Talk:Confused deputy problem

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Computer Security: Computing High‑importance

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Computing: Software Mid‑importance

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Unnamed section[edit]

Someone needs to solve the Confused Reader Problem for this article. It's written in sufficiently abstract terms that I can't figure out exactly what it's talking about, and I suspect the example may not be the best one possible, either. --Carnildo 02:28, 21 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Agreed. I rewrote the article; hopefully this will help. CLandau (talk) 20:10, 14 February 2008 (UTC)[reply]

The new version is much better. --Carnildo (talk) 22:42, 14 February 2008 (UTC)[reply]

The first paragraph states that the server runs with the client's access privileges, but the third states that the server runs with its own access privileges. Put another way, the first paragraph implies that the server would not be able to open BILL because the client does not have access to BILL. --object01 (talk) 13:19, 10 April 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Example - Personal Firewall.[edit]

How can the personal firewall possibly be a confused deputy when it's doing what it should? The browser is doing what it should too and the "attacking" software can't be the confused deputy. The example smells wrong to me, any thoughts? --Streaky (talk) 02:51, 7 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Simple solution to the example of a compiler server[edit]

Rather than having the server write the file to the filesystem, hand the result of the compilation to the client requesting the compilation; write the information to BILL and don't touch anything else. It is then the responsibility of the client to figure out where to put the result and there is no risk of privilige escalation or reduction -- the server will have access to exactly the things it needs and the client will also only have access to exactly the things it needs (or attempt to do something it's not allowed to do).

The example is trivial to solve (for example, by using any message passing interface), but I suspect the real problem is identifying when there is a potential problem in the first place -- i.e. when can a server be tricked, not how do you avoid it.

Right, but that also depends on the nature of the ordered service; for example, maybe clients don't want to actively wait on the other end of a message passing interface until their order is complete, what would be like having someone waiting for a postman instead of mounting a mailbox in front of his/her house. :)

Another solution might be to implement paths checking or some kind of "private" directories, or to simply refuse to overwrite any already existing files, or already existing files not belonging to the exact customer. Let's just remember the sticky bit, which might be the simplest solution when combined with a compiler switching to user's UID.

To me, this compiler example is here just to illustrate the problem – it's far away from not having a simple and effective solution. — Dsimic (talk | contribs) 01:27, 31 March 2014 (UTC)[reply]

Poor example given in confidence trick[edit]

All confidence tricks get the victim to do something that's against their own interests. "Salting" does not rely on the victim having any particular authority; the criminal just wants the victim's money. Jaysbro (talk) 11:28, 12 July 2014 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, the grocery store barcode example is silly too. That's not "confused deputy". It has nothing to do with the authority of the cash register or the computer system. It's just Fraud. Hornpipe2 (talk) 02:46, 9 October 2018 (UTC)[reply]

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