[libvirt] Question about LSN-2016-0001

[Jim Fehlig]

On 08/01/2016 03:13 AM, Daniel P. Berrange wrote:
> On Fri, Jul 29, 2016 at 02:16:16PM -0600, Jim Fehlig wrote:
>> I've noticed the behavior described by this LSN with libvirt+Xen. Config
>> containing <graphics type='vnc' passwd=''/> allows any client to
>> connect with no authentication check. I asked about this on the Xen security
>> list and was told that "libxl interprets an empty password in the caller's
>> configuration to mean that passwordless access should be permitted". The libvirt
>> domXML docs are not clear on semantics of empty vnc password, only stating "The
>> passwd attribute provides a VNC password in clear text".
>>
>> Should the libvirt domXML vnc passwd documentation be amended to define the
>> semantics of an empty string in the passwd attribute? Is the behavior
>> hypervisor-dependent as the documentation in qemu.conf suggests?
> I guess we've never clarified the semantics in any cross-hypervisor
> manner. I think the fixed QEMU behaviour is the most sane from a
> portability POV - the Xen (and broken QEMU) behaviour was effectively
> overloading 2 settings onto one attribute. ie it was (ab)using a zero
> length password as a way to change the authentication method.

I can't get past thinking the fixed QEMU behavior only changed the overloading
of passwd from "disable auth" to "disable vnc access" :-).

>  We should
> always have distinct XML attributes for distinct settings. IOW, any toggle
> betweeen password and no-auth should an explicit setting and a zero length
> password should not magically change that.

Shouldn't an empty password simply be rejected? I can't set a zero-length
password on my UNIX account

jfehlig at talkeetna:~> passwd
Changing password for jfehlig.
(current) UNIX password:
New password: <enter>
BAD PASSWORD: it is WAY too short
passwd: password unchanged
jfehlig at talkeetna:~>

Regards,
Jiim