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Trusted Extensions User's Guide     Oracle Solaris 11.1 Information Library
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Document Information

Preface

1.  Introduction to Trusted Extensions

2.  Logging In to Trusted Extensions (Tasks)

3.  Working in Trusted Extensions (Tasks)

Visible Desktop Security in Trusted Extensions

Trusted Extensions Logout Process

Working on a Labeled System

How to Lock and Unlock Your Screen

How to Log Out of Trusted Extensions

How to Shut Down Your System

How to View Your Files in a Labeled Workspace

How to Access the Trusted Extensions Man Pages

How to Access Initialization Files at Every Label

How to Interactively Display a Window Label

How to Find the Mouse Pointer

How to Perform Some Common Desktop Tasks in Trusted Extensions

Performing Trusted Actions

How to Change Your Password in Trusted Extensions

How to Log In at a Different Label

How to Allocate a Device in Trusted Extensions

How to Deallocate a Device in Trusted Extensions

How to Assume a Role in Trusted Extensions

How to Change the Label of a Workspace

How to Add a Workspace at Your Minimum Label

How to Switch to a Workspace at a Different Label

How to Move a Window to a Different Workspace

How to Determine the Label of a File

How to Move Data Between Windows of Different Labels

How to Upgrade Data in a Multilevel Dataset

How to Downgrade Data in a Multilevel Dataset

4.  Elements of Trusted Extensions (Reference)

Glossary

Index

Performing Trusted Actions

The following security-related tasks require the trusted path.


Caution

Caution - If the trusted symbol is missing when you are attempting a security-related action, contact your security administrator at once. The problem on your system could be serious.


How to Change Your Password in Trusted Extensions

Unlike the Oracle Solaris OS, Trusted Extensions provides a GUI for changing your password. The GUI grabs the pointer until the password operation is completed. To stop a process that has grabbed the pointer, see Example 3-5.

  1. Choose Change Login Password or Change Workspace Password from the Trusted Path menu.

    To select the password menu item, click Trusted Path in the trusted stripe.


    Figure 3-3 Trusted Path Menu

    image:Graphic shows the Trusted Path menu below the trusted symbol at the left side of the trusted stripe.

    Note - The Trusted Path menu item Change Workspace Password is active when your site is running a separate naming service per zone.


  2. Type your current password.

    This action confirms that you are the legitimate user for this user name. For security reasons, the password is not displayed as you type.


    Caution

    Caution - When you type your password, make sure that the cursor is over the Change Password dialog box and that the trusted symbol is displayed. If the cursor is not over the dialog box, you might inadvertently type your password into a different window where the password could be seen by another user. If the trusted symbol is not displayed, then someone might be attempting to steal your password. Contact your security administrator at once.


  3. Type the new password.
  4. Confirm the password by retyping it.

    Note - If you chose Change Password and your site is using local accounts, your new password does not go into effect until the zone or the system is rebooted. To reboot the zone, you must be assigned the Zone Security rights profile. To reboot the system, you must be assigned the Maintenance and Repair rights profile. If you are not assigned one of these profiles, contact your system administrator to schedule a reboot.


Example 3-5 Testing If the Password Prompt Can Be Trusted

On an x86 system that has a Sun keyboard, the user has been prompted for a password. The mouse pointer has been grabbed and is positioned in the password dialog box. To check that the prompt is trusted, the user presses the Meta-Stop keys simultaneously. If the pointer remains in the dialog box, the user knows that the password prompt is trusted.

If the pointer does not remain in the dialog box, the user knows that the password prompt cannot be trusted. The user then must contact the administrator.

How to Log In at a Different Label

The label of the first workspace that appears in subsequent login sessions after the first login can be set to any label within your label range.

Users can configure the startup session characteristics for every label at which they log in.

Before You Begin

You must be logged in to a multilevel session.

  1. Create workspaces at every label.

    For details, see How to Add a Workspace at Your Minimum Label.

  2. Configure each workspace as you want the workspace to appear.
  3. Go to the labeled workspace that you want to see when you log in at its label.
  4. Save this current workspace.

    For details, see How to Perform Some Common Desktop Tasks in Trusted Extensions.

How to Allocate a Device in Trusted Extensions

The Allocate Device menu item enables you to mount and allocate a device for your exclusive use. If you try to use a device without allocating it, you get the error message “Permission Denied”.

Before You Begin

You must be authorized to allocate a device.

  1. Choose Allocate Device from the Trusted Path menu
  2. Double-click the device that you want to use.

    The devices that you are permitted to allocate at your current label appear under Available Devices:.

    • audion – Indicates a microphone and speaker

    • cdromn – Indicates a CD-ROM drive

    • floppyn – Indicates a diskette drive

    • mag_tapen – Indicates a tape drive (streaming)

    • rmdiskn – Indicates a removable disk, such as a JAZ or ZIP drive, or USB hot-pluggable media

    The following dialog box indicates that you are not authorized to allocate devices:


    image:Graphic shows that the user sharonr is not authorized to allocate any device in the global zone.
  3. Select the device.

    Move the device from the Available Devices list to the Allocated Devices list.

    • Double-click the device name in the Available Devices list.
    • Or, select the device and click the Allocate button that points to the right.

    This step starts the clean script. The clean script ensures that no data from other transactions remains on the media.

    Note that the label of the current workspace is applied to the device. Any data transferred to or from the device's media must be dominated by this label.

  4. Follow the instructions.

    The instructions ensure that the media has the correct label. For example, the following instructions appear for microphone use:


    image:Graphic shows the dialog box that tells the user to turn off the microphone when not in use.

    Then, the device is mounted. The device name now appears in the Allocated Devices list. This device is now allocated for your exclusive use.

Troubleshooting

If the device that you want to use does not appear in the list, check with your administrator. The device could be in an error state or in use by someone else. Or, you might not be authorized to use the device.

If you switch to a different role workspace or to a workspace at a different label, the allocated device cannot work at that label. To use the device at the new label, you need to deallocate the device at the initial label, and then allocate the device at the new label. When you move the Device Manager to a workspace at a different label, the Available and Allocated Devices lists change to reflect the correct context.

If a File Browser window does not appear, open the window manually, then navigate to the root directory, /. In this directory, navigate to the allocated device to view its contents.

How to Deallocate a Device in Trusted Extensions

  1. Deallocate the device.
    1. Go to the workspace where the Device Manager is displayed.
    2. Move the device to be deallocated from the list of allocated devices.
  2. Remove the media.
  3. Click OK in the Deallocation dialog box.

    The device is now available for use by another authorized user.

How to Assume a Role in Trusted Extensions

Unlike the Oracle Solaris OS, Trusted Extensions provides a GUI for assuming a role.

  1. Click your user name at the right of the trusted symbol.
  2. Choose a role name from the menu.
  3. Type the role password and press Return.

    This action confirms that you can legitimately assume this role. For security reasons, the password is not displayed as you type.


    Caution

    Caution - When you type your password, make sure that the cursor is over the Change Password dialog box and that the trusted symbol is displayed. If the cursor is not over the dialog box, you might inadvertently type your password into a different window where the password could be seen by another user. If the trusted symbol is not displayed, then someone might be attempting to steal your password. Contact your security administrator at once.


    After the role password is accepted, the current workspace becomes the role workspace. You are in the global zone. You can perform the tasks that are permitted by the rights profiles in your role.

How to Change the Label of a Workspace

The ability to set workspace labels in Trusted Extensions provides a convenient means of working at different labels within the same multilevel session.

Use this procedure to work in the same workspace at a different label. To create a workspace at a different label, see How to Add a Workspace at Your Minimum Label.

Before You Begin

You must be logged in to a multilevel session.

  1. Click the window label in the trusted stripe.

    You can also click a workspace panel.

  2. Click Change Workspace Label.
    image:Graphic shows the Change Workspace Label menu below the window label in the trusted stripe.
  3. Choose a label from the label builder.

    The following illustration shows the user clicking the Trusted Path button.


    Figure 3-4 Label Builder

    image:Graphic shows the Trusted Path label being selected.

    After clicking this button, the user can select from the user labels. The workspace label is changed to the new label. On a system where labels are color-coded, new windows are marked with the new color.

  4. If you are prompted for your password, provide it.

    If your site is running a separate naming service per zone, users are prompted for a password when entering a workspace at a new label.

How to Add a Workspace at Your Minimum Label

The ability to set workspace labels in Trusted Extensions provides a convenient means of working at different labels within the same multilevel session. You can add a workspace at your minimum label.

To change the label of the current workspace, see How to Change the Label of a Workspace.

Before You Begin

You must be logged in to a multilevel session.

  1. To create a workspace at your minimum label, do the following:
    1. Click mouse button 3 over a workspace panel.
    2. From the menu, choose Preferences.
    3. Increase the number in the Number of Workspaces field.

      The new workspaces are created at your minimum label. You can also use this dialog box to name the workspaces. The name appears in the tooltip.

    4. (Optional) Name the workspaces.

      When the mouse hovers over the workspace panel, the name appears in the tooltip.

  2. To change the workspace label, select a workspace panel and change its label.

    For details, see How to Change the Label of a Workspace.

How to Switch to a Workspace at a Different Label

Before You Begin

You must be logged in to a multilevel session.

  1. Click a workspace panel of a different color.
    image:Graphic displays the panels at the bottom right of the desktop.
  2. If you are prompted for your password, provide it.

    If your site is running a separate naming service per zone, users are prompted for a password when entering a workspace at a new label.

Troubleshooting

If you are logged in to a single-level session, you must log out to work at a different label. Then, log in at the desired label. If you are permitted, you can also log in to a multilevel session.

How to Move a Window to a Different Workspace

If you drag a window to a workspace at a different label, the window retains its original label. Any actions in that window is performed at the label of the window, not at the label of the containing workspace. Moving a window is useful when you want to compare information. You might also want to use applications at different labels without moving between workspaces.

  1. In the panel display, drag the window from one panel to a different panel.

    The dragged window now appears in the second workspace.

  2. To display the window in all workspaces, choose Always Visible from the right-button menu in the title bar.
    image:Graphic shows the title bar menu with the Always Visible item on the menu.

    The selected window now appears in every workspace.

How to Determine the Label of a File

Usually, the label of a file is obvious. However, if you are allowed to view files at a lower label than your current workspace, the label of a file might not be obvious. In particular, the label of a file can be different from the label of the File Browser.

How to Move Data Between Windows of Different Labels

As on an Oracle Solaris system, you can move data between windows in Trusted Extensions. However, the data must be at the same label. When you transfer information between windows with different labels, you are upgrading or downgrading the sensitivity of that information.

Before You Begin

Your site's security policy must permit this type of transfer, the containing zone must permit relabeling, and you must be authorized to move data between labels.

Therefore, your administrator must have completed the following tasks:

You must be logged in to a multilevel session.

  1. Create workspaces at both labels.

    For details, see How to Add a Workspace at Your Minimum Label.

  2. Confirm the label of the source file.

    For details, see How to Determine the Label of a File.

  3. Move the window with the source information to a workspace at the target label.

    For details, see How to Move a Window to a Different Workspace.

  4. Highlight the information to be moved, and paste the selection in the target window.

    The Selection Manager Confirmation dialog box is displayed.


    Figure 3-5 Selection Manager Confirmation Dialog Box

    image:Window titled Selection Manager shows the source, destination, and transaction information for text being transferred from one window to another.
  5. Review the Selection Manager Confirmation dialog box, then confirm or cancel the transaction.

    This dialog box:

    • Describes why confirmation of the transaction is needed.

    • Identifies the label and the owner of the source file.

    • Identifies the label and the owner of the destination file.

    • Identifies the type of data that was selected for transfer, the type of the target file, and the size of the data in bytes. By default, the selected data is visible in text format.

    • Indicates the time that remains for you to complete the transaction. The amount of time and the use of the timer depends on your site's configuration.

How to Upgrade Data in a Multilevel Dataset

Multilevel datasets in Trusted Extensions ease the task of relabeling files. For more information about multilevel datasets, see Multilevel Datasets for Relabeling Files in Trusted Extensions Configuration and Administration.

Before You Begin

You must be authorized to relabel files. You can operate at two or more labels, one of which dominates the other.

A multilevel dataset is mounted in at least one of the labeled zones, and the mount name is identical, such as /multi, in every zone that mounts the dataset.

To permit relabeling, your administrator must have completed the following tasks:

You must be logged in to a multilevel session.

  1. Create a workspace at the higher label.

    For example, to upgrade a file from PUBLIC to INTERNAL, create a workspace at the INTERNAL label.

    For details, see How to Add a Workspace at Your Minimum Label.

  2. Open a terminal window and list the directory that contains the file to be upgraded.

    In this example, the filename is temppub1.

    $ ls /multi/public
    temppub1
  3. Relabel the file.
    $ setlabel "cnf : internal" /multi/public/temppub1
  4. Verify the label change.
    $ getlabel  /multi/public/temppub1
    /multi/public/temppub1: "CONFIDENTIAL : INTERNAL USE ONLY"
  5. (Optional) Move the file to a directory at the target label.
    $ mv /multi/public/temppub1 /multi/internal/temppub1

How to Downgrade Data in a Multilevel Dataset

To downgrade date, you first move the file to its target directory, then relabel it. For an explanation, see Multilevel Datasets for Relabeling Files in Trusted Extensions Configuration and Administration.

Before You Begin

You must be authorized to downgrade files. The administrator has mounted a multilevel dataset in at least one of the labeled zones, and has used a standard name, such as /multi, for all mounts of the dataset that you can access, and has permitted relabeling in that zone.

Therefore, your administrator must have completed the following tasks:

You must be logged in to a multilevel session.

  1. Create a workspace at the label of the source file.

    For example, create an internal workspace.

    For details, see How to Add a Workspace at Your Minimum Label.

  2. Open a terminal window and open a profile shell.
    % pfbash
    $
  3. (Optional) Confirm the label of the source file and its containing directory.

    For details, see How to Determine the Label of a File.


    Note - If the source file is at the same label as its parent directory, it cannot be downgraded in place. You must move the file. Moving the file is a privileged operation.


  4. Move the source file to a directory at the target label.
    $ mv /multi/internal-directory/file /multi/public-directory
  5. Change the label to the label of the target directory.
    $ cd /multi/public-directory
    $ setlabel public file
  6. (Optional) Verify that the file has been relabeled.
    $ getlabel /multi/public-directory/file
    /multi/public-directory/file: PUBLIC

    You can edit the file at the PUBLIC label.

Example 3-6 Changing the Label of a Directory

In this example, an authorized user relabels a directory.

First, the user moves or removes all files from the directory.

$ getlabel /multi/conf
/multi/conf: CONFIDENTIAL : NEED TO KNOW
$ mv /multi/conf/* /multi/confNTK/temp

Then, the user sets the label of the directory and verifies the new label.

$ setlabel "Confidential : Internal Use Only" /multi/conf
getlabel /multi/conf
/multi/conf: "CONFIDENTIAL : INTERNAL USE ONLY"