[cap-talk] Selling capabilities programming

[Karp, Alan H]

> James A. Donald wrote:
>  > > Present day well behaved programs in present day
>  > > operating systems restrict their file accesses to
>  > > files that the user expects them to: their own
>  > > directories, and the files that the user directs.
>  > > They act as if they never acquire any durable
>  > > capability to access any file from the user or human
>  > > system administrator.
> 
> Karp, Alan H wrote:
>  > Unless a macro script embedded in the file directs
>  > them to do otherwise.

James A. Donald wrote:
> I said "well behaved".

You said "well behaved programs".  The program has no exploitable flaws.
It's operating the way it was designed to operate.  The only misbehavior
is the abuse by the macro of the excess authority granted to the
program.  My point is merely that we require every document we open to
be well behaved as well.  I consider that less practical than relying on
just the program.

________________________
Alan Karp
Principal Scientist
Virus Safe Computing Initiative
Hewlett-Packard Laboratories
1501 Page Mill Road
Palo Alto, CA 94304
(650) 857-3967, fax (650) 857-7029
https://ecardfile.com/id/Alan_Karp
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