Chapter 15: Security

Operating System Concepts – 8th Edition Silberschatz, Galvin and Gagne ©2009
 Chapter 15: Security

 The Security Problem

 Program Threats
 System and Network Threats
 Cryptography as a Security Tool
 User Authentication
 Implementing Security Defenses
 Firewalling to Protect Systems and Networks
 Computer-Security Classifications
 An Example: Windows XP

Operating System Concepts – 8th Edition 15.2 Silberschatz, Galvin and Gagne ©2009
 Objectives

 To discuss security threats and attacks

 To explain the fundamentals of encryption,
authentication, and hashing
 To examine the uses of cryptography in
computing
 To describe the various countermeasures to
security attacks

Operating System Concepts – 8th Edition 15.3 Silberschatz, Galvin and Gagne ©2009
 The Security Problem

 Security must consider external environment of

the system, and protect the system resources
 Intruders (crackers) attempt to breach security
 Threat is potential security violation
 Attack is attempt to breach security
 Attack can be accidental or malicious
 Easier to protect against accidental than
malicious misuse

Operating System Concepts – 8th Edition 15.4 Silberschatz, Galvin and Gagne ©2009
 Security Violations
 Categories
 Breach of confidentiality
 Breach of integrity
 Breach of availability
 Theft of service
 Denial of service
 Methods
 Masquerading (breach authentication)
 Replay attack
 Message modification
 Man-in-the-middle attack
 Session hijacking

Operating System Concepts – 8th Edition 15.5 Silberschatz, Galvin and Gagne ©2009
 Standard Security Attacks

Operating System Concepts – 8th Edition 15.6 Silberschatz, Galvin and Gagne ©2009
 Security Measure Levels

 Security must occur at four levels to be effective:

 Physical

 Human

 Avoidsocial engineering, phishing,

dumpster diving
 Operating System
 Network

 Security is as weak as the weakest link in the

chain

Operating System Concepts – 8th Edition 15.7 Silberschatz, Galvin and Gagne ©2009
 Program Threats
 Trojan Horse
 Code segment that misuses its environment
 Exploits mechanisms for allowing programs written by users to
be executed by other users
 Spyware, pop-up browser windows, covert channels
 Trap Door
 Specific user identifier or password that circumvents normal
security procedures
 Could be included in a compiler
 Logic Bomb
 Program that initiates a security incident under certain
circumstances
 Stack and Buffer Overflow
 Exploits a bug in a program (overflow either the stack or memory
buffers)

Operating System Concepts – 8th Edition 15.8 Silberschatz, Galvin and Gagne ©2009
 C Program with Buffer-overflow Condition

#include <stdio.h>
#define BUFFER SIZE 256
int main(int argc, char *argv[])
{
char buffer[BUFFER SIZE];
if (argc < 2)
return -1;
else {
strcpy(buffer,argv[1]);
return 0;
}
}

Operating System Concepts – 8th Edition 15.9 Silberschatz, Galvin and Gagne ©2009
 Layout of Typical Stack Frame

Operating System Concepts – 8th Edition 15.10 Silberschatz, Galvin and Gagne ©2009
 Program Threats (Cont.)
 Viruses
 Code fragment embedded in legitimate program
 Very specific to CPU architecture, operating system,
applications
 Usually borne via email or as a macro
 Visual Basic Macro to reformat hard drive
Sub AutoOpen()
Dim oFS
Set oFS =
CreateObject(’’Scripting.FileSystemObject’’)
vs = Shell(’’c:command.com /k format c:’’,vbHide)
End Sub

Operating System Concepts – 8th Edition 15.11 Silberschatz, Galvin and Gagne ©2009
 Program Threats (Cont.)
 Virus dropper inserts virus onto the system
 Many categories of viruses, literally many thousands of viruses
 File
 Boot
 Macro
 Source code
 Polymorphic
 Encrypted
 Stealth
 Tunneling
 Multipartite
 Armored

Operating System Concepts – 8th Edition 15.12 Silberschatz, Galvin and Gagne ©2009
 A Boot-sector Computer Virus

Operating System Concepts – 8th Edition 15.13 Silberschatz, Galvin and Gagne ©2009
 System and Network Threats
 Worms – use spawn mechanism; standalone program
 Internet worm
 Exploited UNIX networking features (remote access) and bugs in
finger and sendmail programs
 Grappling hook program uploaded main worm program
 Port scanning
 Automated attempt to connect to a range of ports on one or a range of
IP addresses
 Denial of Service
 Overload the targeted computer preventing it from doing any useful
work
 Distributed denial-of-service (DDOS) come from multiple sites at once

Operating System Concepts – 8th Edition 15.14 Silberschatz, Galvin and Gagne ©2009
 The Morris Internet Worm

Operating System Concepts – 8th Edition 15.15 Silberschatz, Galvin and Gagne ©2009