hpssd does not access the device directly. It it currently only used for two
main purposes: store a global status history for each device, and for
routing fax data from the hpfax: backend to each fax gui (that actually
access the device via the mud i/o library).

We are working on changing this design in the future, but I do not feel that
it has many inherent security concerns as no device access occurs. The race
issue is a potential problem, but even there, a second starting up hpssd
will contend for the same port, fail and exit.

-Don


On 10/4/07, Martin Pitt <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> Public bug reported:
>
> Binary package hint: hplip
>
> At the moment, the HP tools work in such a way that any tool invoked by
> the user (toolbox, scanning, etc.) forks hpssd, which then runs as that
> user. This is an absolutely broken design:
>
> * Device nodes need to be world-readable and writeable (i. e. a single big
> security hole, race conditions, etc.)
> * Multiple users race for daemon invocation.
> * User A would use the daemon of user B; B is in full control of A's work
> with the printers/scanners, etc.
>
> The best way to solve this would be a proper integration into cups, i. e
> make printing a proper cups backend which is run as lp:lp, and the
> device nodes shuold be root:lp 0660 (similar to the usb or parallel port
> backends).
>
> I appreciate that this might be too limited for the other features, such
> as scanning. For those, there needs to be a proper system-wide daemon
> hpssd which runs as lp:lp, does proper sanitation of its input, and is
> in sole control of the /dev node. To avoid big daemons like in the past,
> it shuold be very small and lightweight and can spawn the big processes
> on demand and have them time out appropriately.
>
> ** Affects: hplip (Ubuntu)
>      Importance: High
>          Status: New
>
> ** Changed in: hplip (Ubuntu)
>    Importance: Undecided => High
>
> --
> needs a proper daemon or cupsys integration
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/149045
> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> of the bug.
>

-- 
needs a proper daemon or cupsys integration
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/149045
You received this bug notification because you are a member of Ubuntu
Bugs, which is the bug contact for Ubuntu.

-- 
ubuntu-bugs mailing list
[email protected]
https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-bugs

Reply via email to