Subject: bug#31709: 27.0.50; Wishlist: Perhaps Emacs should load a file when getting a particular signal?

From: Phil Sainty <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 06 Jun 2018 04:36:53 +1200

On 2018-06-06 04:24, Robert Pluim wrote:
> Phil Sainty <[email-masked]> writes:
>> In fact if you normally run emacs as a server you're opening up the
>> same security risk, no?  An attacker who could send a signal to an
>> emacs process can also run emacsclient to access an existing server;
>> and I don't think we consider the practice of running an emacs server
>> to be a terrible security risk.
> 
> What if this hypothetical emacs was deliberately started without a
> server running, since it contains sensitive information? Starting a
> server when receiving a signal has now opened up access to that emacs
> where none existed before.

Certainly -- if we *are* treating emacs servers in general as a security
risk, then the concern seems valid.

-Phil