[Bug 1205690] Re: Default settings for updatedb.conf do NOT index encrypted home!

[TTL]

> please explain why its a security problem?
Because a database with all the filenames is stored under /var/cache/locate/
So some stranger could guess what files you have in your encrypted /home partition, if /var is not encrypted.
I resolved this for me long ago by replacing /var/cache/locate/ by a symlink to some place inside /home where the database is stored now. But now me affects the missing indexing of encrypted drives aswell.

-- 
You received this bug notification because you are a member of Ubuntu
Foundations Bugs, which is subscribed to mlocate in Ubuntu.
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1205690

Title:
  Default settings for updatedb.conf do NOT index encrypted home!

Status in “mlocate” package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  locate does not find any files in encrypted home.

  I lost hours until I found the file(s) are actually there.

  
  I would like to propose one of three solutions:
  1) Modify the defaults in /etc/updatedb.conf so that encrypted home is indexed (or please explain why its a security problem?)
  2) During Ubuntu installation, add a step if the user chose encrypted home, allowing him to choose whether to enable indexing on the encrypted home.
  3) Add a hint in the relevant installation screen, where a user could click, and get a list of known issues caused by choosing an Encrypted home (such as locate not indexing it by default, complications accessing the ecnrypted home via Live CD, and few other issues unexperienced users often encounter using Encrypted Home.

  
  The third solution is by far my favorite, what do you think?
  We cant just leave it as it is, even googling for "ubuntu locate does not find files with . prefix" (my initial issue) has not clued me into the problem, it was pure luck someone on IRC guessed I might be using encrypted home! otherwise I might have wasted hours more looking where the file was gone, and why...

  ProblemType: Bug
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 13.04
  Package: mlocate 0.25-0ubuntu2
  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.8.0-26.38-generic 3.8.13.2
  Uname: Linux 3.8.0-26-generic x86_64
  NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
  ApportVersion: 2.9.2-0ubuntu8.1
  Architecture: amd64
  Date: Sat Jul 27 19:59:59 2013
  EcryptfsInUse: Yes
  InstallationDate: Installed on 2013-02-16 (161 days ago)
  InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 13.04 "Raring Ringtail" - Alpha amd64 (20130215)
  MarkForUpload: True
  SourcePackage: mlocate
  UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

To manage notifications about this bug go to:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/mlocate/+bug/1205690/+subscriptions