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# Source-level debugger and security

- Date: Tue, 15 Jul 1997 19:37:43 EDT
- From:

    Hello...

    (This is the last of the MOO-Cows mailings I've been saving up for a
    moment of free time...)

    I was interested in hearing assessments of security issues raised by
    two features in the source-level debugger.  Being anything but an
    expert in MOO security, I took the conservative path and
    wizard-restricted these features.  I have been asked since then,
    however, if this is really necessary.

    The first feature I felt might pose a security problem is the
    set_task_debug() built-in function.  This allows the caller to change
    the +d/-d state of any given executing task *in any stack frame*, not
    just the "top-most" one.  It can be used on itself or on any suspended
    task.  It is currently wizard-restricted because I felt nervous with
    any less stringent level of security.  I was wondering if anyone can
    rationalize my paranoia or suggest that it is unfounded.

    The second feature that I felt raised security issues is the ability
    to mutate or undefine a variable in any frame of a suspended task or
    in the current task.  This clearly raises many significant security
    issues.  My question is if anyone can create a less stringent security
    check which is still sufficient to prevent the sort of nastiness that
    could arise when wizard-owned code calls player-owned code which uses
    this built-in?

    Finally, for those interested in experimenting with the SLD patch but
    who are not interested in writing lots of MOOcode using the interface
    it provides, sources suggest that a "$debug", based on a LambdaCore
    generic editor, is in the final stages of preparation...

    Thank you,

    --Nick Ingolia
    ingolia@mit.edu

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