“This application is unconfined. It can access all personal files and system resources.” - what does it...
There is this warning next to some applications in Ubuntu Software (I'm using Ubuntu 18.04 LTS).
What does it mean?
Should I avoid installing them? There is a red exclamation mark next to it, which is disturbing me ;)
18.04 software-center snap
asked 7 hours ago
LineLine
1176
add a comment |
There is this warning next to some applications in Ubuntu Software (I'm using Ubuntu 18.04 LTS).
What does it mean?
Should I avoid installing them? There is a red exclamation mark next to it, which is disturbing me ;)
18.04 software-center snap
asked 7 hours ago
LineLine
1176
I know there is a question about it, but it looks pretty dead - and I don't have any problems installing, I would just like to know what it means for the user.
– Line
7 hours ago
Related: Security of snaps under X11
– pomsky
6 hours ago
add a comment |
There is this warning next to some applications in Ubuntu Software (I'm using Ubuntu 18.04 LTS).
What does it mean?
Should I avoid installing them? There is a red exclamation mark next to it, which is disturbing me ;)
18.04 software-center snap
asked 7 hours ago
LineLine
1176
There is this warning next to some applications in Ubuntu Software (I'm using Ubuntu 18.04 LTS).
What does it mean?
Should I avoid installing them? There is a red exclamation mark next to it, which is disturbing me ;)
18.04 software-center snap
18.04 software-center snap
asked 7 hours ago
LineLine
1176
asked 7 hours ago
LineLine
1176
asked 7 hours ago
LineLine
1176
asked 7 hours ago
LineLine
1176
asked 7 hours ago
LineLine
1176
1176
I know there is a question about it, but it looks pretty dead - and I don't have any problems installing, I would just like to know what it means for the user.
– Line
7 hours ago
Related: Security of snaps under X11
– pomsky
6 hours ago
add a comment |
I know there is a question about it, but it looks pretty dead - and I don't have any problems installing, I would just like to know what it means for the user.
– Line
7 hours ago
Related: Security of snaps under X11
– pomsky
6 hours ago
I know there is a question about it, but it looks pretty dead - and I don't have any problems installing, I would just like to know what it means for the user.
– Line
7 hours ago
I know there is a question about it, but it looks pretty dead - and I don't have any problems installing, I would just like to know what it means for the user.
– Line
7 hours ago
Related: Security of snaps under X11
– pomsky
6 hours ago
Related: Security of snaps under X11
– pomsky
6 hours ago
add a comment |
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
If it is a well known software, it's perfectly OK to install. However, software often has bugs, which either good hackers or bad hackers can discover. In the later case, unconfined app means there is a chance that software that is exploited by malicious attacker will give them access to more than just confined environment, including system and files.
It's worth mentioning that some of the applications have access to X11 server, which is your standard GUI on Linux, which is inherently not a very secure. Application that is compromised, then, will have access to X11 resources, including among other things, the clipboard, and that could give access to the attacker to number of exploits. This doesn't mean that either application is bad or X11 itself are bad, or their interaction is bad. It's merely an acknowledgement of the greater attack surface given to malicious actors.
In other words, it's just a warning or disclaimer. It doesn't mean the software itself is inherently bad/broken/malicious.
See also:
- https://askubuntu.com/a/760813/295286
answered 7 hours ago
Sergiy KolodyazhnyySergiy Kolodyazhnyy
71k9147310
and what is the difference, why the other applications are "confined"? is it something about the way they are developed? or those are just more "official"?
– Line
6 hours ago
1
@Line Confined means application has access to only its own environment and in theory knows nothing of the outside world, aka the system on which you're running things. If it's compromised, well, in the best case it just gives attacker a chance to break the application but not your system, or use the system for it's own purposes. There's no "official" difference there. It merely means how much application can know and access.
– Sergiy Kolodyazhnyy
6 hours ago
add a comment |
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1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
If it is a well known software, it's perfectly OK to install. However, software often has bugs, which either good hackers or bad hackers can discover. In the later case, unconfined app means there is a chance that software that is exploited by malicious attacker will give them access to more than just confined environment, including system and files.
It's worth mentioning that some of the applications have access to X11 server, which is your standard GUI on Linux, which is inherently not a very secure. Application that is compromised, then, will have access to X11 resources, including among other things, the clipboard, and that could give access to the attacker to number of exploits. This doesn't mean that either application is bad or X11 itself are bad, or their interaction is bad. It's merely an acknowledgement of the greater attack surface given to malicious actors.
In other words, it's just a warning or disclaimer. It doesn't mean the software itself is inherently bad/broken/malicious.
See also:
- https://askubuntu.com/a/760813/295286
answered 7 hours ago
Sergiy KolodyazhnyySergiy Kolodyazhnyy
71k9147310
and what is the difference, why the other applications are "confined"? is it something about the way they are developed? or those are just more "official"?
– Line
6 hours ago
1
@Line Confined means application has access to only its own environment and in theory knows nothing of the outside world, aka the system on which you're running things. If it's compromised, well, in the best case it just gives attacker a chance to break the application but not your system, or use the system for it's own purposes. There's no "official" difference there. It merely means how much application can know and access.
– Sergiy Kolodyazhnyy
6 hours ago
add a comment |
If it is a well known software, it's perfectly OK to install. However, software often has bugs, which either good hackers or bad hackers can discover. In the later case, unconfined app means there is a chance that software that is exploited by malicious attacker will give them access to more than just confined environment, including system and files.
It's worth mentioning that some of the applications have access to X11 server, which is your standard GUI on Linux, which is inherently not a very secure. Application that is compromised, then, will have access to X11 resources, including among other things, the clipboard, and that could give access to the attacker to number of exploits. This doesn't mean that either application is bad or X11 itself are bad, or their interaction is bad. It's merely an acknowledgement of the greater attack surface given to malicious actors.
In other words, it's just a warning or disclaimer. It doesn't mean the software itself is inherently bad/broken/malicious.
See also:
- https://askubuntu.com/a/760813/295286
answered 7 hours ago
Sergiy KolodyazhnyySergiy Kolodyazhnyy
71k9147310
and what is the difference, why the other applications are "confined"? is it something about the way they are developed? or those are just more "official"?
– Line
6 hours ago
1
@Line Confined means application has access to only its own environment and in theory knows nothing of the outside world, aka the system on which you're running things. If it's compromised, well, in the best case it just gives attacker a chance to break the application but not your system, or use the system for it's own purposes. There's no "official" difference there. It merely means how much application can know and access.
– Sergiy Kolodyazhnyy
6 hours ago
add a comment |
If it is a well known software, it's perfectly OK to install. However, software often has bugs, which either good hackers or bad hackers can discover. In the later case, unconfined app means there is a chance that software that is exploited by malicious attacker will give them access to more than just confined environment, including system and files.
It's worth mentioning that some of the applications have access to X11 server, which is your standard GUI on Linux, which is inherently not a very secure. Application that is compromised, then, will have access to X11 resources, including among other things, the clipboard, and that could give access to the attacker to number of exploits. This doesn't mean that either application is bad or X11 itself are bad, or their interaction is bad. It's merely an acknowledgement of the greater attack surface given to malicious actors.
In other words, it's just a warning or disclaimer. It doesn't mean the software itself is inherently bad/broken/malicious.
See also:
- https://askubuntu.com/a/760813/295286
answered 7 hours ago
Sergiy KolodyazhnyySergiy Kolodyazhnyy
71k9147310
If it is a well known software, it's perfectly OK to install. However, software often has bugs, which either good hackers or bad hackers can discover. In the later case, unconfined app means there is a chance that software that is exploited by malicious attacker will give them access to more than just confined environment, including system and files.
It's worth mentioning that some of the applications have access to X11 server, which is your standard GUI on Linux, which is inherently not a very secure. Application that is compromised, then, will have access to X11 resources, including among other things, the clipboard, and that could give access to the attacker to number of exploits. This doesn't mean that either application is bad or X11 itself are bad, or their interaction is bad. It's merely an acknowledgement of the greater attack surface given to malicious actors.
In other words, it's just a warning or disclaimer. It doesn't mean the software itself is inherently bad/broken/malicious.
See also:
- https://askubuntu.com/a/760813/295286
answered 7 hours ago
Sergiy KolodyazhnyySergiy Kolodyazhnyy
71k9147310
edited 6 hours ago
answered 7 hours ago
Sergiy KolodyazhnyySergiy Kolodyazhnyy
71k9147310
answered 7 hours ago
Sergiy KolodyazhnyySergiy Kolodyazhnyy
71k9147310
answered 7 hours ago
Sergiy KolodyazhnyySergiy Kolodyazhnyy
71k9147310
71k9147310
and what is the difference, why the other applications are "confined"? is it something about the way they are developed? or those are just more "official"?
– Line
6 hours ago
1
@Line Confined means application has access to only its own environment and in theory knows nothing of the outside world, aka the system on which you're running things. If it's compromised, well, in the best case it just gives attacker a chance to break the application but not your system, or use the system for it's own purposes. There's no "official" difference there. It merely means how much application can know and access.
– Sergiy Kolodyazhnyy
6 hours ago
add a comment |
and what is the difference, why the other applications are "confined"? is it something about the way they are developed? or those are just more "official"?
– Line
6 hours ago
1
@Line Confined means application has access to only its own environment and in theory knows nothing of the outside world, aka the system on which you're running things. If it's compromised, well, in the best case it just gives attacker a chance to break the application but not your system, or use the system for it's own purposes. There's no "official" difference there. It merely means how much application can know and access.
– Sergiy Kolodyazhnyy
6 hours ago
and what is the difference, why the other applications are "confined"? is it something about the way they are developed? or those are just more "official"?
– Line
6 hours ago
and what is the difference, why the other applications are "confined"? is it something about the way they are developed? or those are just more "official"?
– Line
6 hours ago
1
1
@Line Confined means application has access to only its own environment and in theory knows nothing of the outside world, aka the system on which you're running things. If it's compromised, well, in the best case it just gives attacker a chance to break the application but not your system, or use the system for it's own purposes. There's no "official" difference there. It merely means how much application can know and access.
– Sergiy Kolodyazhnyy
6 hours ago
@Line Confined means application has access to only its own environment and in theory knows nothing of the outside world, aka the system on which you're running things. If it's compromised, well, in the best case it just gives attacker a chance to break the application but not your system, or use the system for it's own purposes. There's no "official" difference there. It merely means how much application can know and access.
– Sergiy Kolodyazhnyy
6 hours ago
add a comment |
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I know there is a question about it, but it looks pretty dead - and I don't have any problems installing, I would just like to know what it means for the user.
– Line
7 hours ago
Related: Security of snaps under X11
– pomsky
6 hours ago