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Date:      Sat, 24 Oct 2015 10:33:47 +0200
From:      Polytropon <freebsd@edvax.de>
To:        "O. Hartmann" <ohartman@zedat.fu-berlin.de>
Cc:        freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
Subject:   Re: replace uname -a informational string
Message-ID:  <20151024103347.393e3bea.freebsd@edvax.de>
In-Reply-To: <20151024102220.72af9738.ohartman@zedat.fu-berlin.de>
References:  <20151023090805.5484ce9b@freyja.zeit4.iv.bundesimmobilien.de> <1445622325.1169.29.camel@michaeleichorn.com> <20151023225424.49220466.ohartman@zedat.fu-berlin.de> <20151024080936.0ff26783@X220.alogt.com> <1445658972.13154.44.camel@michaeleichorn.com> <20151024130848.0a7e946f@X220.alogt.com> <562b3cd3.1J6RucNX8xldmcgb%perryh@pluto.rain.com> <20151024102220.72af9738.ohartman@zedat.fu-berlin.de>

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On Sat, 24 Oct 2015 10:22:20 +0200, O. Hartmann wrote:
> I do not want to hide the copyright notes. I simply want to hide the machine on which the
> kernel and world has been built since this machine is in most security appliances not the
> machine the binaries are running on!

This is possible by several means. If you want to hide
"root@whatever.example.com:/usr/obj/usr/src/sys/THENAME"
from the "uname -a" output (I think this is what you're
looking for), you can do the following:

1. Use a different account for building, not "root".

2. Temporarily (or separatedly!) set a different host
   name.

3. Do not use a "descriptive name" for the kernel
   configuration file.

4. Adjust the system's clock to report a wrong date,
   and make sure no background process will set the
   clock correctly (e. g. NTP).



> So I guess this is definitely something worth to
> hide, since "uname(8)" reveals informations someone wants to hide.

This information, as it has been explained, is stored
with the resulting kernel itself and can be queried by
more than one mechanism. That's why hiding it during the
build process will fit your needs better than anything
possible "afterwards" (i. e., when the resulting system
is already running).



> Second, it is, for the impact of skript kiddies, somehow of use to hide the OS'
> revision/version.

Hiding _this_ information is a bit more complicated than
what I've mentioned above. The build process sets variables
in many places, or obtains the relevant data from file
contents.



> And by the way, in some areas within the structure of companies or government hiding such
> informations is a feature that is explicitely or part of a catalogue of aspects to meet.

That's true. It does not prevent OS or version specific attacs
(because OS version x.y still is OS version x.y, even if it
doesn't say so), but when it's a requirement, it is a requirement.
Inside companies or government, there is no discussion about
requirements. :-)



-- 
Polytropon
Magdeburg, Germany
Happy FreeBSD user since 4.0
Andra moi ennepe, Mousa, ...



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