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classification
Title: insecure os.urandom on VMS
Type: security Stage: patch review
Components: Library (Lib) Versions: Python 3.1, Python 3.2, Python 3.3, Python 2.7, Python 2.6
process
Status: closed Resolution: wont fix
Dependencies: Superseder:
Assigned To: Nosy List: adiroiban, loewis, vstinner, zooko
Priority: normal Keywords:

Created on 2010年06月30日 03:48 by zooko, last changed 2022年04月11日 14:57 by admin. This issue is now closed.

Messages (6)
msg108963 - (view) Author: Zooko O'Whielacronx (zooko) Date: 2010年06月30日 03:48
os.urandom() on VMS invokes OpenSSL's RAND_pseudo_bytes(). That is documented on:
http://www.openssl.org/docs/crypto/RAND_bytes.html
as being predictable and therefore unsuitable for many cryptographic purposes. This is inconsistent with the documentation of os.urandom():
"""
urandom(n) -> str\n\n\
Return a string of n random bytes suitable for cryptographic use.
"""
This probably means that users of Python on VMS are vulnerable to attack based on the predictability of the results they get from os.urandom().
Honestly, I would have guessed that there *were* no users of Python on VMS when I started this bug report, but look--apparently there are:
http://www.vmspython.org
To fix this, change the call from RAND_pseudo_bytes() to RAND_bytes(). It has the same type signature and actually does what os.urandom() needs.
msg108964 - (view) Author: Zooko O'Whielacronx (zooko) Date: 2010年06月30日 03:49
HACK Zooko-Ofsimplegeos-MacBook-Pro:~/playground/python/release27-trunk$ svn diff
Index: Modules/posixmodule.c
===================================================================
--- Modules/posixmodule.c (revision 82382)
+++ Modules/posixmodule.c (working copy)
@@ -8481,7 +8481,7 @@
 result = PyString_FromStringAndSize(NULL, howMany);
 if (result != NULL) {
 /* Get random data */
- if (RAND_pseudo_bytes((unsigned char*)
+ if (RAND_bytes((unsigned char*)
 PyString_AS_STRING(result),
 howMany) < 0) {
 Py_DECREF(result);
msg108965 - (view) Author: Zooko O'Whielacronx (zooko) Date: 2010年06月30日 03:49
This issue is a security vulnerability.
msg158203 - (view) Author: STINNER Victor (vstinner) * (Python committer) Date: 2012年04月13日 09:58
> This issue is a security vulnerability.
I disagree, it's just an issue of a comment in the C code. The Python documentation doesn't guarantee that os.urandom() is cryptographic.
Use ssl.RAND_bytes(), added to Python 3.3, if you need cryptographic random numbers.
By the way, VMS is no more supported in Python 3.3, see the PEP 11:
 Name: VMS
 Unsupported in: Python 3.3
 Code removed in: Python 3.4
msg158204 - (view) Author: STINNER Victor (vstinner) * (Python committer) Date: 2012年04月13日 10:00
- if (RAND_pseudo_bytes((unsigned char*)
+ if (RAND_bytes((unsigned char*)
This is not a good idea: RAND_bytes() is blocking, whereas os.urandom() doesn't block on other platforms. os.urandom() is similar to /dev/urandom (non blocking), whereas /dev/random is blocking. With this patch, Python may block at startup if there is not enough entropy.
msg159777 - (view) Author: Martin v. Löwis (loewis) * (Python committer) Date: 2012年05月02日 06:31
I'm closing this as "won't fix". Unless somebody is able to report that they actually tested the proposed change successfully, there is no point in adding it. Most likely, Python won't even build on VMS, in which case this is not a security issue at all.
History
Date User Action Args
2022年04月11日 14:57:03adminsetgithub: 53369
2012年05月02日 06:31:08loewissetstatus: open -> closed
resolution: wont fix
messages: + msg159777
2012年04月13日 10:00:14vstinnersetmessages: + msg158204
2012年04月13日 09:58:31vstinnersetmessages: + msg158203
2012年04月13日 09:43:25pitrousetnosy: + vstinner
stage: patch review

versions: + Python 3.3
2012年04月12日 22:02:13adiroibansetnosy: + adiroiban
2010年06月30日 09:47:06pitrousetnosy: + loewis

type: security
components: + Library (Lib)
versions: + Python 2.6, Python 3.1, Python 2.7, Python 3.2
2010年06月30日 03:49:55zookosetmessages: + msg108965
2010年06月30日 03:49:26zookosetmessages: + msg108964
2010年06月30日 03:48:33zookocreate

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