Re: [qubes-users] Special template to isolate less trusted software?

2020-09-06 Thread 'hut7no' via qubes-users
I do this, but I use a squid proxy setup from rustybird to cache updates.
Starting up and shutting down VMs still takes the same amount of time though.

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Re: [qubes-users] Special template to isolate less trusted software?

2020-09-06 Thread Dan Krol
(By "local install" I mean per-user install)

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Re: [qubes-users] Special template to isolate less trusted software?

2020-09-06 Thread Dan Krol
My (perhaps naive) approach is to just use flatpak local install in the
AppVM. I don't have to mess with bind-dirs. I have a couple different
AppVMs where I have such proprietary software away from anything I want to
keep safe/private. I'm curious why people are talking about reinstalling on
startup, or the risks of keeping installed software in /rw etc. We're
already treating these VMs as low trust anyway right?

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Re: [qubes-users] Special template to isolate less trusted software?

2020-09-03 Thread Mike Keehan

On 9/3/20 12:44 AM, 'Ryan Tate' via qubes-users wrote:
I've started making special templateVMs where I install less trusted 
software, typically closed source binaries or code distributed directly 
from a vendor.


I am curious if others do this and if people think it adds much security 
wise.


For example, in addition to vanilla fedora-32, where I will install any 
number of packages from the standard repos, I have -


fedora-32-zoom (the proprietary videoconferencing software)

fedora-32-slack (the group chat app, installed from their own rpm)

fedora-32-print (had to run a Brother install tool to get printer 
working, use it from my dvm-print wich is firewalled only to my local 
printer ips)


fedora-32-media (has some proprietary media hnadling software)

I just don't like the idea of putting untrusted code in a templateVM 
used by sensitive VMs. On the other hand, perhaps I worry too much, in 
theory at least I do control when any given app is run? The Brother 
install was a bash script run via sudo (!!) that could have done 
anything but the others typically go in as rpm files via dnf, so 
presumably (?) they can't just install untrusted services that get auto 
launched.


Obviously this makes updates take longer, so it's got some cost.

Is this a wise approach? Or no? Thanks for any thoughts

  Ryan



Hi Ryan,

I do very similar things. I have a debian-media and a couple of other
specialised templates.  Also, I have a Skype standalone VM as I didn't
want a whole template just for Skype.

I had to give up on my zoom standalone VM because my usb camera was
very flakey when attached via sys-usb.  Works OK with skype, but
not zoom!?!

Mike

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Re: [qubes-users] Special template to isolate less trusted software?

2020-09-03 Thread Chris Laprise

On 9/2/20 11:39 PM, airelemental via qubes-users wrote:




I just don't like the idea of putting untrusted code in a templateVM used by 
sensitive VMs.


Me neither! But I avoid multiplying templates by installing apps directly into 
appvms.
This minimizes the number of templates I have to keep up-to-date.


FYI, that approach is risky. The code sitting in /rw or /home becomes a 
way for malware to persist between VM restarts.



The general strategy with installing packages inside appvms (at least those 
based on debian) is to make the package cache into a bind-dir and then 
reinstall package from cache every appvm startup.



A safer way to add apps at startup would be to use Qubes-vm-hardening 
(see my github below) and stash the packages in the 
/etc/defaults/vms/ dir... the vm-boot-protect service will run 
just before /rw is mounted and see that config files matching the 
current VM name exist. Its a good way to specialize appVMs without 
creating new templates.


Should also mention that snaps and flatpaks may be a better fit for 
adding apps at boot-time, since there is a chance you can do it quicker 
using little more than 'mv'.


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https://github.com/tasket
https://twitter.com/ttaskett
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Re: [qubes-users] Special template to isolate less trusted software?

2020-09-02 Thread airelemental via qubes-users



> I just don't like the idea of putting untrusted code in a templateVM used by 
> sensitive VMs.
>
Me neither! But I avoid multiplying templates by installing apps directly into 
appvms.
This minimizes the number of templates I have to keep up-to-date.

> fedora-32-zoom (the proprietary videoconferencing software)
>
You can save the zoom package into the appvm. Can also install its (open 
source) dependencies in the template. Then every time you start the appvm, just 
install the (already-downloaded) zoom package.

> fedora-32-slack (the group chat app, installed from their own rpm)
>
> fedora-32-print (had to run a Brother install tool to get printer working, 
> use it from my dvm-print wich is firewalled only to my local printer ips)
>
> fedora-32-media (has some proprietary media hnadling software)
>
The general strategy with installing packages inside appvms (at least those 
based on debian) is to make the package cache into a bind-dir and then 
reinstall package from cache every appvm startup.

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[qubes-users] Special template to isolate less trusted software?

2020-09-02 Thread 'Ryan Tate' via qubes-users
I've started making special templateVMs where I install less 
trusted software, typically closed source binaries or code 
distributed directly from a vendor.


I am curious if others do this and if people think it adds much 
security wise.


For example, in addition to vanilla fedora-32, where I will 
install any number of packages from the standard repos, I have -


fedora-32-zoom (the proprietary videoconferencing software)

fedora-32-slack (the group chat app, installed from their own rpm)

fedora-32-print (had to run a Brother install tool to get printer 
working, use it from my dvm-print wich is firewalled only to my 
local printer ips)


fedora-32-media (has some proprietary media hnadling software)

I just don't like the idea of putting untrusted code in a 
templateVM used by sensitive VMs. On the other hand, perhaps I 
worry too much, in theory at least I do control when any given app 
is run? The Brother install was a bash script run via sudo (!!) 
that could have done anything but the others typically go in as 
rpm files via dnf, so presumably (?) they can't just install 
untrusted services that get auto launched.


Obviously this makes updates take longer, so it's got some cost.

Is this a wise approach? Or no? Thanks for any thoughts

 Ryan

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