I need to make some secure data available to mod_perl handlers, without having it physically stored in a file, database, or "named" shared memory (since if someone can read the handlers' code, then they could read the sensitive data as well). So I need to prompt for it during server (re)start-up, and stuff it away into a lexical variable that only the handler can get at (i.e. another piece of code, or even another handler, that blesses itself into my handler's package still cannot access the data). Every httpd child process should have their own copy of the data. Is there a solution or cookbook recipe for this yet?
What you're doing looks fine, as far as it goes. By making these variables part of a closure, you are making it impossible for people to read it directly with Perl code. Of course there is nothing you can do to prevent someone with full access to your server from running C code that will walk Perl's variables until it finds $secret. They could probably do this with creative of some of the B:: modules.
- Perrin
