Hi there,
I am trying to find a method to delete *running* memory/SWAP to get rid of
the pgp-passphrase there after using it. To protect the passphrase I found
several hints on the net, like these ones:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
" ... sudo chown root:root `which gpg`
sudo chmod u+s `which gpg`
gnupg needs root privs to lock the memory pages so they don't get
inadvertantly paged out to disk. (Thereby leaving a plaintext copy of
your "secure" message in disk for others to look at)."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
".... Second, all passphrases are stored in non-secure memory, unless
you "chown root" and "chmod 4755" your script first. Third, your
script probably store passpharses somewhere on the disk, and
this is *not* secure."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
setuid root = security risk?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
".... 'setuid root' (chmod 4755 /usr/bin/gpg) , but this is also
considered a security risk...."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
the following seems to be related to PGP *and* swap file:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
> We investigated the allegations made in the PGPdisk thread from a few
> weeks ago. We were unable to duplicate the claim even after
> significant testing.
>
> Interestingly, what we saw a couple of times is that the passphrase
> was in the swap file because the disk editing program we were using
> for the tests had put it there as it was searching for that string.
> The moral of the story is that the very act of testing for this
> problem requires a laboratory environment because any software which
> searches for the passphrase under Win32 could write the passphrase to
> disk because it is the search string.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
I also found the idea (if I understood it correctly ...) that in mutt it
would be possible to remove the passphrase with <CTRL>F from memory ....
but I am using pine, and I'd like to continue doing this ... :)
I guess the most appropriate way is simply to remove the passphrase from
memory by deleting running memory/Swap ... but is this possible with my
machine? I have RedHat 6.1 on it, with the kernel from this version, and
Pine 4.30.
Thanks in anticipation.
Wolfgang.
--
http://www.jta.org/index.exe?9807133
Neo-Nazis intimidating travelers in German town (7/12/98)
more info? ... please forward this mail to:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
_______________________________________________
Redhat-list mailing list
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
https://listman.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/redhat-list
