open == file considered harmful (Re: [Python-Dev] RE: rexec.pyunuseable)

Nick Coghlan ncoghlan at iinet.net.au
Thu Dec 18 05:58:42 EST 2003


Guido van Rossum wrote:

>>It would be a lot better if we could get away from the idea
>>of a "restricted mode" in the sense of a flag somewhere that
>>a bunch of things have to take notice of in order to behave
>>securely, because that model of security is prone to springing
>>leaks -- as happened in a big way when new-style classes were
>>introduced.
> 
> 
> Right.  Restricted mode currently uses both paradigms: you only have
> access to the builtins that are given to you in the __builtins__ dict
> -- this is pure capability stuff, and IMO it works well -- and some
> builtin operations behave differently when you're in restricted mode
> -- this is the ACL stuff, and Samuele revealed serious holes in it.

What if instead of 'builtin behaves differently in restricted mode' we 
had 'restricted __builtins__ contains a DIFFERENT builtin, that happens 
to have the same name'?

That is, in addition to the ability to simply deny access to a specific 
builtin function or class, there was the ability to _replace_ one before 
giving it to the restricted code.

Regards,
Nick.

-- 
Nick Coghlan               |     Brisbane, Australia
Email: ncoghlan at email.com  | Mobile: +61 409 573 268




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