=== modified file 'TODO' --- TODO 2008-09-03 13:59:58 +0000 +++ TODO 2008-09-03 17:11:32 +0000 @@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ * password-request ** [#A] Man page: man8/password-request.8mandos -*** SECURITY *** SEE ALSO Update from mandos.xml ** [#B] Temporarily lower kernel log level === modified file 'plugins.d/password-request.c' --- plugins.d/password-request.c 2008-09-03 05:04:40 +0000 +++ plugins.d/password-request.c 2008-09-03 17:11:32 +0000 @@ -348,8 +348,8 @@ } if(debug){ - fprintf(stderr, "Attempting to use OpenPGP certificate %s" - " and keyfile %s as GnuTLS credentials\n", pubkeyfilename, + fprintf(stderr, "Attempting to use OpenPGP public key %s and" + " secret key %s as GnuTLS credentials\n", pubkeyfilename, seckeyfilename); } @@ -360,7 +360,7 @@ fprintf(stderr, "Error[%d] while reading the OpenPGP key pair ('%s'," " '%s')\n", ret, pubkeyfilename, seckeyfilename); - fprintf(stdout, "The GnuTLS error is: %s\n", + fprintf(stderr, "The GnuTLS error is: %s\n", safer_gnutls_strerror(ret)); goto globalfail; } === modified file 'plugins.d/password-request.xml' --- plugins.d/password-request.xml 2008-09-03 13:59:58 +0000 +++ plugins.d/password-request.xml 2008-09-03 17:11:32 +0000 @@ -445,6 +445,39 @@ SECURITY + This program is set-uid to root, but will switch back to the + original user and group after bringing up the network interface. + + + To use this program for its intended purpose (see ), the password for the root file system will + have to be given out to be stored in a server computer, after + having been encrypted using an OpenPGP key. This encrypted data + which will be stored in a server can only be decrypted by the + OpenPGP key, and the data will only be given out to those + clients who can prove they actually have that key. This key, + however, is stored unencrypted on the client side in its initial + RAM disk image file system. This is normally + readable by all, but this is normally fixed during installation + of this program; file permissions are set so that no-one is able + to read that file. + + + The only remaining weak point is that someone with physical + access to the client hard drive might turn off the client + computer, read the OpenPGP keys directly from the hard drive, + and communicate with the server. The defense against this is + that the server is supposed to notice the client disappearing + and will stop giving out the encrypted data. Therefore, it is + important to set the timeout and checker interval values tightly + on the server. See mandos8. + + + Note: This makes it impossible to have + Mandos clients which dual-boot to + another operating system which does not run + a Mandos client.