[Bug 1371695] Re: .deb packages do not support capabilties(7)

[BobD]

** Project changed: dh-make => dh-make (Ubuntu)

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Title:
  .deb packages do not support capabilties(7)

Status in “dh-make” package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  There are strong reasons to not run processes with full root
  privileges, and much work has been done to eliminate setuid
  executables from the distros.

  One tool in the toolbox for more secure processes is capabilities(7),
  which was defined in the (now withdrawn) POSIX 1e draft standard
  (http://wt.tuxomania.net/publications/posix.1e/download/Posix_1003.1e-990310.pdf.bz2).
  It provides a way to grant a process a finer-grained set of privileges
  rather than full root privileges.

  The RPM packaging system has supported capabilities via the %caps file
  directive since release 4.7
  (http://www.rpm.org/wiki/Releases/4.7.0#POSIX.1edraft15filecapabilities).

  deb packages should similarly support a way to specify that
  capabilities be set on delivered files, to encourage the adoption of
  more secure practices on Debian systems.

  Most daemons currently running as root do not require full root
  privileges, and would be more secure running at low privilege with
  specifically-defined capabilities as required. This would reduce the
  security vulnerability footprint of such processes and also enhance
  security analysis of such processes by explicitly declaring security
  requirements via the capabilities set. Even if we do not tackle this
  approach with all processes today, encouraging this approach will lead
  to better security practices.

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