Re: [PATCH 3/3] sysctl: Error on bad sysctl tables

From: Eric W. Biederman
Date: Thu Aug 09 2007 - 22:35:38 EST


YOSHIFUJI Hideaki / 吉藤英明 <yoshfuji@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> writes:

> Hello.
>
> In article <m1hcn8a2rq.fsf_-_@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> (at Thu, 09 Aug 2007
> 14:09:29 -0600), ebiederm@xxxxxxxxxxxx (Eric W. Biederman) says:
>
>> After going through the kernels sysctl tables several times it has
>> become clear that code review and testing is just not effective in
>> prevent problematic sysctl tables from being used in the stable
>> kernel. I certainly can't seem to fix the problems as fast as
>> they are introduced.
> :
>> The biggest part of the code is the table of valid binary sysctl
>> entries, but since we have frozen our set of binary sysctls this table
>> should not need to change, and it makes it much easier to detect
>> when someone unintentionally adds a new binary sysctl value.
>
> I don't think everyone needs to have this code, so
> it is better to make it configurable via
> CONFIG_SYSCTL_DEBUG or something..., ...no?

I wouldn't reject such a patch. We are a ways out from the next
stable kernel merge window and I'd love to see what else falls out so
I'd like to have it on by default for a bit.

Eric
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