+x bit (Was: RFC: Autostart spec, first draft)

[Waldo Bastian]

On Thursday 07 July 2005 13:33, Mike Hearn wrote:
> Waldo Bastian wrote:
> > First draft, your feedback is highly appreciated.
> >
> > A desktop environment MUST NOT automatically start an application if
> > the corresponding .desktop file has NOT been marked as executable.
>
> There should be some rationale for this in the spec.  Marking .desktop
> files +x isn't especially difficult for installers, but:
>
> 1) Why is it necessary?

In previous discussion surrounding .desktop files it was considered a useful 
step to increase security (slightly). So I wanted to add it here right from 
the start.

> 2) What about noexec mounted home dirs?

That's a good point. Should a user be able to execute shell code located on 
such a home dir? Is ~/.profile parsed in such a setup?

> 3) For the case of auto-starting on external media eg CD-ROMs and USB
>     Keys, they may be formatted with a filing system that does not
>     understand the concept of the UNIX +x bit. What do people who want
>     auto-start files in this situation do?

They will need to understand the notion of "executable", no? How else would a 
user be able to start an application from the media without auto-start?

> I flicked through the original thread but didn't find any discussion of
> this requirement. As discussed previously on xdg-list, +x
> bits/noexec-mounts do not add any real security as they are easily
> circumvented by anybody who knows what they're doing, and for naive
> users they just add "security through obscurity" which doesn't help much
> either.

Cheers,
Waldo
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