SoylentNews

The History of a Security Hole

posted by martyb on Thursday September 06 2018, @03:28PM   
from the Security-is-hard,-mmmmkay? dept.

DavePolaschek writes:

Back when Intel introduced the 80286, they didn't quite document everything right away. Errata were needed. Then the 80386 changed things. And then someone convinced them to add just one more feature at the last minute, which didn't get documented properly again.

The History of a Security Hole takes a look at the problems introduced by the I/O Permission Bitmap (IOPB) in the 80286, and how fallout from the implementation caused a security hole in all versions of OpenBSD up to 6.3 and NetBSD up to 4.4.

Conclusion? This programming thing is hard.

---

Original Submission

• x86-only dependencies x86-only dependencies (Score: 3, Informative) by Pino P on Friday September 07 2018, @01:34PM (3 children)

  by Pino P (4721) on Friday September 07 2018, @01:34PM (#731740) Journal

  IMO: an architecture whose time has come and gone. It's primary value is that Windows runs on it, and all of the Windows legacy software.

  And sometimes even people who want to port an application from Windows can't because of toolchain or library dependencies. So instead, they ship an x86 executable that has been tested on Wine.

  FamiTracker

  This GPL program, used for creating chiptunes (music using emulations of 1980s programmable sound generators), uses Microsoft Foundation Class Library (MFC). Has MFC been ported to non-x86 yet?

  BGB

  This is a widely used proprietary freeware Game Boy emulator that strikes what many in the Game Boy software development community believe is the best balance between speed and emulation accuracy. It's proprietary for two reasons. First, the maintainer feels that a release as free software would sow user confusion among forks. Second, like other programs written in the Embarcadero Delphi dialect of Pascal, it'd be Java-trapped [gnu.org] even if it were free. Delphi is also proprietary and paywalled,* and the last time I checked its price list [embarcadero.com], compilers targeting platforms other than Win32/x86 are far more expensive than those targeting Win32/x86, probably more than the hobbyist who maintains BGB is willing to pay.

  I'm interested in your solution for dependency problems like these.

  * To head off a digression: A freeware edition of Delphi [embarcadero.com] is available to persons with a gross income less than 5000 USD per year, but I doubt that many in developed countries qualify. Even the means threshold for Obamacaid in the United States is thrice that.

  Parent

  Starting Score:	1		point
  Moderation		+1
  Informative=1, Total=1
  Extra 'Informative' Modifier		0
  Karma-Bonus Modifier		+1
  Total Score:		3

• Re:x86-only dependencies (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 07 2018, @03:34PM

  by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 07 2018, @03:34PM (#731796)

  Yo interesting fact.
  I downloaded the delphi trial and the next day I was called by their sales guy. I explained that I was surprised how well delphi has aged but I only needed to recompile cheat engine and am not a corporation.
  He gave me a free year long license.

  Parent

• Re:x86-only dependencies Re:x86-only dependencies (Score: 2) by turgid on Friday September 07 2018, @04:56PM (1 child)

  by turgid (4318) on Friday September 07 2018, @04:56PM (#731838) Journal

  The Free Pascal [freepascal.org] people had a front end for Delphi in their compiler, and it's cross platform.

  --
  I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent [wikipedia.org].

  Parent

  • Re:x86-only dependencies (Score: 3, Informative) by Pino P on Saturday September 08 2018, @02:44AM

    by Pino P (4721) on Saturday September 08 2018, @02:44AM (#732020) Journal

    I asked the developer of the BGB emulator about Free Pascal and Lazarus, and he said it doesn't support all the GUI/VCL stuff that BGB uses.

    Parent