Re: Need some security advice for systemtap

[David Smith <dsmith at redhat dot com>]

Thanks for the response.  See stuff below.

Pavel Kankovsky wrote:
> On Mon, 4 Jun 2007, David Smith wrote:
>
> > One of the complaints we get from users is that we require root access
> > (using sudo) to install/remove the kernel module.  Large enterprise
> > customers typically don't give out sudo access to all admins.  So, they
> > would like a way to designate certain scripts/modules as "blessed", and
> > allow admins/developers/etc. without root access to run those "blessed"
> > scripts/modules.
>
> The easiest way to designate a certain script as "blessed" (and quite
> difficult to goof it up) is to let a trusted user take the source of the
> script, check it, make a kernel module, and install it into a designated
> directory on the target system (or systems), perhaps under
> "/lib/modules/$version".

That's my current thinking.  Seems easier from a user's point of view 
and less fragile from a security point of view.

> If you are afraid of allowing "untrusted admins" run "sudo modprobe
> the_probe" (but not afraid of allowing to run your own setuid root
> program) you can create something like "sustaprun" that will make it
> possible to load blessed modules (from the designated directory) only.

That's also my current thinking.  I'm trying to prototype this now.

--
David Smith
dsmith@redhat.com
Red Hat
http://www.redhat.com
256.217.0141 (direct)
256.837.0057 (fax)