Re: Userland encrypted filesystem that root cannot access.

From: Mike A. Harris (mharris@meteng.on.ca)
Date: Sat Feb 19 2000 - 19:58:07 EST


On Sat, 19 Feb 2000, Grendel wrote:

>> > > While mounted? No. Root has access to the entire machine and
>> > Why not? Just never decrypt data on fs read. Feed the client with encrypted
>> > data and leave it to them to decrypt it.
>>
>> root will still be able to do inconvenient things like truss the process
>> thats dealing with the fs, snoop the tty that output is being fed to etc.
>Yes, but none of this will result in the data being revealed, and that was
>what MIke wanted to achieve:
>
>encrypted_file(fs) -> read_encrypted_chunk
>encrypted_chunk -> send_over_encrypted_link
>remote_end -> receive_double_encrypted_data -> decode_the_transmission_data
>encrypted_chunk_decode -> real_data
>
>The data is out of reach of the local root.

True, but the problem is that no remote machine exists. This is
a workstation that is used locally, not via a network. That is a
good solution for the remote case however IMHO.

--
Mike A. Harris                                     Linux advocate     
Computer Consultant                                  GNU advocate  
Capslock Consulting                          Open Source advocate

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