On 18/05/2010 10:38 PM, Assaf Gordon wrote:
Hello,
I have a setup similar to Rweb ( http://www.math.montana.edu/Rweb/ ):
I get R scripts from users and need to execute them in in a safe manner (they
are executed automatically, without human inspection).
I would like to limit the user's script to reading from STDIN and writing to
STDOUT/ERR.
Specifically, preventing any kind of interaction with the underlying operating
system (files, sockets, system(), etc.).
I've found this old thread:
http://r.789695.n4.nabble.com/R-in-a-sandbox-jail-td921991.html
But for technical reasons I'd prefer not to setup a chroot jail.
I have written a patch that adds a "--sandbox" parameter.
When this parameter is used, the user's script can't create any kind of connection object
or run "system()".
That sounds too restrictive. R uses connections internally in various
places, with no reference to the file system. It also uses them when
reading its own files. So if you stop a user from creating connections,
you'll somehow need to distinguish between user-created ones and
internally necessary ones: not easy.
My plan is to run R like this:
cat INPUT | R --vanila --slave --sandbox --file SCRIPT.R > OUTPUT
Where 'INPUT' is my chosen input and 'SCRIPT.R' is the script submitted by the
user.
If the script tries to create a conncetion or run a disabled function, an error
is printed.
This is the patch:
http://cancan.cshl.edu/labmembers/gordon/files/R_2.11.0_sandbox.patch
So my questions are:
1. Would you be willing to consider this feature for inclusion ?
2. Are there any other 'dangerous' functions I need to intercept ( ".Internal"
perhaps ?)
.Internal is needed by tons of base functions. So again, you'll need to
distinguish where the call is coming from, and that's not easy.
Duncan Murdoch
All comments and suggestions are welcomed,
thanks,
-gordon
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