227
votes
Accepted
What stops Google from saving all the information on my computer through Google Chrome?
What processes and systems are in place so that Google is not able to copy the data on my computer?
None. Google Chrome usually runs with the permissions of your user account. The application can ...
- 44.5k
98
votes
Accepted
Reason to not use chmod -R 777 on internal server for project source code?
However, after putting some thought into it I can't come up with a
reason why shared executable code on an internal server shouldn't have
777 permissions.
Because you're not only trusting every ...
- 72.6k
86
votes
What stops Google from saving all the information on my computer through Google Chrome?
A piece of unsandboxed software running on a PC/Mac has (generally) the same privileges as the user running it and therefore can access any data that can be accessed by the user.
You are trusting ...
- 62k
40
votes
What stops Google from saving all the information on my computer through Google Chrome?
If you are running a Linux distribution with SELinux, it is possible to have an additional layer of security. SELinux is an OS-level technology which allows tight restrictions on what processes — like ...
- 2,741
29
votes
Accepted
Does a single fopen introduce TOCTOU vulnerability?
A call to fopen is not in itself a TOCTOU vulnerability. By definition, TOCTOU involves two operations: a “check” and a “use”.
A common example of TOCTOU vulnerability is checking access permissions ...
25
votes
Reason to not use chmod -R 777 on internal server for project source code?
I'm gonna second @gowenfawr and say that breeding better chimpanzees is a goal unto itself here. (now I will extrapolate wildly about your corporate culture)
At my software development company, we've ...
- 58.6k
23
votes
What stops Google from saving all the information on my computer through Google Chrome?
Lawyers. You have a contract with Google stating what they will do / you allow them to do. This is called the Google Chrome Terms of Service . And obviously, you have carefully read it before ...
- 18.6k
21
votes
Would it be plausible to write your own anti-crypto-ransomware tool?
Why there are not already more anti-crypto-ransomware tools?
Because there are. They are called virus scanners and they should have heuristic algorithms to detect this behavior. Unfortunately the ...
- 49.2k
19
votes
What stops Google from saving all the information on my computer through Google Chrome?
What processes and systems are in place so that Google is not able to copy the data on my computer?
There's not anything in place that makes it so they can't but there's something in place that makes ...
- 1,785
15
votes
Claim that Skype is an unconfined application able to access all one's own personal files and system resources
It’s like this comic:
Generally, any program that runs under your account
can access any resources that your account can access.
Can Skype really scan anything I have in my home directory
...
12
votes
Something is changing my hosts file without asking
I faced similar problems.
I solved it by following these steps
Right click on hosts file go to properties.
Go to the Security tab.
Under Groups and users go to the System and edit permissions.
Deny ...
- 121
9
votes
Accepted
The history of thumbnails (or just a previous thumbnail) is embedded in an image file?
Jpeg files can contain Exif data, which can include a thumbnail. Theoretically, it seems it would be possible to store more than one, but I don't know of any program that does it, nor of a program ...
- 916
8
votes
Accepted
Could ransomware be stalled while encrypting?
Your suggestion is interesting; unfortunately a generic solution is not possible as there is no combination of bits that would cause an encryption algorithm to "stall". Encryption is just math, after ...
- 34.1k
7
votes
A file that doesn't allow copy/paste or print
Nope, and it can't exist in the general case, because you don't control the client device. This is essentially the problem that DRM solutions try to solve for video and audio content, and text or ...
- 27.3k
7
votes
Reason to not use chmod -R 777 on internal server for project source code?
Unless the program requires write permissions, I am confused as to why your coworker used chmod -R 777 /opt/path/to/shared/folder when chmod -R 775 /opt/path/to/shared/folder would still allow read ...
- 1,867
6
votes
Accepted
Is random URL token secure enough for file attachments and other user content?
While it definitely does provide a degree of security, it still leaves you a number of security holes that may or may not matter dependent on the type of application you are developing. For a non-...
- 326
6
votes
Accepted
Is it possible to browse/access the files on a computer's hard drive by booting from an OS installed in a flash drive?
In general, yes, booting from a flash drive gives you access to anything that's not encrypted.
In this specific case, Tails itself is stopping you. It's voluntarily respecting the permissions ...
- 1,981
5
votes
Accepted
How to detect if files were saved or copied from an external hard drive/USB?
Reading the file is copying it into active memory.
Once the file is in active memory, you can't control what happens next.
There are special platforms which perform DRM (Digital Rights Management)...
- 7,525
5
votes
Accepted
How to spare file server data from being held hostage by client ransomware?
Generally, make sure you enforce the least privilege principle as much as you can. Evaluate the damage that would be done to the business if a ransomware encrypts all the files and balance it against ...
- 2,553
4
votes
Is it possible to browse/access the files on a computer's hard drive by booting from an OS installed in a flash drive?
OS access permissions of files at best prevent you from reading the files while that OS is running. Besides booting from a USB drive, you can also remove the drive and attach it to another computer as ...
- 14.8k
4
votes
Is denying write access an effective way to stop ransomware?
Can be done? Yes, it can.
It is worth? I doubt.
It is effective? Probably, probably not.
If you set the folder as read-only using your normal user account, ransomware can revert it to read-write, ...
- 52.8k
4
votes
Accepted
How to grant permission to read a text file to a specific application run by a regular user?
Create a new user called X. Make the file only readable by X. Change ownership of the app file to X and make it setuid. Now only the app and root can access the file.
- 14.8k
4
votes
Accepted
How to eliminate data leaks when accessing encrypted data?
Does method 2 address data leak vulnerabilities present when accessing files via method 1?
Not at all. It just ensures that the already-protected VeraCrypt container will be saved to an encrypted ...
- 9,149
4
votes
Accepted
Do AppArmor/SELinux provide any security for workstation?
I did. You need a plan, and you need to master the tools. You need to be able to compromise where you can and where you have to compromise. You need to work to make it reality.
Access control is part ...
- 56
4
votes
Accepted
How did stuxnet hid it's files after the infection?
Answer is also simple - inject into Explorer and hook the following functions:
FindFirstFileW
FindNextFileW
FindFirstFileExW
NtQueryDirectoryFile
ZwQueryDirectoryFile
.
Symantec has a bit more in ...
- 721
4
votes
How to technically introduce my boss to computer file security?
... but I lack the technical arguments why ...
With such a position it is likely hard to convince your boss. And your boss is even probably right when arguing that what you want is weakening the ...
- 196k
3
votes
Accepted
Is it possible to log all file reads performed by an application in Windows 7?
Process monitor can do that for you:
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb896645.aspx
3
votes
Can email services upload files from your computer without your permission/knowledge?
Depends what you mean by "email service", since as a general rule you're using some client to access an email service, and clients have different capabilities and restrictions.
For example, mobile ...
- 45.4k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible