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Flashcards
How works UNIX FILE ACCESS CONTROL?
• User identities (UIDs) and group identities (GIDs)
• Originally 16-bit numbers, now 32-bit
• Special UIDs: -2, 0, 1, …
In UNIX FILE ACCESS CONTROL, to what users belongs ?
• Users belong to one or more groups
• Primary group
• Other groups
Who owns the set files ?
Users
How UNIX FILE ACCESS CONTROL is implemented ?
• Simple ACL to express the access control policy per file
• Permissions associated to
• Owner: owner of a file
• Group: a group of users
• Other: rest
• 12 protection bits
In UNIX FILE ACCESS CONTROL LISTS, to what ACLs are attached ?
Files
What is assigned to each file ?
Each file is assigned an owner UID and GID
How many premission bits are available per file and what are they ?
• Each file has 9 permission bits
• Read, write, execute
• Owner, group, other
Have files and directories Different semantics between ?
Yes
FILE
r = read → lire le contenu du fichier
w = write → modifier le contenu du fichier
x = execute → exécuter le fichier comme un programme/script
Directory
r = read → voir la liste des fichiers dans le dossier
w = write → ajouter, supprimer ou renommer des fichiers dans le dossier
x = execute → entrer dans le dossier ou accéder à un fichier dedans si on connaît son nom
What are the 3 remaining bits ?
suid,sgid,sticky
What do these commands ?
1 chmod who+permission filename
2 chmod who-permission filename
3 chmod who=permission filename
4 chmod absolute_mode filename
1 adds permissions
2 removes permissions
3 resets permissions as specified
4 specifies the values for all permission bits (with an octal number)
in CHMOD COMMANDS, what are permission parameter?
r read permissions;
w write permissions;
x execute permissions (for files) &
search permissions (for directories);
s set-user-ID/set-group-ID permission
in CHMOD COMMANDS, what are who parameter?
u changes the owner permissions;
g changes the group permissions;
o changes the other permissions;
a set-user-ID/set-group-ID permission
How UNIX ACCESS CONTROL IN ACTION ?
• Compare UID/GID of process trying to perform some action with state of file (owner, group, permission bits)
• Order matters in the comparison
• If UID says you are owner: check bits for owner
• If not owner, but GID corresponds to group, check bits for group
• Otherwise check bits for other
can root user be denied access ?
No
What is the ID of the super user (root)?
• User ID = 0
For root, are security check enable ?
No, it Can access anything: (almost all) security checks are disabled
Why never log in as root in term of (security principles)
root must be trusted to never do anything against the security policy
• Violating the least privilege principle
• Some Linux distributions assign no password to root user to prevent that
• Instead, use sudo or su commands
What are setuid (suid) and setgid (sgid) bits?
setuid and setgid are special permission bits.
They make a program run with the privileges of the file owner or group, not with the privileges of the user who launched it.
setuid → run with the file owner's privileges
setgid → run with the file group's privileges
Why does /bin/passwd use setuid?
Normal users are not root, but they need to change their passwords.
Changing a password requires modifying protected system files.
Therefore, /bin/passwd is owned by root and has the setuid bit enabled.
When a normal user runs /bin/passwd, the program temporarily runs with root privileges.
What is Mandatory Access Control (MAC)?
Mandatory Access Control is an access control model where permissions are assigned by a central security policy.
Subjects and objects have security labels, and access is granted or denied according to the policy.
The owner cannot freely change permissions if it violates the policy.
What is the difference between DAC and MAC?
DAC: the object owner assigns permissions.
MAC: a central security policy assigns permissions.
In DAC, the owner controls access.
In MAC, the system enforces the security policy.
What are security labels in Mandatory Access Control?
Security labels are classifications assigned to subjects and objects.
he system labels both subjects and objects with security labels
• Can only be modified by trusted administrators via trusted software
Examples:
- Unclassified
- Confidential
- Secret
- Top Secret
The system uses these labels to decide whether access is allowed.
What is Multi-Level Security (MLS)?
Multi-Level Security is a MAC model using hierarchical security levels.
Example levels:
Unclassified < Confidential < Secret < Top Secret
Access decisions are based on the security levels of subjects and objects.
To what Objects are accociated in LEVEL FUNCTION FOR OBJECTS: CLASSIFICATION ? and describe the elements
Security level = (classification label, {set of categories})
• Classification: total order of labels
• E.g., unclassified, confidential, secret, top secret
• Categories: compartments of objects on one topic
• E.g., nuclear, crypto, biological
In CLASSIFICATION, what is DOMINANCE RELATIONSHIP ? Give an example
A security level (L1,C1) dominates (L2,C2) if and only if L1 ≥ L2 and C2 is a subset of C1
Example:
• Labels: Admin < Nurse < Surgeon < Doctor
• Categories: DEMOGRAPHICS, ANALYSIS, RESULTS
Which statements are true?
• (D, {}) dominates (S, {})
• (S, {}) dominates (N, {RESULTS})
• (S, {DEMOGRAPHICS,RESULTS}) dominates (N, {DEMOGRAPHICS})
• (D, {ANALYSIS,RESULTS}) dominates (S, {DEMOGRAPHICS})
1. True
2. False
3. True
4. False
What are the Three key properties in DOMINANCE LATTICE
(a) Dominance is transitive
(b) Top and bottom elements
(c) Only partial order
Explain CLEARANCE level in LEVEL FUNCTION FOR SUBJECTS
• Clearance level: maximum security level of a subject
• Subjects can only access objects of same or lower security leve
What are the 4 BLP MODEL PROPERTIES and explain them ?
• L(X) = label of an object or subject X
• Clearance of the subject is compared to the classification of the object
• Simple security property:
• A subject S may read object O only if L(S) ≥ L(O) → no read up
• Star property (*-property):
• A subject S may write object O only if L(S) ≤ L(O) → no write down
• Discretionary property:
• If an access takes place, it must be in the access control matrix (ACM)
• Information should only be accessed on a need-to-know basis → DAC
• Least privilege principle inside the security level
• Also important to protect integrity
IS BLP USED IN PRACTICE TODAY?
• Often used in government or military environments
• Secrecy is of the utmost importance
• Need to protect sensitive information from unauthorized access
• Sometimes used in civilian organizations such as banks and hospitals
• Data security is critical and a robust cybersecurity model is required
What are the 4 LIMITATIONS OF THE BLP MODEL ?
• Confidentiality-oriented: does not consider integrity
• Rigid « no write down » rule (star property)
• Restricting users from writing to lower security levels to prevent leaks
• But also preventing legitimate information-sharing between users of different clearance levels, reducing system usability
• No consideration for covert channels where lower-clearance users might infer information based on system behavior (e.g., timing attacks), even though direct access is blocked
• Not suitable for modern dynamic systems
• Designed for static classification where security levels rarely change
• Impractical for modern IT environments with dynamic permissions and cloud-based access
→ alternatives: RBAC or ABAC
On what Bell-LaPadula focuses ?
• Bell-LaPadula focuses on protecting confidentiality
• Relevant for military or government applications
• Banking, stock and sales inventory, stock exchange, student grades database, electronic contracts, payments, ...
• Preventing fraud is about protecting integrity
• Confidentiality is either secondary or unnecessary
What do we mean by confidentiality ?
Concern: unauthorized disclosure of information
• Hide a, b, and/or result
What do we mean by Integrity?
• Concern: unauthorized modification of information
• Are a,b, and/or result correct? Has the adversary…
• influenced inputs a and b from honest parties?
• exchanged Operation for Operation’?
• changed the result?
• run the operation more times than allowed?
Integrity → the system operates as if there was no adversary at al
Quel est la différence entre Bell-LaPadula (BLP) et ?
Bell-LaPadula (BLP) protects confidentiality.
Biba protects integrity.
What are the Two operation of THE BIBA MODEL?
read (observe) and write (modify)
What are the Two key security rules of THE BIBA MODEL?
• Simple integrity property:
• A subject at a given level of integrity must not read data at a lower integrity level
→ no read down
• *-integrity property:
• A subject at a given level of integrity must not write to data at a higher level of integrity → no write up