Linux-kernel mailing list archive 2000-29,: Re: disk-destroyer.c

# Re: disk-destroyer.c

Mark Gray (markgray@iago.nac.net)
21 Jul 2000 03:48:54 -0400

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Andre Hedrick <andre@linux-ide.org> writes:

> At his point I do not give a damn about data, fs, backups......
> This is pure hardware destruction that anyone can do.
>
> Why is this such a big fight?
>
> Does everybody want the kernel to be able to screw itself just by
> blinking?

The thing is, Western Digital has activeX apps on their site which
will do low level Disk diagnostics, which means an activeX app can also
be written to do a low level format (poorly!) or rewrite the firmware.
If root can load a module or write to /dev/kmem there is nothing to
prevent him doing anything to the hardware he feels like, driver or no
driver. If someone gets root on a box then the "admin" did not take
proper precautions, which makes it even less likely that he set
capabilities to prevent a hostile root from "having his way."

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