[MFD] Re: Resource Service updates for Security

[MFD] Re: Resource Service updates for Security

nchen at okidata.com nchen at okidata.com
Thu May 14 18:42:09 UTC 2009


Hi Ira,

P2600 covers the security threats that you mentioned here.

In short, firmware update must be through trusted path.

User's document if needed (depending on site security requirement), must 
be protected from disclosure and/or alteration.

There are many techniques to protect document disclosure and alteration. 
We think the best techniques to prevent from disclosure is by encryption, 
to detect alteration is by signing digital signature. 

Many MFPs today do not have these security in place, but they will 
eventually when they comply to the security standard.

-Nancy




Ira McDonald <blueroofmusic at gmail.com> 
05/14/2009 01:56 PM

To
nchen at okidata.com, Ira McDonald <blueroofmusic at gmail.com>
cc
mfd at pwg.org
Subject
Re: Resource Service updates for Security






Hi Nancy,

OK - I'm fascinated.

What conceivable system security could replace the
need for onboard antivirus software?

Especially given that many MFDs now update firmware
via a "special" Print Job - and do NOT have digitally
signed firmware packages with an unbroken, network-
accessible chain of authority to a major public Certificate
Authority.

Certainly scripts and macros invoked in ordinary
Print Jobs are very easily corrupted - users create
them, so they aren't digitally signed - verification of
source does NOT remove the need for verification
that the source system was not in fact corrupted.

Cheers,
- Ira

Ira McDonald (Musician / Software Architect)
Chair - Linux Foundation Open Printing WG
Blue Roof Music/High North Inc
email: blueroofmusic at gmail.com
winter:
579 Park Place  Saline, MI  48176
734-944-0094
summer:
PO Box 221  Grand Marais, MI 49839
906-494-2434


On Thu, May 14, 2009 at 10:54 AM, <nchen at okidata.com> wrote:

>
> Hi Ira,
>
> I haven't seen any security certification requirement that requires 
onboard
> antivirus on MFP yet.  Not sure what's the basis of your prediction.
> Antivirus software vendors of course will try to push their products on 
any
> platform. If you have not implemented MFP security standard, properly
> configure the system to secure it, antivirus might be a good idea to 
have.
> But once you have proper security instrumented, antivirus is not that
> critical. It's nice to have of course.
>
> -Nancy
>
>
>
>  *Ira McDonald <blueroofmusic at gmail.com>*
>
> 05/13/2009 06:20 PM
>   To
> nchen at okidata.com, Ira McDonald <blueroofmusic at gmail.com>  cc
> mfd at pwg.org  Subject
> Re: Resource Service updates for Security
>
>
>
>
> Hi Nancy,
>
> Several vendors currently offer MFDs that incorporate virus
> scanning of all files and executable modules and that CAN
> integrate into enterprise antivirus update schemes.
>
> Anyway, it was only an EXAMPLE (not a requirement) - though
> I think you will find that network endpoint attachment protocols
> and architectures are ALL going to require that you certify
> that you have healthy onboard antivirus on your MFD in the
> very near future.
>
> MFDs running Linux or other general-purpose operating systems
> are just too dangerous anymore without antivirus (or firewalls).
>
> Cheers,
> - Ira
>
> Ira McDonald (Musician / Software Architect)
> Chair - Linux Foundation Open Printing WG
> Blue Roof Music/High North Inc
> email: blueroofmusic at gmail.com
> winter:
> 579 Park Place  Saline, MI  48176
> 734-944-0094
> summer:
> PO Box 221  Grand Marais, MI 49839
> 906-494-2434
>
>
> On Wed, May 13, 2009 at 5:49 PM, <nchen at okidata.com> wrote:
>
> >
> > Hi Ira,
> >
> > I agree that
> >
> > "The threat is EXECUTING those Resources on an Imaging
> > System (the one hosting the Resource Service or ANY other
> > Imaging System) or even a desktop client system."
> >
> > and
> >
> > "The Resource Service spec should NOT say anything,
> > anywhere about internal versus external storage and
> > should NEVER reference a Resource Repository."
> >
> > But I don't think "virus scan" is practical for an Imaging System like 
an
> > MFD or HCD to verify whether the stored or retrieved Executable 
Resources
> is
> > safe to execute. There are many other techniques to verify the 
integrity
> of
> > these type of resources that are more practical for an MFD or HCD.
> >
> > Did I misunderstand something?
> >
> > -Nancy
> >
> >
> >
> >  *Ira McDonald <blueroofmusic at gmail.com>*
> >
> > 05/13/2009 05:01 PM
> >   To
> > nchen at okidata.com, Ira McDonald <blueroofmusic at gmail.com>
> >  cc
> > mfd at pwg.org  Subject
> > Re: Resource Service updates for Security
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Hi Nancy,
> >
> > Internal or external storage of the Resouces has NOTHING to
> > do with the security threat in 11.4 below.
> >
> > The threat is EXECUTING those Resources on an Imaging
> > System (the one hosting the Resource Service or ANY other
> > Imaging System) or even a desktop client system.
> >
> > The Resource Service spec should NOT say anything,
> > anywhere about internal versus external storage and
> > should NEVER reference a Resource Repository.
> >
> > Every reference in 11.1 through 11.3 to Resource
> > Repository should be deleted.  Users do NOT know
> > where a Resource Service stores things - if a vendor
> > does such an extension, then that vendor has broken
> > good security practice in their system design and
> > will justifiably fail independent security audits.
> >
> > The Resource Service is completely responsible *on its
> > own* for every Resource that it stores (anywhere) or allows
> > an authenticated user to retrieve (from the Resource
> > Service, that is).
> >
> > Any network system that hosts a Resource Service
> > is, by definition, an Imaging System - it may not be
> > dedicated (single-purpose), but it's still an Imaging
> > System.
> >
> > Another way of putting it is that "Imaging System"
> > is NOT simply a synonym for "Multifunction Device"
> > - it's a wider definition that includes Spoolers and
> > network server-hosted Imaging Services.
> >
> > Cheers,
> > - Ira
> >
> > Ira McDonald (Musician / Software Architect)
> > Chair - Linux Foundation Open Printing WG
> > Blue Roof Music/High North Inc
> > email: blueroofmusic at gmail.com
> > winter:
> > 579 Park Place  Saline, MI  48176
> > 734-944-0094
> > summer:
> > PO Box 221  Grand Marais, MI 49839
> > 906-494-2434
> >
> >
> > On Wed, May 13, 2009 at 12:16 PM, <nchen at okidata.com> wrote:
> >
> > >
> > > Hi Ira,
> > >
> > > Thanks for the text for the Security Consideration.
> > >
> > > Here are something I need to clarify, and some comments.
> > >
> > > 11.4  - Security Threats from Executable Resources
> > >
> > > It's not clear to me whether the security problem described here is 
for
> -
> > > 1) storing Executable Resources at an external storage location that
> > > involves an external system for storing the resource, and the 
Resource
> > > Service is hosted by an Imaging System. Or,
> > > 2) storing Executable Resources internally within the Imaging System
> that
> > > hosts the Resource Service.
> > >
> > > In both cases the security threat is to the Imaging System.
> > >
> > > If it's case 1) - I agree that the external system "SHOULD verify 
the
> > > safety of such resources (e.g., by virus scanning)". But we agreed 
in
> > last
> > > face-to-face meeting that it's out of scope of Resource Service to
> > consider
> > > anything related to the external storage system. What Resource 
Service
> > > should consider is the restriction of the storage and retrieval
> > operations
> > > on such resources to authorized users. How the external storage 
system
> > > should protect the stored executable resources is out of scope.
> Although
> > I
> > > prefer to recommend some security objectives to be considered by the
> > > external storage system.
> > >
> > > If it's case 2) - I don't think we should give "virus scanning" as 
an
> > > example to an Imaging System to protect the stored Executable
> Resources.
> > > Virus scanning or intrusion detection techniques are common in PCs, 
but
> > > rarely existent in Imaging Systems. It's simply not that practical 
for
> an
> > > Imaging System to have such software implemented which involves
> constant
> > > maintenance of upto-date virus signatures by external systems. At 
the
> > > abstract level, we can provide some good security objectives to
> consider
> > for
> > > the Imaging System, such as protection of confidentiality and 
integrity
> > of
> > > the resources and their related metadata. Like case 1), the storage 
and
> > > retrieval of operations on such resources must to restricted to
> > authorized
> > > users.
> > >
> > > A Resource Service could be hosted by a computer remote to the 
Imaging
> > > System that is under security consideration. We should consider this
> case
> > > too.
> > >
> > > 11.5 - Security Threats from Static Resources
> > >
> > > Static resources that have associated Intellectual Property rights 
or
> > > license rights that involves metadata such as DateTimeOfExpiration
> which
> > > should also be protected for alteration. Therefore, not only storage 
or
> > > retrieval operations on Resources must be restricted, other 
operations
> on
> > > resource metadata must be restricted too.
> > >
> > > Aslo the security problem you described here is for storing Static
> > > Resources internally in an Imaging System that hosts the Resource
> > Service.
> > > We should also consider the case when the Resource Service could be
> > hosted
> > > by a computer remote to the Imaging System.
> > >
> > > Thanks,
> > > -Nancy
> > >
> > >
> >
> 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > > Principal Engineer
> > > Solutions and Technology
> > > Oki Data
> > > 2000 Bishops Gate Blvd.
> > > Mt. Laurel, NJ 08054
> > > Phone: (856) 222-7006
> > > Email: nchen at okidata.com
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >  *Ira McDonald <blueroofmusic at gmail.com>*
> > >
> > > 05/12/2009 03:15 PM
> > >   To
> > > mfd at pwg.org, NancyChen <nchen at okidata.com>, Ira McDonald <
> > > blueroofmusic at gmail.com>  cc
> > >   Subject
> > > Resource Service updates for Security
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Hi Nancy,                                          Tuesday (12 May
> 2009)
> > >
> > > Per my action from the Resource Service review during the April PWG
> > > meeting, below is some text for the Security Considerations section 
of
> > > the Resource Service.
> > >
> > > 11.4 Security Threats from Executable Resources
> > >
> > > Resources with a ResourceCategory of 'Executable' MUST be handled 
with
> > > special care by implementations of the Resource Service.  Such
> resources
> > > can pose serious threats to the integrity of the Imaging System that
> > > hosts the Resource Service.  In particular, such Resources can be 
used
> > > to introduce Trojan Horses to the Imaging System.  If an 
implementation
> > > of the Resource Service supports Executable resources, then that
> > > implementation MUST restrict the storage of such resources (e.g., to
> > > authorized administrators and manufacturers) and SHOULD verify the
> > > safety of such resources (e.g., by virus scanning).
> > >
> > > 11.5 Security Threats from Static Resources
> > >
> > > Resources with ResourceCategory of 'Static' SHOULD be treated with
> > > special care by implementations of the Resource Service.  Fonts that
> > > have associated Intellectual Property rights (e.g., as part of their
> > > network licenses) can pose serious threats to the availability of 
the
> > > Imaging System that hosts the Resource Service - security audits can
> > > result in the shutdown or physical removal of the Imaging System. If
> an
> > > implementation of the Resource Service supports Static resources 
that
> > > have associated Intellectual Property rights, then that 
implementation
> > > SHOULD restrict the storage of such resources (e.g., to authorized
> > > administrators and manufacturers) and SHOULD restrict the retrieval 
of
> > > such resources (e.g., to a configured group of authorized users).
> > >
> > > Comments?
> > >
> > > Cheers,
> > > - Ira
> > >
> > > Ira McDonald (Musician / Software Architect)
> > > Chair - Linux Foundation Open Printing WG
> > > Blue Roof Music/High North Inc
> > > email: blueroofmusic at gmail.com
> > > winter:
> > > 579 Park Place  Saline, MI  48176
> > > 734-944-0094
> > > summer:
> > > PO Box 221  Grand Marais, MI 49839
> > > 906-494-2434
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
> >
>
>
>



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