Re: enable CONFIG_INTEL_TXT

[Posted April 7, 2010 by jake]

From:		Stephen Smalley <sds-+05T5uksL2qpZYMLLGbcSA-AT-public.gmane.org>
To:		James Morris <jmorris-gx6/JNMH7DfYtjvyW6yDsg-AT-public.gmane.org>
Subject:		Re: enable CONFIG_INTEL_TXT
Date:		Thu, 01 Apr 2010 09:38:02 -0400
Cc:		gcwilson-r/Jw6+rmf7HQT0dZR+AlfA-AT-public.gmane.org, kernel-TuqUDEhatI4ANWPb/1PvSmm0pvjS0E/A-AT-public.gmane.org, Eric Paris <eparis-H+wXaHxf7aLQT0dZR+AlfA-AT-public.gmane.org>

On Thu, 2010-04-01 at 15:02 +1100, James Morris wrote:
> On Wed, 31 Mar 2010, Eric Paris wrote:
> 
> > Simple answer is 'because Intel says so.'  I'm sorry but I don't think
> > I'm allowed to divulge any reasons Intel may or may not have shared with
> > Red Hat.
> 
> It seems odd to me that the full design and operation of a security 
> mechanism is not being made available, and that the reasons for this 
> are also not able to be divulged.
> 
> Note that an SINIT AC module was recently reverse engineered, found to be 
> buggy, and then used break TXT:
> 
> http://theinvisiblethings.blogspot.com/2009/12/another-tx...
> 
> I really hope the secrecy of the AC module is not part of its security 
> design.
> 
> In any case, I don't see any technical reason not to enable the option.

As far as I know the security of TXT in no way relies upon keeping the
SINIT module closed source.

-- 
Stephen Smalley
National Security Agency