Key/Object equivalence?

[William S. Frantz]

> Scanning through one of the KeyKOS papers again, I noticed
> the "Keybits" object, which presumably is used to implement KIDs.
> Are keys to this object generally available to most everything
> in a KeyKOS system, or are they privileged?  In other words,
> is having read-only access to the actual bits comprising a key
> considered a security threat in some situations?

KEYBITS is considered privilaged.  There are a number of reasons.
It allows the holder to violate abstraction.  It allows the holder
to nullify one of the asumptions the kernel was built on.  It prevents
the transparent movement of objects. etc. etc.

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Bill Frantz                   Periwinkle  --  Computer Consulting
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