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Date: Wed, 23 May 2007 16:04:20 -0600 (MDT)
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To: cperciva@freebsd.org
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Cc: wollman@hergotha.csail.mit.edu, freebsd-arch@freebsd.org
Subject: Re: RFC: Removing file(1)+libmagic(3) from the base system
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In message: <465482BA.4050607@freebsd.org>
            Colin Percival <cperciva@freebsd.org> writes:
: Garrett Wollman wrote:
: > In article <mit.lcs.mail.freebsd-arch/46546E16.9070707@freebsd.org> you write:
: >> FreeBSD architects and file(1) maintainer,
: >> 3. Due to its nature as a program which parses multiple data formats, it
: >> poses an unusually high risk of having security problems in the future
: >> (cf. ethereal/wireshark).
: > 
: > And this doesn't apply to, say, awk(1)?
: 
: Eh?  Unless I'm seriously confused, awk doesn't parse any data formats...

It handles arbitrary data from potentially hostile sources as well.

But only when the users asks it to do so...

Warner