Questions about GPGME / GnuPG library

[Olaf Trygve Berglihn]

Werner Koch <wk at gnupg.org> writes:

> On Thu, 7 Dec 2000, Olaf Trygve Berglihn wrote:
> 
> > something here. I would think that the cleanest way to (re)implement
> > gnupg would be to have core functionality accessed by some
> > (g)ui-frontend. If you are afraid of dynamically linked libraries, so
> 
> Then go and (re)implement it!!!  

Seems like I would have to. As I have pointed out previously, it would
be difficult to contribute if one could not agree on the goal.

> > Root is root is root is root, i.e. if you can exploit to become root,
> > then you could swap the gnupg-binary, the shell-binary or
> 
> Sure, but what is your point?
> 
> > Sure, protected memory would be fine, but root is root is ...
> 
> So you didn't understand for what nonswapable memory is good for.

No, not really. If you can access the swap from remote, then you are
root, and therefore fully capable of replacing either the gnupg binary
itself, or reading the real memory on the machine - swap or not. If
you are not root, have access to the hardware, and are capable of
useing a screwdriver, you can remove the disk, replace the gnupg
binary and replace the disk with a trojan gnupg. Is there something
secret that I missed? I think I understood that you're afraid that
someone could read something that was swapped to disk, right? Sure,
you could crypt the swap, but really... I'd rather use a isolated
machine physically locked up, without network of any kind and a
grounded Farraday cage around it all to do my crypting then.

> > great care, or at least are venting opinions that go in the direction
> > as to protect programmers from themselves. That provokes me a little.
> 
> GnuPG is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
> it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
> the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or
> (at your option) any later version.

Of cource, it is in your right to say this. But really, I think
discussions about the goal of the development is important. I also
think I have a feeling of the reasons why not more people contribute
to gnupg.

> Sorry, I am somewhat upset about all this code-less discussions.

I will not upset you any further (at least not on this topic).

Olaf
-- 
Olaf Trygve Berglihn <olafb at pvv.org>