Messages in this thread | | | Date | Thu, 08 Aug 2002 11:02:52 +0200 | From | Helge Hafting <> | Subject | Re: [2.6] The List, pass #2 |
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Pavel Machek wrote:
> > Lots of other bootup initialization, like DHCP, > > might move to userspace as well. This gives a smaller > > and safer kernel. > > Why *safer*? Partition (,DHCP,..) code is ran once at boot. It is hard for > it to harm security.
I wouldn't worry about partition detection, but network stuff is always risky. A "bad guy" could listen for DHCP and try to fake a response or do a buffer overflow.
Userspace programs are supposedly easier to fix, and a messed-up userspace isn't quite as bad as a messed up kernel when an attacker tries to get in.
I think kernel simplicity is the main driving factor here though. Things that _can_ be done in userspace without major trouble should be done in userspace. And of course there's embedded users who actually want to save the space currently used by partition detection etc. No need for that when all your fs'es are on eprom. No need in a diskless workstation either.
Helge Hafting - To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/
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