The Hidden Complexity of Opening Files Across Security Boundaries
By
ffin
Front-window bakery material. Catches the eye, delivers the goods.
Summary
This article explores the complexity of opening files across security boundaries in software development. It contrasts the simple case for app developers (calling a standard library function) with the extremely difficult case for developers working with security boundaries involving shared filesystems. The author discusses the challenges when two processes on either side of a security boundary operate on a shared filesystem tree, highlighting the trust issues and technical hurdles involved in file operations in secure contexts.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledIf you are an app developer, you're lucky and it's almost always the first answer.
If you develop something with a security boundary which involves files in any way, the correct answer is very likely the second one.
Depending on the context the answer can be: very simple, just call the standard library function extremely hard, don't trust anything
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