oss-security - Re: CVE request: kernel information leak via userspace USB interface

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Message-ID: <20100218211500.GA3357@pcpool00.mathematik.uni-freiburg.de>
Date: Thu, 18 Feb 2010 22:15:00 +0100
From: "Bernhard R. Link" <brlink@...ian.org>
To: oss-security@...ts.openwall.com
Subject: Re: CVE request: kernel information leak via
	userspace USB interface

* Eugene Teo <eugene@...hat.com> [100218 02:09]:
> Hi Marcus,
>
> On 02/17/2010 06:29 PM, Marcus Meissner wrote:
>> While programming a USB device using libusb I found that a usb read from
>> the device returned data it should not.
> [...]
>> Access to USB userspace devices either requires root access or desktop user access
>> via udev/hal ACLs on non-mass-storage Digital Cameras or Media Players. (So the
>> desktop user needs to plugin such a ACL getting device before being able
>> to read the memory).
>
> To abuse this, you will need physical access to plug in a USB device, so
> I do not think this should be regarded as a security issue.

- What about users that already have such a device pluged in?
- Just because someone has access to your hardware does not mean
  they should have total control. Computer cases can be locked,
  even put in other rooms with only monitor and usb ports (and
  keyboard and mouse in usb) available to people that should only
  have user rights and not root rights.
  You can have employees/cameras to look users are not using drilling
  machines on the cases or open the keyboards to add chips.
  But you can hardly stop people from plugging in devices. (And I think
  studies show that if you add any device on the street, people finding
  them will plug them into their computer as the first thing they do).

It might be a minor issue or something not worth issuing a id, but a
security issue it is.

	Bernhard R. Link

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