[<prev] [next>] [<thread-prev] [thread-next>] [day] [month] [year] [list]
Date: Thu, 18 Feb 2010 22:15:00 +0100
From: "Bernhard R. Link" <brlink@...ian.org>
To: oss-security@...ts.openwall.com
Subject: Re: CVE request: kernel information leak via
userspace USB interface
* Eugene Teo <eugene@...hat.com> [100218 02:09]:
> Hi Marcus,
>
> On 02/17/2010 06:29 PM, Marcus Meissner wrote:
>> While programming a USB device using libusb I found that a usb read from
>> the device returned data it should not.
> [...]
>> Access to USB userspace devices either requires root access or desktop user access
>> via udev/hal ACLs on non-mass-storage Digital Cameras or Media Players. (So the
>> desktop user needs to plugin such a ACL getting device before being able
>> to read the memory).
>
> To abuse this, you will need physical access to plug in a USB device, so
> I do not think this should be regarded as a security issue.
- What about users that already have such a device pluged in?
- Just because someone has access to your hardware does not mean
they should have total control. Computer cases can be locked,
even put in other rooms with only monitor and usb ports (and
keyboard and mouse in usb) available to people that should only
have user rights and not root rights.
You can have employees/cameras to look users are not using drilling
machines on the cases or open the keyboards to add chips.
But you can hardly stop people from plugging in devices. (And I think
studies show that if you add any device on the street, people finding
them will plug them into their computer as the first thing they do).
It might be a minor issue or something not worth issuing a id, but a
security issue it is.
Bernhard R. Link
Powered by blists - more mailing lists
Please check out the
Open Source Software Security Wiki, which is counterpart to this
mailing list.
Confused about mailing lists and their use?
Read about mailing lists on Wikipedia
and check out these
guidelines on proper formatting of your messages.
