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Date:      Fri, 30 Nov 2001 23:33:12 -0800 (PST)
From:      Dave <mudman@R181172.resnet.ucsb.edu>
To:        <freebsd-security@freebsd.org>
Subject:   options USER_LDT
Message-ID:  <Pine.BSF.4.33.0111302322520.763-100000@R181172.resnet.ucsb.edu>

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I really have no clue what the kernel option:
options	USER_LDT

means, except this rugged definition I found in LINT (paraphrase):
"Allow applications running in user space to manipulate the Local
Descriptor Table (LDT)"

Since it didn't come in the GENERIC (FBSD 4.4 REL), I'm assuming that
someone, somewhere, thought it would be a good idea to have this disabled
by default and maybe it was meant to be added in only by people who know
what they are doing.

Is there a security risk by allowing programs to access the Local
Descriptor Table?  (I'm not sure what the LDT is, but if it was off for a
reason I wouldn't want to challenge the decisions of those more informed
than myself.  If it wasn't for an efficiency judgement, it could of been
for a security judgement)



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