oss-sec mailing list archives
Re: Fw: Security risk of vim swap files
From: Christian Brabandt <cb () 256bit org>
Date: Fri, 3 Nov 2017 19:38:03 +0100
On Fr, 03 Nov 2017, Jakub Wilk wrote:
* Christian Brabandt <cb () 256bit org>, 2017-11-02, 22:29:Vim copies the permission from the file being edited. Although the swap file is readable by others this does not leak any information here, since the file being edited is already readable by others.In general, what vim does (copying mode bits) in not enough to ensure that the swapfile is readable only by the users who had access to the original file. It would have to copy also group ownership and ACLs.
Yes, I am not saying there is no room for improvement here.
Also, keep in mind how this thread started. Somebody edited wp-config.php, which was readable by the web server, of course; then vim created .wp-config.php.swp with the same-ish permissions, which made the file readable to the whole (external) world. Oops.
I don't buy that argument. There are at least 2 problems here. Someone misconfiguring his webserver so it does serve dotfiles and secondly making some last minute changes on a live production server (and thirdly, the Vim session must have crashed). That sounds more like an user error. Also the other example about deleting the file that is currently being edited is not very convincing. But please, if you really want to change how the swap files are created please comment here: https://groups.google.com/d/msg/vim_dev/sRT9BtjLWMk/2oSF_b4MCAAJ or anywhere else in that thread starting here: https://groups.google.com/d/msg/vim_dev/sRT9BtjLWMk/Xn_Y3PHlBgAJ Note, first message needs approval. Christian -- Aus der Tatsache, daß der Plural von Atlas Atlanten ist, kann man nicht schließen, daß der Plural von Kompass Kompanten sein muß.
Current thread:
- Re: Fw: Security risk of vim swap files, (continued)
- Re: Fw: Security risk of vim swap files Matthias Weckbecker (Nov 21)
- Re: Fw: Security risk of vim swap files Z5T1 (Nov 01)
- Re: Re: Fw: Security risk of vim swap files Michael Orlitzky (Nov 01)
- Re: Re: Fw: Security risk of vim swap files Florent Rougon (Nov 01)
- Re: Re: Fw: Security risk of vim swap files Michael Orlitzky (Nov 01)
- Re: Fw: Security risk of vim swap files Christian Brabandt (Nov 02)
- Re: Re: Fw: Security risk of vim swap files Kurt Seifried (Nov 02)
- Re: Re: Fw: Security risk of vim swap files Jakub Wilk (Nov 03)
- Re: Re: Fw: Security risk of vim swap files Scott Court (Nov 03)
- Re: Re: Fw: Security risk of vim swap files Nick Bowler (Nov 03)
- Re: Fw: Security risk of vim swap files Christian Brabandt (Nov 03)
- Re: Fw: Security risk of vim swap files Christian Brabandt (Nov 03)
- Re: Fw: Security risk of vim swap files Christian Brabandt (Nov 05)
- Re: Fw: Security risk of vim swap files Solar Designer (Nov 05)
- Re: Fw: Security risk of vim swap files Scott Court (Nov 05)
- Re: Fw: Security risk of vim swap files Kurt Seifried (Nov 05)
- Re: Fw: Security risk of vim swap files Seth Arnold (Nov 06)
- Re: Fw: Security risk of vim swap files Jakub Wilk (Nov 07)
- Re: Fw: Security risk of vim swap files Christian Brabandt (Nov 06)
- Re: Fw: Security risk of vim swap files Solar Designer (Nov 06)
- Re: Fw: Security risk of vim swap files Jakub Wilk (Nov 05)
- Re: Fw: Security risk of vim swap files Christian Brabandt (Nov 06)