605 // Cel. 15-5494-5143
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