Should gcc be accessable by others?

[Jerry McAllister]

> 
> Hi:
> 
>  I see that gcc, g++, and other tools are usable by world (others). 
> I was wondering if that is a bad idea as I read here:
> http://www.itworld.com/nl/lnx_sec/09242002/pf_index.html
> 
> that the slapper worm used gcc to compile it's exploit. 
> Excerpt:
> The worm requires gcc to compile the .bugtraq.c file. ....
> 
>  Is it a good idea to change the permisions on the gcc tools to 750 ? I 
> looked through the FreeBSD Handbook and could find no advice on this 
> matter. Also are there other tools that should not be available like 
> strace? How can I find out which ones are potentially exploitable?
> I am a newcomer to FreeBSD and have been using it for less than a year 
> so don't be cross if these questions are naive.

Well, gcc is just a compiler.  It is no more or less likely to be
used to create a worm or virus than any other development tool - and
that includes text editors.   If your users are to be allowed to do 
much of anything on the machine, they can find ways of creating programs.    
If they are of bad will, then they might create bad programs and try
to attack something.   A person doesn't need a compiler to create a
worm, though it might make the work easier.  If a person is determined
enough, they can do it by hand cranking their own binary code.  Not
many people do it now, but we used to have to work in binary machine
code way back in a previous century.   It can still be done if 
someone is of a mind to.   

Anyway, a compiler doesn't give a way for someone to break in to your
system or any others.    Not counting the possibility that the compiler
developer did something stupid, which I suppose is possible, the
compiler is not a hole in the system that can be exploited.  It just
converts someone's program code from one for to another.   Probably 
also, most of those exploits that kiddies can download from the net
are already compiled anyway and don't even need it to be spread
around further.

There are some things like creating accounts and configuring system 
devices that definitely should be limited to root, but unless you are 
providing an Email only service or something like that, you kind of have 
to let your users do real work or there is no reason to have the account 
on the system.  

So, I think worrying about a compiler being available to users on
your system is a red herring.   Fixing that Linux Slapper worm by 
getting rid of the compiler is about like trying to prevent auto theft
by getting rid of automobile assembly lines.  The article mentions other 
more useful precautions to take as well.    Again, almost any piece of 
code could be poorly written and might be a security hole, but that hole 
just needs to be fixed and then it becomes just some more usable utility.

////jerry

> 
>                                  Kind regards,
>                                  Jonathan
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