gEDA-bug: [Bug 700333] Re: Local configuration should be parsed, not evaluated

["John P. Doty" <jpd@xxxxxxxxx>]

This isn't only a security problem. Tools that don't use libgeda still
need to be able to read the configuration. Such tools may not be written
in Scheme, and in any case won't contain the definitions from libgeda.

Another issue is that local configuration files need to override system
and user configuration settings. Therefore, for clarity and discipline,
the system and user configurations should also be parsed but not
evaluated. And, of course, the tools mentioned above need to read these
too.

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/700333

Title:
  Local configuration should be parsed, not evaluated

Status in GPL Electronic Design Automation tools:
  New

Bug description:
   affects geda
 security yes
 private no
 done

Currently, per-directory rc files are evaluated as Scheme scripts.  This
is an arbitrary code execution security risk.  For example, users (and
in particular *new* users) are likely to want to download and open
designs from elsewhere, and almost all designs include a 'gafrc' file to
set up per-project component libraries.

Instead of being evaluated, local configuration files should be parsed.
This way it would be much harder to craft malicious designs.

An example of a parsable configuration file format is the resource file
format used by PCB.

In addition, a tool should be developed for migrating existing designs'
rc files to the any configuration system.





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