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[Xen-devel] Re: Module loading in unpriveledged domains

To: xen-devel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [Xen-devel] Re: Module loading in unpriveledged domains
From: Nuutti Kotivuori <naked@xxxxxx>
Date: Fri, 26 Nov 2004 21:20:33 +0200
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Scott Mohekey wrote:
> So from what I can gather, the user of an unpriveledged domain is
> entirely capable of destroying their own domain?. If this is the
> case, it is entirely acceptable. What I'm more concerned with
> however, is the impact one unpriveledged domain can have on
> another. I don't want one domain able to adversely affect other
> domains running on the node. I understand that the point of weakness
> for this is only xen itself which, being opensource and backed by a
> great community, I am more than comfortable with.

To say it simply:

Module loading _may_ help an attacker circumvent Linux security on the
unpriviledged domain to gain root on the unpriviledged domain. If the
attacker has already gained root access on the unpriviledged domain,
module loading has _no_ effect on trying to adversely affect other
domains running on the node.

So yes, that security is entirely up to Xen - and Xen security is
fundamentally a sound approach, but of course remains to be seen as
the deployment is not extensive.

-- Naked




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