diff --git a/documentation/dev-manual/dev-manual-common-tasks.xml b/documentation/dev-manual/dev-manual-common-tasks.xml index dffba96e7d..72551fb7ab 100644 --- a/documentation/dev-manual/dev-manual-common-tasks.xml +++ b/documentation/dev-manual/dev-manual-common-tasks.xml @@ -3841,7 +3841,7 @@ Making Images More Secure - Security for a device is always a concern. + Security is of increasing concern for embedded devices. Consider the issues and problems discussed in just this sampling of work found across the Internet: @@ -3872,15 +3872,14 @@ Gateways via their Web Interfaces" image secure. Consequently, this section provides some guidance and suggestions for consideration when you want to make your image more secure. - - - - Because the security requirements and risks are - different for every type of device, this section cannot - provide a complete reference on securing your custom OS. - It is strongly recommended that you also consult other sources - of information on embedded Linux system hardening and on - security. + + Because the security requirements and risks are + different for every type of device, this section cannot + provide a complete reference on securing your custom OS. + It is strongly recommended that you also consult other sources + of information on embedded Linux system hardening and on + security. +
@@ -3928,7 +3927,7 @@ Gateways via their Web Interfaces" Ensure you remove or disable debugging functionality before producing the final image. For information on how to do this, see the - "Considerations Specific to the OpenEmbedded Build System + "Considerations Specific to the OpenEmbedded Build System" section. @@ -4009,38 +4008,34 @@ Gateways via their Web Interfaces" during production. - It is possible to set a root password for the image. - When you set up root passwords for multiple images, - you should not duplicate them. - See the note on passwords at the end of this list. + It is possible to set a root password for the image + and also to set passwords for any extra users you might + add (e.g. administrative or service type users). + When you set up passwords for multiple images or + users, you should not duplicate passwords. - To set up a root password, - use the extrausers - class, which is the preferred method. - For an example on how to set up the root password, - see the + To set up passwords, use the + extrausers class, which is the + preferred method. + For an example on how to set up both root and user + passwords, see the "extrausers.bbclass" section. - You can also see the the example in the - How do I set or change the root password Wiki - page as an alternative method. + When adding extra user accounts or setting a + root password, be cautious about setting the + same password on every device. + If you do this, and the password you have set + is exposed, then every device is now potentially + compromised. + If you need this access but want to ensure + security, consider setting a different, + random password for each device. + Typically, you do this as a separate step after + you deploy the image onto the device. - - It is possible to add an additional user account - for later administrative or service access. - As with root passwords, be sure to not duplicate - passwords for generic users (e.g. tester, qa, and - so forth) across multiple devices. - See the note on passwords following this list. - - - As with the root password, you also use the - extrausers - class. - Consider enabling a Mandatory Access Control (MAC) framework (such as SMACK or SELinux) and tuning it @@ -4050,17 +4045,6 @@ Gateways via their Web Interfaces" - A Note about Passwords - When adding extra user accounts or deciding on root - passwords for multiple devices, be cautious about setting - the same passwords for multiple users or devices. - If you want the device to remain secure from unauthorized - access, and the password set on all devices becomes - compromised, then every device becomes compromised. - If you need this access but want to ensure security, - consider setting a different, random passwords for each - user or device. -