Subject: bug#865: 23.0.60; The directory is unsafe today

From: Stefan Monnier <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 09 Sep 2008 10:37:57 -0400

> Not exactly: most programs don't use these special flags, and some of
> them seem to require special privileges, although I'm not quite sure
> who can gain those privileges.  (A small test program confirmed that I
> can gain them, even though I'm not in the Administrators group.)

> See:

>   http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa364399(VS.85).aspx

> for more details.

> But I don't think we should dismiss the privacy issue just because it
> can be bypassed by an ill meaning program: the same can happen on
> Unix, given a program that deliberately gains root access.  "Normal"
> programs don't use those special access flags and privileges, and so
> cannot access files in a private directory.

Huh?  Those programs that can deliberately gain root access are kept
under very tight control.  For a normal user to be able to read
arbitrary files on the system is considered as a major security hole on
unixy systems (even if she has to go through contortions to do that).

        Stefan