OS API and Security

[iceaway]

Yeah secrecy is part of it... Same concept as in C++ ... publishing interfaces but not giving out source for the implementation.

Drifting a bit far off-topic here (moderators feel free to split it into a new thread), but I'm interested in the secrecy thing. Could you elaborate a bit on how the secrecy of the implementation matters (except for hiding bugs)? I am (as you probably could guess) thinking about Linux, where everything is open source, yet it's a very secure operating system (if set up correctly).

Moderator note: this was split from Can I access the members of FILE struct for a file that been opened with fopen()?.

[laserlight]

Could you elaborate a bit on how the secrecy of the implementation matters (except for hiding bugs)?

The security provided by keeping an implementation secret is just an afterthought: it should not be relied on, similiar to how knowing the workings of a good cryptosystem should not allow the attacker to break the encryption.

[manasij7479]

.... it should not be relied on ....

And that is why(aside from user stupidity); I believe, so many viruses..and all of its progeny exist!!

[Codeplug]

A good read on the subject: Open vs. Closed - ACM Queue

gg