the power of being root

Reto Bachmann-Gmuer reto at gmuer.ch
Thu May 19 07:06:13 UTC 2005


Hi,

yes, that's normal!

the root user represents the owner of the machine and she can look at
every bit of the harddisk and even of the ram. User could encrypt their
files to prevent root from reading the content, but if they do the
encryption on the machine with the untrusted root, that doesn't make
things much more secure. The only safe solution is have your own
computer, where you're root.

I don't think other operating systems can be savier. Maybe they don't
provide some tools so the adminstrator must make a bigger effort to
access files without leaving traces, but basically a user that wants to
enter sensitive data on a computer has at least to trust the hardware
manufacturer that the hardware does nothing undocumented and trust the
person that installed the software. 

reto

Am Dienstag, den 17.05.2005, 02:28 +0700 schrieb sn00bb0rn.linux gmail:
> Dear all,
> 
> I am a newbie. I play with linux CLI now (using chmod and chown).
> It seems to me that if I am using su -as root- I can use all directories 
> and files that I -by my own setting- not allowed. For instance I have 
> set chown 700 to some files and folder as a normal user. I think it will 
> prevent anyone else using it (even root). But when as root I can still 
> read the content of thet file.
> My question is, is that a normal in *nix world ? I imagine how powerfull 
> an computer administrator of a company will be. He can read *all 
> sensitive data* that beyond his level. Please tell me, and point me 
> where my understanding of this matter that was wrong. Sorry for the 
> unproper English.
> 
> Thank you very much in advance.
> 





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