Re: [PATCH] ptrace: it is fun to strace /sbin/init

From: Pavel Machek
Date: Mon Mar 24 2008 - 18:38:56 EST



> > > @@ -803,6 +803,8 @@ and is between 256 and 4096 characters.
> > > Run specified binary instead of /sbin/init as init
> > > process.
> > >
> > > + init_ptrace [KNL] Allows to ptrace init.
> > > +
> >
> > No words about it being dangerous, but I believe it is.
>
> it is, admin should know what he does,
>
> > If it is not, lets do the patch, but not optional.
>
> This will change the default historical behaviour, I can't predict
> does this matter for (say) SELinux or not. Otherwise I'd personally
> prefer to always allow to ptrace init.
>
> > If it is dangerous, option does not make it better.
>
> ptrace() is always dangerous. ptracer can crash oracle and lose data.
>
> /sbin/init is important, but there are other important (and sometimes
> much more important) services. Why it is so special so that we can't
> debug/strace it?

Maybe. Let's kill /sbin/init protection in 2.6.26. But making it
optional is wrong.
Pavel
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