CMSC 414 Computer and Network Security Lecture 10

CMSC 414Computer and Network SecurityLecture 10 Jonathan Katz

HW review: private-key encryption • What is the definition of an encryption scheme? • Is a ciphertext that is longer than the plaintext allowed? • How does CTR mode work? • What is the ciphertext? • What is a reasonable definition of security for an encryption scheme?

HW review --- problem 3

Discretionary access control

Access control matrix • Matrix indexed by all subjects and objects • Characterizes rights of each subject with respect to each object • Formally: set of objects O and subjects S, set of possible rights • Matrix A with subjects labeling the rows and objects labeling the columns • The entry (s,o) contains the rights for s on o • Examples: read/write/execute/etc.

Objects Subjects Example

Delegation (one approach) • We augment the access control matrix to include subjects as objects • A[S,S] = “control” always • A[S,S’] = “control” if S created S’ • When S creates S’, a new column and row is created; A[S,S’] is set to “control” • Rights on other objects can also come with or without a “copy flag” set • Allows delegation, either with or w/o delegation of copy flag • Denote by *

Delegation (by S) • Delegate {r, r*} on X to S’ allowed if any of the following hold • A[S,X] = r* (S has right r on X, and copy flag set) • A[S,X] = “owner” (S owns X) • A[S,X] = r and A[S,S’] = “control” (S has right r on X, and S created S’) • Delete {r} on X from S’ allowed if any of the following hold • A[S,X] = “owner” • S[S,S’] = “control”

Creating a new subject • When S creates S’, why not populate row S’ with the same access rights that are in row S? • Least privilege…

Note • The OS can be treated as a subject with all rights • Examples • When Alice logs in do: • Create shell process p with rights appropriate for Alice • Delegate ownership of p to Alice • When Alice creates a file • OS creates file f • OS delegates {own, read, write} to Alice on file f

Drawbacks of access control matrix • Number of subjects/objects is very large • Most entries blank/default • One central matrix modified every time subjects/objects are created/deleted or rights are modified • “Small’ change can result in “many” changes to the access control matrix • E.g., making a file publicly readable

Access control lists (ACLs) • Can be viewed as storing the columns of the access control matrix with the appropriate object • Ideally, one list per object showing all subjects with access and their rights • Missing subjects given “default” access • Easy to make an object public

ACLs in practice • Again, full granularity may not be supported • E.g., unix allows permissions set for the owner of the file, the group to which the owner belongs, and everyone else (all)

Conflicts? • Need a mechanism for handling conflicts • E.g., what if group has fewer rights than all? • Resolution (in unix) if user = owner then owner permission else if user in group then group permission else all permission • In general, could have been done differently

Capabilities • Can be viewed as storing the rows of the access control matrix with the appropriate subject • Some burden for implementing protection placed on the user rather than just the OS • Analogy: user has a “ticket” which grants access to an object • A capability is an unforgeable token giving user access to an object and describing the level of allowable access • Capabilities can specify new types of rights

Capabilities: two approaches • Ticket is held by OS, which returns to the subject a pointer to the ticket • Ticket is held by the user, but protected from forgery by cryptographic mechanisms • How…? • Two possibilities: ticket verified by the object or by the OS itself • Who holds the key in each case…?

ACLs vs. capabilities • Access control list • ACL associated with each object • Upon request, check user/group against the ACL • Relies on authentication of the user • Capabilities • Can be passed from one user/process to another • Upon request, check validity of capability • No need to know the identity of the user/process making the request

ACLs vs. capabilities • How would delegation be handled using ACLs vs. using capabilities? • ACL: run process using the name of the caller, or OS can explicitly support delegation • Capabilities: allow delegation “for free” • How can a user make a file public when capabilities are used? • Maybe it is a good thing that this is hard to do! • How to revoke capabilities? • See later…

Example use of capabilities • From “The Confused Deputy,” by Hardy • Compiler in directory SYS • User can provide file for debugging output • Compiler can write statistics to SYS/stat • Compiler given ability to write to SYS • User set debugging file to SYS/billing • Allowed… • Overwrote billing file!

Example continued… • Underlying problem: authority from two sources: static + authority of caller • How to solve this problem? • Check filenames explicitly? • They can change… • Legitimate access to SYS files… • Add specific list of conditions? • Complexity grows • ACLs do not work… (why?)

Suggested solution • Use capabilities • Give compiler capability to write to SYS/stat • Compiler does not even need to be aware of the filename it is writing to; the capability takes care of this • Caller can provide additional capabilities, as needed • Compiler must explicitly designate capabilities to use in a particular situation

CMSC 414 Computer and Network Security Lecture 10