Re: [saag] [Labeled-nfs] Common labeled security (comment on CALIPSO, labeled NFSv4)

[James Morris <jmorris at namei.org>]

On Wed, 8 Apr 2009, Nicolas Williams wrote:

> > In some ways Smack is even worse. The Smack label contains no
> > actual information, it is just a character string and the access
> > control is left completely up to the access control rules specified
> > on the system. A Smack label from Etienne's system has no intrinsic
> > value on Casey's and give no hint as to how it should be interpreted
> > or enforced.
> 
> Ouch.

It's not a new problem.  On a standard DAC Unix system, what does 'admin' 
mean as the owner of a file?

The reason why labeling protocols were so simple for MLS was that the 
security policy was fixed.  This is also why MLS is useless for most 
people and why we now have TE.


- James
-- 
James Morris
<jmorris at namei.org>