1
This NEWS file records noteworthy changes, very tersely.
2
See the manual for detailed information.
4
Version 1.8.19 (2025-06-27)
5
* No user-visible changes
7
Version 1.8.18 (2024-11-24)
9
** Detect GPGME version correctly when building initramfs.
11
** Only connect D-Bus when necessary.
12
** If a network socket is externally configured, avoid closing it, and
13
also make it non-inheritable.
14
** mandos-keygen: Support ssh-keyscan from OpenSSH 9.8 or later.
15
** mandos-monitor: Avoid debug messages and deprecation warnings from
18
Version 1.8.17 (2024-09-12)
19
* Improve documentation slightly, especially how to add extra options
20
to mandos-client when using dracut with systemd.
21
* Make life easier for distribution packagers by making sure that
22
"make install" creates all required directories.
24
** When seeing clients.conf entries lacking both fingerprint and
25
key_id, show a warning and ignore them instead of crashing,
27
** Suppress most spurious compiler warnings.
29
** In initramfs-tools-hook, be aware of new name of GPGME library,
31
** In password-agent(8mandos), look for a Plymouth process in
32
alphabetical order, not in reverse alphabetical order. This is
33
technically a user-visible change, but should never matter in
36
Version 1.8.16 (2023-02-08)
38
** Bug fix: Start client checkers after a random delay
40
Version 1.8.15 (2022-04-25)
42
** Bug fix: When running "mandos-keygen --password" to read a password
43
interactively (to save in a section in the clients.conf file),
44
backslashes in the password are no longer interpreted as backslash
46
** GnuTLS debug output no longer has a "b'" prefix.
48
Version 1.8.14 (2021-02-03)
50
** Create /dev/fd symlink (if necessary) in plugin-runner(8mandos) and
51
mandos-client(8mandos) (Workaround for Debian bug #981302)
53
Version 1.8.13 (2020-11-30)
55
** Fix unreliable test in password-agent(8mandos).
57
Version 1.8.12 (2020-07-04)
59
** Fix compatibility with the GNU C Library version 2.31.
60
** In initramfs-tools boots, only use setsid(1) when available.
62
Version 1.8.11 (2020-04-08)
64
** Fix file descriptor leak when adding or removing local routes to
65
unreachable hosts on the local network.
67
Version 1.8.10 (2020-03-21)
69
** Fix bug when setting a client's D-Bus "Secret" property
70
** Start client checkers after a random delay
71
** When using systemd, allow easier modification of server options
72
** Better log messages in mandos-monitor
74
** When using dracut & systemd, allow easier modification of options
76
Version 1.8.9 (2019-09-03)
77
* No user-visible changes
79
Version 1.8.8 (2019-08-18)
80
* No user-visible changes
82
Version 1.8.7 (2019-08-05)
84
** Always compile with LFS (Large File Support) enabled.
86
** Improve intro(8mandos) manual page to cover dracut(8) support.
88
Version 1.8.6 (2019-08-03)
90
** dracut support: In password-agent, properly ignore deleted and
91
renamed question files, and also fix memory alignment issue.
93
Version 1.8.5 (2019-07-30)
95
** Support dracut(8) as well as initramfs-tools(7).
96
** Minor bug fix: Allow the mandos-keygen --passfile option to use
97
passfiles with names starting with "-".
98
** Document known limitation of mandos-keygen --password; it strips
99
white space from start and end of the password.
101
** Bug fix: The server used to fail to restart if the "port" setting
102
was used. This has been fixed.
103
** Minor bug fix: Reap zombies left over from checker runs. (Debian
106
Version 1.8.4 (2019-04-09)
108
** Fix minor memory leak in plugin-runner.
110
** mandos-ctl now has a --debug option to show D-Bus calls.
112
Version 1.8.3 (2019-02-11)
113
* No user-visible changes.
115
Version 1.8.2 (2019-02-10)
117
** In mandos-keygen, ignore failures to remove files in some cases.
119
Version 1.8.1 (2019-02-10)
121
** Only generate TLS keys using GnuTLS' certtool, of sufficient
122
version. Key generation of TLS keys will not happen until a
123
version of GnuTLS is installed with support for raw public keys.
124
** Remove any bad keys created by 1.8.0 and openssl.
126
** On installation, edit clients.conf and remove the same bad key ID
127
which was erroneously reported by all 1.8.0 clients. Also do not
128
trust this key ID in the server.
130
Version 1.8.0 (2019-02-10)
132
** Use new TLS keys for server communication and identification.
133
With GnuTLS 3.6 or later, OpenPGP keys are no longer supported.
134
The client can now use the new "raw public keys" (RFC 7250) API
135
instead, using GnuTLS 3.6.6. Please note: This *requires* new key
136
IDs to be added to server's client.conf file.
137
** New --tls-privkey and --tls-pubkey options to load TLS key files.
138
If GnuTLS is too old, these options do nothing.
140
** Supports either old or new GnuTLS.
141
The server now supports using GnuTLS 3.6.6 and clients connecting
142
with "raw public keys" as identification. The server will read
143
both fingerprints and key IDs from clients.conf file, and will use
144
either one or the other, depending on what is supported by GnuTLS
145
on the system. Please note: both are *not* supported at once; if
146
one type is supported by GnuTLS, all values of the other type from
147
clients.conf are ignored.
149
Version 1.7.20 (2018-08-19)
151
** Fix: Adapt to the Debian cryptsetup package 2.0.3 or later.
152
Important: in that version or later, the plugins "askpass-fifo",
153
"password-prompt", and "plymouth" will no longer be run, since they
154
would conflict with what cryptsetup is doing. Other plugins, such
155
as mandos-client and any user-supplied plugins, will still run.
156
** Better error message if failing to decrypt secret data
157
** Check for (and report) any key import failure from GPGME
158
** Better error message if self-signature verification fails
159
** Set system clock if not set; required by GnuPG for key import
160
** When debugging plugin-runner, it will now show starting plugins
162
Version 1.7.19 (2018-02-22)
164
** Do not print "unlink(...): No such file or directory".
165
** Bug fixes: Fix file descriptor leaks.
166
** Bug fix: Don't use leak sanitizer with leaking libraries.
168
Version 1.7.18 (2018-02-12)
170
** Bug fix: Revert faulty fix for a nonexistent bug in the
173
Version 1.7.17 (2018-02-10)
175
** Bug fix: Fix a memory leak in the plugin-runner
176
** Bug fix: Fix memory leaks in the plymouth plugin
178
Version 1.7.16 (2017-08-20)
180
** Bug fix: ignore "resumedev" entries in initramfs' cryptroot file
181
** Bug fix in plymouth plugin: fix memory leak, avoid warning output
183
Version 1.7.15 (2017-02-23)
185
** Bug fix: Respect the mandos.conf "zeroconf" and "restore" options
187
** Bug fix in mandos-keygen: Handle backslashes in passphrases
189
Version 1.7.14 (2017-01-25)
191
** Use "Requisite" instead of "RequisiteOverridable" in systemd
194
Version 1.7.13 (2016-10-08)
196
** Minor bug fix: Don't ask for passphrase or fail when generating
197
keys using GnuPG 2.1 in a chrooted environment.
199
Version 1.7.12 (2016-10-05)
201
** Bug fix: Don't crash after exit() when using DH parameters file
203
Version 1.7.11 (2016-10-01)
205
** Security fix: Don't compile with AddressSanitizer
207
** Bug fix: Find GnuTLS library when gnutls28-dev is not installed
208
** Bug fix: Include "Expires" and "Last Checker Status" in mandos-ctl
210
** New option for mandos-ctl: --dump-json
212
Version 1.7.10 (2016-06-23)
214
** Security fix: restrict permissions of /etc/mandos/plugin-helpers
216
** Bug fix: Make the --interface flag work with Python 2.7 when "cc"
219
Version 1.7.9 (2016-06-22)
221
** Do not include intro(8mandos) man page
223
Version 1.7.8 (2016-06-21)
225
** Include intro(8mandos) man page
226
** mandos-keygen: Use ECDSA SSH keys by default
227
** Bug fix: Work with GnuPG 2 when booting (Debian bug #819982)
228
by copying /usr/bin/gpg-agent into initramfs
230
** Bug fix: Work with GnuPG 2 (don't use --no-use-agent option)
231
** Bug fix: Make the --interface option work when using Python 2.7
232
by trying harder to find SO_BINDTODEVICE
234
Version 1.7.7 (2016-03-19)
236
** Fix bug in Plymouth client, broken since 1.7.2
238
Version 1.7.6 (2016-03-13)
240
** Fix bug where stopping server would time out
241
** Make server runnable with Python 3
243
Version 1.7.5 (2016-03-08)
245
** Fix security restrictions in systemd service file.
246
** Work around bug where stopping server would time out
248
Version 1.7.4 (2016-03-05)
250
** Bug fix: Tolerate errors from configure_networking (Debian Bug
252
** Compilation: Only use sanitizing options which work with the
253
compiler used when building. This should fix compilation with GCC
254
4.9 on mips, mipsel, and s390x.
256
** Add extra security restrictions in systemd service file.
258
Version 1.7.3 (2016-02-29)
260
** Bug fix: Remove new type of keyring directory user by GnuPG 2.1.
261
** Bug fix: Remove "nonnull" attribute from a function argument, which
262
would otherwise generate a spurious runtime warning.
264
Version 1.7.2 (2016-02-28)
266
** Stop using python-gnutls library; it was not updated to GnuTLS 3.3.
267
** Bug fix: Only send D-Bus signal ClientRemoved if using D-Bus.
268
** Use GnuPG 2 if available.
270
** Compile with various sanitizing flags.
272
Version 1.7.1 (2015-10-24)
274
** Bug fix: Can now really find Mandos server even if the server has
275
an IPv6 address on a network other than the one which the Mandos
278
Version 1.7.0 (2015-08-10)
280
** Bug fix: Handle local Zeroconf service name collisions better.
281
** Bug fix: Finally fix "ERROR: Child process vanished" bug.
282
** Bug fix: Fix systemd service file to start server correctly.
283
** Bug fix: Be compatible with old 2048-bit DSA keys.
284
** The D-Bus API now provides the standard D-Bus ObjectManager
285
interface, and deprecates older functionality. See the DBUS-API
286
file for the currently recommended API. Note: the original API
287
still works, but is deprecated.
289
** Can now find Mandos server even if the server has an IPv6 address
290
on a network without IPv6 Router Advertisment (like if the Mandos
291
client itself is the router, or there is an IPv6 router advertising
292
a network other than the one which the Mandos server is on.)
293
** Use a better value than 1024 for the default number of DH bits.
294
This better value is either provided by a DH parameters file (see
295
below) or an appropriate number of DH bits is determined based on
297
** Bug fix: mandos-keygen now generates correct output for the
298
"Checker" variable even if the SSH server on the Mandos client has
299
multiple SSH key types.
300
** Can now use pre-generated Diffie-Hellman parameters from a file.
302
Version 1.6.9 (2014-10-05)
304
** Changed to emit standard D-Bus signal when D-Bus properties change.
305
(The old signal is still emitted too, but marked as deprecated.)
307
Version 1.6.8 (2014-08-06)
309
** Bug fix: mandos-keygen now generates working SSH checker commands.
311
** Bug fix: "mandos-monitor" now really redraws screen on Ctrl-L.
312
** Now requires Python 2.7.
314
Version 1.6.7 (2014-07-17)
316
** Bug fix: Now compatible with GPGME 1.5.0.
317
** Bug fix: Fixed minor memory leaks.
319
** "mandos-monitor" now has verbose logging, toggleable with "v".
321
Version 1.6.6 (2014-07-13)
323
** If client host has an SSH server, "mandos-keygen --password" now
324
outputs "checker" option which uses "ssh-keyscan"; this is more
325
secure than the default "fping" checker.
326
** Bug fix: allow "." in network hook names, to match documentation.
327
** Better error messages.
329
** New --no-zeroconf option.
330
** Bug fix: Fix --servicename option, broken since 1.6.4.
331
** Bug fix: Fix --socket option work for --socket=0.
333
Version 1.6.5 (2014-05-11)
335
** Work around bug in GnuPG <http://bugs.g10code.com/gnupg/issue1622>
336
** Give better error messages when run without sufficient privileges
337
** Only warn if workaround for Debian bug #633582 was necessary and
338
failed, not if it failed and was unnecessary.
340
Version 1.6.4 (2014-02-16)
342
** Very minor fix to self-test code.
344
Version 1.6.3 (2014-01-21)
346
** Add systemd support.
347
** For PID file, fall back to /var/run if /run does not exist.
349
** Moved files from /usr/lib/mandos to whatever the architecture
350
specifies, like /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/mandos or
353
Version 1.6.2 (2013-10-24)
355
** PID file moved from /var/run to /run.
356
** Bug fix: Handle long secrets when saving client state.
357
** Bug fix: Use more magic in the GnuTLS priority string to handle
358
both old DSA/ELG 2048-bit keys and new RSA/RSA 4096-bit keys.
360
** mandos-keygen: Bug fix: now generate RSA keys which GnuTLS can use.
361
Bug fix: Output passphrase prompts even when
362
redirecting standard output.
364
Version 1.6.1 (2013-10-13)
366
** All client options for time intervals now also take an RFC 3339
367
duration. The same for all options to mandos-ctl.
368
** Bug fix: Handle fast checkers (like ":") correctly.
369
** Bug fix: Don't print output from checkers when running in
371
** Bug fix: Do not fail when client is removed from clients.conf but
372
saved settings remain.
373
** Bug fix: mandos-monitor now displays standout (reverse video) again
374
using new version of Urwid.
375
** Bug fix: Make boolean options work from the config file again.
376
** Bug fix: Make --no-ipv6 work again.
377
** New default priority string to be slightly more compatible with
378
older versions of GnuTLS.
380
** Bug fix: Fix bashism in mandos-keygen.
381
** Default key and subkey types are now RSA and RSA, respectively.
382
Also, new default key size is 4096 bits.
384
Version 1.6.0 (2012-06-18)
386
** Takes new --foreground option
387
** Init script supports new "status" action.
389
** Now uses all interfaces by default; the --interface option can
390
still be used to restrict it, and the argument to --interface (as
391
well as the $DEVICE environment variable for the network hooks) is
392
now a comma-separated list of interfaces to use.
394
Version 1.5.5 (2012-06-01)
396
** Server takes new --socket option
398
Version 1.5.4 (2012-05-20)
400
** Bug fix: Regression fix: Make non-zero approval timeout values work.
401
** Bug fix: Regression fix: Allow changing the Timeout D-Bus property.
402
** Fall back to not bind to an interface if an invalid interface name
404
** Removed support for undocumented feature of using plain "%%s" in
405
"checker" client option.
406
** Old D-Bus interface are now marked as deprecated.
407
** mandos-monitor: Bug fix: show approval timers correctly.
408
** mandos-ctl: Show "Extended Timeout" correctly, not as milliseconds.
410
Version 1.5.3 (2012-01-15)
412
** Add D-Bus property se.recompile.Client.LastCheckerStatus and use it
415
** Fix bugs in the example "bridge" network hook.
417
Version 1.5.2 (2012-01-08)
419
** Removed D-Bus signal se.recompile.Mandos.NewRequest() added in
420
1.5.0. It was buggy and was of questionable utility.
422
Version 1.5.1 (2012-01-01)
424
** Include intro(8mandos) manual page, missing since migration from
425
README file in version 1.4.0.
427
Version 1.5.0 (2012-01-01)
429
** Network hooks. The Mandos client can now run custom scripts to take
430
up a network interface before the client is run. Three example
431
scripts are provided: "wireless", "openvpn", and "bridge".
432
To facilitate this, the client now prefers network interfaces which
433
are up (if any) over all other interfaces.
435
** Persistent state. Client state is now saved between server
437
** clients.conf file can now contain "enabled" setting for clients.
438
** Bug fix: Fix rare crash bug.
439
** Bug fix: Send corrent D-Bus type in PropertyChanged for
440
"ApprovalDelay", "ApprovalDuration", "Timeout", and
442
** mandos-ctl: Bare numbers as arguments are taken to be milliseconds.
443
** Bug fix: mandos-ctl --secret option now works.
444
** New D-Bus signal: se.recompile.Mandos.NewRequest(s).
446
Version 1.4.1 (2011-10-15)
448
** Make D-Bus properties settable again, and handle checkers
449
for disabled clients correctly.
450
* Miscellaneous fixes to "pedantic" Lintian warnings
452
Version 1.4.0 (2011-10-09)
453
* README file migrated to manual page intro(8mandos).
455
** Fixed warning about "rmdir: Directory not empty".
457
** Default values changed: timeout 5 minutes, interval 2 minutes.
458
** Clients gets an expiration extension when receiving a password,
459
controlled by new "extended_timeout" setting.
460
** New domain name: "fukt.bsnet.se" changes to "recompile.se". This
461
also affects the D-Bus bus and interface names (old names still
462
work). Users should start using the new names immediately.
463
** New D-Bus Client object properties "Expires" and "ExtendedTimeout";
464
see DBUS-API for details.
466
Version 1.3.1 (2011-07-27)
468
** Client now retries all Mandos servers periodically.
469
** Work around Debian bug #633582 - fixes "Permission denied" problem.
471
Version 1.3.0 (2011-03-08)
473
** Updated for Python 2.6.
475
** Bug fix: Make the password-prompt plugin not conflict with
477
** Bug fix: Bug fix: update initramfs also when purging package.
479
Version 1.2.3 (2010-10-11)
481
** Bug fix: Expose D-Bus API also in non-debug mode.
483
Version 1.2.2 (2010-10-07)
485
** splashy: Minor fix to compile with non-Linux kernels.
487
Version 1.2.1 (2010-10-02)
489
** mandos-monitor(8): Documentation bug fix: Key for removing client
492
Version 1.2 (2010-09-28)
494
** New "plymouth" plugin to ask for a password using the Plymouth
495
graphical boot system.
496
** The Mandos client now automatically chooses a network interface if
497
the DEVICE setting in /etc/initramfs-tools/initramfs.conf is set to
498
the empty string. This is also the new default instead of "eth0".
499
** The Mandos client --connect option now loops indefinitely until a
500
password is received from the specified server.
501
** Bug fix: Quote directory correctly in mandos-keygen with --password
502
** Bug fix: don't use "echo -e" in mandos-keygen; unsupported by dash.
504
** Terminology change: clients are now "ENABLED" or "DISABLED", not
505
"valid" or "invalid".
506
** New D-Bus API; see the file "DBUS-API".
507
** New control utilities using the new D-Bus API:
508
+ mandos-ctl A command-line based utility
509
+ mandos-monitor A text-based GUI interface
510
** New feature: manual interactive approval or denying of clients on a
512
** New --debuglevel option to control logging
513
** Will not write PID file if --debug is passed
514
** Bug fix: Avoid race conditions with short "interval" values or
516
** Bug fix: Don't try to bind to a network interface when none is
519
Version 1.0.14 (2009-10-25)
520
Enable building without -pie and -fPIE if BROKEN_PIE is set.
522
Version 1.0.13 (2009-10-22)
524
** Security bug fix: If Mandos server is also installed, do not copy
525
its config files (with encrypted passwords) into the initrd.img-*
528
Version 1.0.12 (2009-09-17)
530
** Bug fix: Allow network interface renaming by "udev" by taking down
531
the network interface after using it.
532
** Bug fix: User-supplied plugins are now installed correctly.
533
** Bug fix: If usplash was used but the password was instead provided
534
by the Mandos server, the usplash daemon used to ignore the first
535
command passed to it. This has been fixed.
536
** Bug fix: Make the "--userid" and "--groupid" options in
537
"plugin-runner.conf" work.
539
** Bug fix: Fix the LSB header in the init.d script to make dependency
541
** A client receiving its password now also counts as if a checker was
542
run successfully (i.e. the timeout timer is reset).
544
Version 1.0.11 (2009-05-23)
546
** Bug fix: Use "pkg-config" instead of old "libgnutls-config".
548
Version 1.0.10 (2009-05-17)
550
** Security bug fix: Fix permissions on initrd.img-*.bak files when
551
upgrading from older versions.
553
Version 1.0.9 (2009-05-17)
555
** Security bug fix: Fix permissions on initrd.img file when
556
installing new linux-image-* packages calling mkinitramfs-kpkg (all
557
version lower than 2.6.28-1-* does this).
559
Version 1.0.8 (2009-02-25)
561
** Bug fix: Fix missing quote characters in initramfs-tools-hook.
563
Version 1.0.7 (2009-02-24)
565
** Bug fix: Do not depend on GNU awk.
567
Version 1.0.6 (2009-02-13)
569
** Fix bug where server would stop responding, with a zombie checker
570
** Support for disabling IPv6 (only for advanced users)
571
** Fix bug which made server not change group ID
574
** Bug fix: Fix permission for /lib64 (on relevant architechtures).
575
** Add support for IPv4 addresses.
576
** Add support in mandos-client for not bringing up a network
577
interface by specifying an empty string to "--interface".
578
** Make password prompt on boot not be mangled by kernel log messages
579
about network interface.
580
** Get network interface from initramfs.conf and/or from kernel
582
** If set by "ip=" kernel command line, configure network on boot.
583
** Support connecting directly using "mandos=connect" kernel command.
584
line option, provided network is configured using "ip=".
585
** Fix bug which made plugin-runner and mandos-client not change group
587
** Fix bug where the "--options-for" option of plugin-runner would
588
truncate the value at the first colon character.
589
** Fix bug where plugin-runner would not go to fallback if all plugins
591
** Fix bug where mandos-client would not clean temporary directory on
592
a signal or on certain file systems.
593
** Bug fix: remove bashism in /bin/sh script "mandos-keygen".
595
Version 1.0.5 (2009-01-17)
597
** Fix small memory leak in plugin-runner.
599
Version 1.0.4 (2009-01-15)
601
** Only find matched user/group pairs when searching for suitable
602
nonprivileged user/group to switch to.
605
** New kernel parameter "mandos=off" makes client not run at boot.
606
** Fix linking errors and compilation warnings on AMD64.
607
** Parse numbers in command line options better.
608
** The splashy and usplash plugins are more robust while traversing
609
/proc, and will not abort if a process suddenly disappears.
611
Version 1.0.3 (2009-01-06)
613
** Now tries to change to user and group "_mandos" before falling back
614
to trying the old values "mandos", "nobody:nogroup", and "65534".
615
** Now does not abort on startup even if no clients are defined in
619
** Plugins named "*.dpkg-bak" are now ignored.
620
** Hopefully fixed compilation failure on some architectures where the
621
C compiler does not recognize the "-z" option as a linker option.
623
Version 1.0.2 (2008-10-17)
624
* mandos-keygen now signs the encrypted key blobs. This signature is
625
not currently verified by mandos-client, but this may change in the
628
Version 1.0.1 (2008-10-07)
630
** Expand environment variables and ~user in clients.conf's "secfile"
631
The "secfile" option in /etc/mandos/clients.conf now expands
632
"~user/foo" and "$ENVVAR" strings.
634
* Client (plugin-runner, plugins, etc.)
635
** Manual pages for the usplash, splashy, and askpass-fifo plugins.
636
All plugins now have man pages.
637
** More secure compilation and linking flags.
638
All programs are now compiled with "-fstack-protector-all -fPIE
639
-pie", and linked using "-z relro -pie" for additional security.
641
* There is now a "NEWS" file (this one), giving a history of