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[Hugh Davenport <785467@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

** Changed in: mahara
       Status: Triaged => In Progress

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/785467

Title:
  [Ongoing] Tainted data should be handled more carefully

Status in Mahara ePortfolio:
  In Progress

Bug description:
  There are two types of data that Mahara manipulates directly: images
  and compressed files.

  Images are resized using PHP libraries (running as the Apache user)
  and zip files / tarballs are uncompressed through PHP libraries (in
  the case of Leap) or through shelling out to run unzip.

  The problem with this is that this untrusted user data could
  potentially contain exploits which would take over the web server
  process and potentially write to / delete the dataroot or the
  database.

  Ideally, we should have the current insecure file manipulation mode
  for people on shared hosting or Windows as well as a more secure mode
  where tainted data is handled in a separate process and by an
  unprivileged and separate user account.

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