Errors in the FreeBSD handbook (MAC framework)

Borja Marcos borjamar at sarenet.es
Tue May 9 16:22:07 UTC 2006


(crossposted to freebsd-security just in case someone has to slap me) :)


Hello,

I'm doing some work with the MAC subsystem in FreeBSD, and I have  
spotted some errors in the MAC documentation in the handbook.

1- Section 15.14.4. Error in the example dropping users "nagios" and  
"www" into the insecure class. The example uses the command "pw  
usermod nagios -L default" when it should obviously be "pw usermod  
nagios -L insecure". The same holds for the "www" user.

2- Section 15.14.6.

The example script launches the commands "apachectl", and "/usr/local/ 
etc/rc.d/nagios.sh" with the label biba/10, but they should be  
launched with the label biba/10(10-10).

I've defined the "default" login class with a label of "biba/high". I  
login at the machine as root, and...

-----
# getpmac
biba/high(low-high)
# setpmac biba/low getpmac
biba/low(low-high)
# setpmac biba/low setpmac biba/high getpmac
biba/high(low-high)


So, if I launch a process with a "setpmac biba/low", it actually  
inherits a label of "biba/low(high-low)", being able to recover its  
biba/high setting, something that wouldn't be desirable. However,  
launching it with a label of "biba/low(low-low)" effectively  
downgrades the process forever

# setpmac "biba/low(low-low)" getpmac
biba/low(low-low)
# setpmac "biba/low(low-low)" setpmac biba/high getpmac
biba/high: Operation not permitted



Best regards,





Borja.





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