Sounds like security by obfuscation.

The exposure would be that source location can be viewed/altered by the
target, If it cannot be altered I wonder how knowing the address would be an
exposure. 

On Wed, 31 Jul 2024 20:34:28 +1000 Attila Fogarasi
<[email protected]> wrote:

:>In Linux STBEAR could be used as part of an attack vector to locate the
:>target.  No such exposure in z/OS (or z/VSE and z/VM for that matter) due
:>to different memory structure.  An unintended consequence of supporting a
:>disparate architecture.
:>
:>On Tue, Jul 30, 2024 at 9:17?PM Binyamin Dissen <
:>[email protected]> wrote:
:>
:>> Curious as to how that would bother Linux.
:>>
:>> I do understand EPSW as it exposes the real state, but STBEAR?
:>>
:>> On Tue, 30 Jul 2024 03:36:48 +0000 Jim Mulder <[email protected]> wrote:
:>>
:>> :>  I found my emails from 2019-2020 when STBEAR was being designed, and I
:>> see that
:>> :>I had suggest that (speaking for z/OS) STBEAR should be allowed in
:>> problem state for exactly the reason
:>> :>for which  you want to use it, but Linux
:>> :>did not want it to be allowed in problem state.  I see that Linux had
:>> suggested making it controllable
:>> :>by a CR bit (i.e., semi-privileged), but it looks like we didn't pursue
:>> that.  Sorry about that.
:>> :>I supposed I should have paid more attention to that part of the
:>> discussion, but it probably was not the hottest
:>> :>issue that I was involved with at the time.
:>> :>
:>> :>Jim Mulder
:>> :>
:>> :>-----Original Message-----
:>> :>From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List <[email protected]> On
:>> Behalf Of Steve Austin
:>> :>Sent: Monday, July 29, 2024 10:05 AM
:>> :>To: [email protected]
:>> :>Subject: Re: Breaking Event Address, BEAR
:>> :>
:>> :>Yes I could use JAS/BAS and have done so in the past, but it occurred to
:>> me there might be a better way. STBEAR being privileged is disappointing. I
:>> can understand LBEAR being privileged , but I'm not sure why STBEAR should
:>> be.
:>> :>
:>> :>-----Original Message-----
:>> :>From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List [mailto:[email protected]]
:>> On Behalf Of Seymour J Metz
:>> :>Sent: Monday, July 29, 2024 2:55 PM
:>> :>To: [email protected]
:>> :>Subject: Re: Breaking Event Address, BEAR
:>> :>
:>> :>Unless you're in supervisor state, I don't know of a way to do it. Dou
:>> you have a spare register so you could JAS to the message routine?
:>> :>
:>> :>--
:>> :>Shmuel (Seymour J.) Metz
:>> :>http://mason.gmu.edu/~smetz3
:>> :>??? ?????????? ???
:>> :>?????? ??????????? ???? ??????????
:>> :>
:>> :>
:>> :>
:>> :>________________________________________
:>> :>From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List <[email protected]> on
:>> behalf of
:>> :>Steve Austin <[email protected]>
:>> :>Sent: Monday, July 29, 2024 8:06 AM
:>> :>To: [email protected]
:>> :>Subject: Re: Breaking Event Address, BEAR
:>> :>
:>> :>The code I'm dealing with has an error routine that build a message, but
:>> :>sometimes the message is insufficient and it would be useful to know what
:>> :>branched to that routine without forcing a dump.
:>> :>
:>> :>-----The code Original Message-----
:>> :>From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List [mailto:[email protected]] On
:>> :>Behalf Of Seymour J Metz
:>> :>Sent: Monday, July 29, 2024 12:58 PM
:>> :>To: [email protected]
:>> :>Subject: Re: Breaking Event Address, BEAR
:>> :>
:>> :>BEAR is not the address of the last branch, it's the address of the last
:>> :>breaking event. If you brnch to an OPEN and get am S213, I don't believe
:>> :>that there is any way to recover the branch.
:>> :>
:>> :>What is the specific scenario you're concerned with.
:>> :>
:>> :>IBM: is the BEAR at the time of a program check available to recovery
:>> exits?
:>> :>
:>> :>--
:>> :>Shmuel (Seymour J.) Metz
:>> :>http://mason.gmu.edu/~smetz3
:>> :>??? ?????????? ???
:>> :>?????? ??????????? ???? ??????????
:>> :>
:>> :>
:>> :>
:>> :>________________________________________
:>> :>From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List <[email protected]> on
:>> behalf of
:>> :>Steve Austin <[email protected]>
:>> :>Sent: Monday, July 29, 2024 6:29 AM
:>> :>To: [email protected]
:>> :>Subject: Breaking Event Address, BEAR
:>> :>
:>> :>I lied I don’t want the Breaking Event address  I’d like the source of
:>> the
:>> :>Breaking Event address. And I’m assuming the source of the BEA is the
:>> same
:>> :>as the source of the branch entries in the trace table. I’d like my
:>> running
:>> :>program to retrieve the address of the last branch without breaking
:>> :>anything. Is this possible? Thanks
:>> :>
:>> :>--
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:>> --
:>> Binyamin Dissen <[email protected]>
:>> http://www.dissensoftware.com
:>>
:>> Director, Dissen Software, Bar & Grill - Israel
:>>
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--
Binyamin Dissen <[email protected]>
http://www.dissensoftware.com

Director, Dissen Software, Bar & Grill - Israel

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