Messages in this thread | | | From | thomasz@hostmast ... | Date | Tue, 8 Dec 1998 00:33:47 +0100 | Subject | Re: Linux login security approaches |
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> Some hours ago we had a discuss on Linux security, here at the University. > I mentioned that Linux has got a weak point : every user can write a fake > login program and even the system administrator can think that it's mgetty > and type the root password :( This kind of Trojan programs can be preceded. > We should define a key combination which is unmaskable by ANY process, and > login procedures should begin by pressing this combo. However I was told that > this is "an NT way" solution, but I disagree. (I don't know anything on > NT before I've hopefully never used it :) But the idea is great. The fact
This is a required feature for C2 level security certification. Microsoft used to use the Ctrl-Alt-Del combo in Windows NT because it triggers an unmaskable interrupt. This feature will be gone in Windows NT Workstation 5.0 (2000). I believe that linux can do special processing for any combo. You could either use existing Magic SysRQ functionality: Alr-SysRq-k or write a simple program which captures the Ctrl-Alt-Del combo via init and kills all processes assigned to the current VC (don´t know how to figure out). In either way you introduce a big insecurity because programs like vlock or xlock won´t be reliable any longer (the same problem as in Win3 beta).
Thomas
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