[EROS-Arch] Re: Interaction Design for End-User Security

[Joerg Bornschein]

On Thu, Mar 22, 2001 at 06:19:42PM +0100, Joerg Bornschein wrote:

> The real system has been manipulated to starts a virtual machine (do i 
> hear VMWare?) just after booting. This virtual machine in turn follows

There is a easier way:

As far as i know Intel has not pub. documented their microcode...It might
be possible to upload a update which implements a new machine command.
This command could simply mark the currently running code to be
supervisor code (Ring 0).

Now any program you run can circumvent all security restrains your OS
implements.


Sounds realistic to me....

=> your CPU may never run boot code you do not trust. Never.


  joerg


-- 
 The known is finite; the unknown infinite.    Intellectually we stand on 
  an islet in the midst of an illimitable ocean of inexplicability. Our
  business in every generation is to reclaim a little more land..
 						    	     --T.H. Huxley