Performing Trusted Actions

The following security-related tasks require the trusted path.

Caution - If the trusted symbol is missing when you are attempting a security-related action, contact your security administrator at once. The problem on your system could be serious.

How to Change Your Password in Trusted Extensions

Unlike the Solaris OS, Trusted Extensions provides a GUI for changing your password. The GUI grabs the pointer until the password operation is completed. To stop a process that has grabbed the pointer, see How to Regain Control of the Desktop’s Current Focus in Solaris Trusted Extensions Administrator’s Procedures.

Choose Change Password from the Trusted Path menu.
For the Change password menu item in Trusted GNOME, click Trusted Path in the trusted stripe.
The following figure shows the Trusted Path menu in Trusted CDE.
Type your current password.
This action confirms that you are the legitimate user for this user name. For security reasons, the password is not displayed as you type.

Caution - When you type your password, make sure that the cursor is over the Change Password dialog box and that the trusted symbol is displayed. If the cursor is not over the dialog box, you might inadvertently type your password into a different window where the password could be seen by another user. If the trusted symbol is not displayed, then someone might be attempting to steal your password. Contact your security administrator at once.
Type the new password.
Confirm the password by retyping it.

How to Log In at a Different Label

The label of the first workspace that appears in subsequent login sessions after the first login can be set to any label within your label range.

Users can configure the startup session characteristics for every label at which they log in..

Before You Begin

You must be logged in to a multilevel session.

Create workspaces at every label.
For details, see How to Add a Workspace at a Particular Label.
Configure each workspace as you want the workspace to appear.
Go to the workspace that you want to see when you log in.
Save this current workspace.
For details, see How to Perform Some Common Desktop Tasks in Trusted Extensions.

How to Allocate a Device in Trusted Extensions

The Allocate Device menu item enables you to mount and allocate a device for your exclusive use. If you try to use a device without allocating it, you get the error message “Permission Denied”.

Before You Begin

You must be authorized to allocate a device.

Choose Allocate Device from the Trusted Path menu
Or, in Trusted CDE, open the Device Allocation Manager from the Tools subpanel in the Front Panel.
Figure 3-5 Device Allocation Icon in Trusted CDE
The Device Allocation Manager is displayed. In Solaris Trusted Extensions (GNOME), this GUI is called the Device Manager.
Figure 3-6 Device Allocation Manager
Double-click the device that you want to use.
The devices that you are permitted to allocate at your current label appear under Available Devices:.
- audion – Indicates a microphone and speaker
- cdromn – Indicates a CD-ROM drive
- floppyn – Indicates a diskette drive
- mag_tapen – Indicates a tape drive (streaming)
- rmdiskn – Indicates a removable disk, such as a JAZ or ZIP drive, or USB hot-pluggable media
Select the device.
Move the device from the Available Devices list to the Allocated Devices list.
- Double-click the device name in the Available Devices list.
- Or, select the device and click the Allocate button that points to the right.
This step starts the clean script. The clean script ensures that no data from other transactions remains on the media.
Note that the label of the current workspace is applied to the device. Any data transferred to or from the device's media must be dominated by this label.
Follow the instructions.
The instructions ensure that the media has the correct label. Then, the device is mounted. The device name now appears in the Allocated Devices list. This device is now allocated for your exclusive use.

Example 3-3 Loading Removable Media to Read a File System

In this example, a user wants to load information onto her system from a CD-ROM that is labeled SECRET. She is authorized to allocate the CD-ROM.

First, she creates a workspace at the label SECRET. In this workspace, she opens the Device Allocation Manager, and allocates the CD-ROM drive. Then, she inserts the CD and responds yes to the mount query.

The software mounts the CD and the File Manager appears. The current directory is set to the mount point.

Example 3-4 Loading Removable Media to Format the Media

In this example, a user wants to format a diskette to contain SECRET data. She is authorized to allocate the CD-ROM drive.

Example 3-5 Allocating an Audio Device

In this example, a user allocates the audio device on her system. When she moves the audio device to the Allocated Device list, the following message appears:

Dialog box displays warning text about microphone use.

The device is allocated at the label Confidential : Internal Use Only. She views the label when she selects the device in the Allocated Device list.

When the audio device is selected in the Allocated Devices list, its label appears in the Label field.

When the user is finished with the audio device, she deallocates it. The system reminds her to turn off the microphone.

Dialog box displays warns user to turn off microphone.

Troubleshooting

If the device that you want to use does not appear in the list, check with your administrator. The device could be in an error state or in use by someone else. Or, you might not be authorized to use the device.

If you switch to a different role workspace or to a workspace at a different label, the allocated device cannot work at that label. To use the device at the new label, you need to deallocate the device at the initial label, and then allocate the device at the new label. In Trusted CDE, when you use the Occupy Workspace command from the window menu to move the Device Allocation Manager to the new workspace, the Available and Allocated Devices lists change to reflect the correct context. The Device Manager in Trusted GNOME works similarly when you move the GUI to a workspace at a different label.

If a File Manager or File Browser window does not appear, open the window manually, then navigate to the root directory, /. In this directory, navigate to the allocated device to see its contents.

How to Deallocate a Device in Trusted Extensions

Deallocate the device.
1. Go to the workspace where the Device Allocation Manager is displayed.
2. Move the device to be deallocated from the list of allocated devices.
Remove the media.
Click OK in the Deallocation dialog box.
The device is now available for use by another authorized user.

How to Assume a Role in Trusted Extensions

Unlike the Solaris OS, Trusted Extensions provides a GUI for assuming a role.

Open the Trusted Path menu.
- In Solaris Trusted Extensions (CDE), click the center of the Front Panel.
  If you have been assigned a role by the security administrator, the Trusted Path menu includes the Assume rolename Role menu item.
  Choose Assume rolename Role.
- In Solaris Trusted Extensions (GNOME), click your user name at the right of the trusted symbol.
  Choose the role name from the menu.
Type the role password and press Return.
This action confirms that you can legitimately assume this role. For security reasons, the password is not displayed as you type.

Caution - When you type your password, make sure that the cursor is over the Change Password dialog box and that the trusted symbol is displayed. If the cursor is not over the dialog box, you might inadvertently type your password into a different window where the password could be seen by another user. If the trusted symbol is not displayed, then someone might be attempting to steal your password. Contact your security administrator at once.

After the role password is accepted, the software places you in a role workspace. In Trusted GNOME, the current workspace becomes the role workspace. In Trusted CDE, a new workspace is created for the role. You are in the global zone. You can perform the tasks that are permitted by the rights profiles in your role.

How to Change the Label of a Workspace

The ability to set workspace labels in Trusted Extensions provides a convenient means of working at different labels within the same session.

Use this procedure to work in the same workspace at a different label. To create a workspace at a different label, see How to Add a Workspace at a Particular Label.

Before You Begin

You must be logged in to a multilevel session.

Click mouse button 3 over the workspace button.
From the menu, choose Change Workspace Label.
Choose a label from the label builder.
The workspace label is changed to the new label. Windows and applications that were invoked before the label change continue to run at the previous label. The trusted stripe indicates the new label. In a system where labels are color-coded, new windows are marked with the new color. In Trusted CDE, the workspace button is color-coded.

How to Add a Workspace at a Particular Label

The ability to set workspace labels in Trusted Extensions provides a convenient means of working at different labels within the same session. On both desktops, you can add a workspace at your minimum label. In Trusted CDE, you can add a workspace at the label of an existing workspace.

Tip - In Trusted CDE, rename each workspace button to reflect the label of the workspace.

To change the label of the current workspace, see How to Change the Label of a Workspace.

Before You Begin

You must be logged in to a multilevel session.

In Trusted GNOME, to create a workspace at your minimum label, do the following:
1. Click mouse button 3 over a workspace box in the panel display.
2. From the menu, choose Preferences.
3. Increase the number in the Number of Workspaces field.
  The new workspaces are created at your minimum label. You can also use this dialog box to name the workspaces.
  
  Note - In Trusted GNOME, to add a workspace at a different label, you select a workspace box and change its label. For details, see How to Change the Label of a Workspace.
In Trusted CDE, to create a workspace at your minimum label, do the following:
1. Click mouse button 3 over the Workspace Switch Area.
2. From the menu, choose Add Workspace.
  The workspace is created at your minimum label.
3. (Optional) Rename the workspace.
In Trusted CDE, to create a workspace at the label of an existing workspace, do the following:
1. Click mouse button 3 over the workspace button.
2. From the menu, choose Add Workspace.
  The workspace is created at the label of the workspace button.

How to Switch to a Workspace at a Different Label

In Trusted CDE, click the workspace switch at that label.
Figure 3-7 Front Panel With Switches at Different Labels
In Trusted GNOME, click the workspace box on the panel display.
You are now in that labeled workspace.

Troubleshooting

If you are logged in to a single-level session, you must log out to work at a different label. Then, log in at the desired label. If you are permitted, you can also log in to a multilevel session.

How to Move a Window to a Different Workspace

Windows that are moved to a different workspace retain their original label. Any actions that are done in those windows are done at the label of the window, not at the label of the containing workspace. Moving a window is useful when you want to compare information. You might also want to use applications at different labels without moving between workspaces.

In Trusted CDE, use the Occupy Workspace menu to move a window to a different workspace.
1. From the application's window menu, choose Occupy Workspace.
  Figure 3-8 Selecting Occupy Workspace
2. Choose a workspace at a different label, then click OK.
  This action moves the application to a workspace that has a different label. Note that the Occupy Workspace dialog box has the label Trusted Path. This label indicates that occupying a workspace affects the trusted computing base.
  The following figure shows two terminal windows at different labels in one workspace.
  Figure 3-9 Differently Labeled Windows in One Workspace
In Trusted GNOME, in the panel display, drag the window from its original workspace box to a different workspace box.
The dragged window now appears in the second workspace.

How to Determine the Label of a File

Usually, the label of a file is obvious. However, if you are allowed to view files at a lower label than your current workspace, the label of a file might not be obvious. In particular, the label of a file can be different from the label of the File Manager.

In Trusted CDE, use the File Manager to determine the label of the file.
- In the File Manager, select the file, then choose the File -> Properties menu item.
  Read the value of the file's Sensitivity Label property.
- Or, drag the file from the containing File Manager onto the desktop.
  The file icon displays the label of the file.
In Trusted GNOME, use the File Browser.
Tip - You can also use the Query Label menu item from the Trusted Path menu.

How to Move Data Between Labels

As on a Solaris system, you can move data between windows in Trusted Extensions. However, the data must be at the same label. When you transfer information between windows with different labels, you are upgrading or downgrading the sensitivity of that information.

Before You Begin

Your site's security policy must permit this type of transfer, the containing zone must permit relabeling, and you must be authorized to move data between labels.

Therefore, your administrator must have completed the following tasks:

You must be logged in to a multilevel session.

Create workspaces at both labels.
For details, see How to Add a Workspace at a Particular Label.
Confirm the label of the source file.
For details, see How to Determine the Label of a File.
Move the window with the source information to a workspace at the target label.
For details, see How to Move a Window to a Different Workspace. The following figure shows two editors at different labels in the same workspace.
Figure 3-10 Differently Labeled Applications in One Workspace
Highlight the information to be moved, and paste the selection in the target window.
The Selection Manager Confirmation dialog box is displayed.
Review the Selection Manager Confirmation dialog box.
This dialog box:
- Describes why confirmation of the transaction is needed.
- Identifies the label and the owner of the source file.
- Identifies the label and the owner of the destination file.
- Identifies the type of data that was selected for transfer, the type of the target file, and the size of the data in bytes. By default, the selected data is visible in text format.
- Indicates the time that remains for you to complete the transaction. The amount of time and the use of the timer depends on your site's configuration.
Figure 3-11 Selection Manager Confirmation Dialog Box
(Optional) In the View As menu, choose how to view the source information.
- Choose hexadecimal to view the data in hexadecimal format.
- Choose None to hide the data altogether.
  By resetting the View As menu, you affect the displays of subsequent transfers. Choose None for selections that consist of unreadable data.
Confirm that you want the label of the data to change.
- Click Cancel to stop the transaction.
- Otherwise, click OK.

How to Move Files Between Labels in Trusted CDE

As on a standard Solaris system, you can move files in Trusted Extensions. When you move a file to a different label, you are upgrading or downgrading the sensitivity of the information that is in the file.

Before You Begin

Your site's security policy must permit this type of transfer, the containing zone must permit relabeling, and you must be authorized to move files between labels.

Therefore, your administrator must have completed the following tasks:

You must be logged in to a multilevel session in Trusted CDE. The file that you want to move must be closed. Verify that no one else is using this file.

Create workspaces at both labels.
For details, see How to Add a Workspace at a Particular Label.
Open File Managers at both labels.
For details, see How to View Your Files in a Labeled Workspace.
In the source File Manager, navigate to the file whose label is to change.
In the target File Manager, navigate to the file's new directory.
Move the File Managers into one workspace.
For details, see How to Move a Window to a Different Workspace.
Figure 3-12 Differently Labeled File Managers in One Workspace
Drag and drop the file to the target directory.
Figure 3-13 Dragging a File Between File Managers at Different Labels
The File Manager Confirmation dialog box is displayed, as shown in Figure 3-14.
This dialog box is similar to the Selection Manager Confirmation dialog box, but does not include a timer. This dialog box:
- Describes why confirmation of the transaction is needed.
- Identifies the label and the owner of the source file.
- Identifies the label and the owner of the destination file.
- Identifies the type of data that was selected for transfer, the type of the target file, and the size of the data in bytes.
Figure 3-14 File Manager Confirmation Dialog Box
Confirm that you want the label of the file to change.
- Click Cancel to stop the transaction.
- Click Apply to move the file to the new label.

Example 3-6 Linking a File to a Different Label

The linking of a file to another label is useful when you want to view a file with a lower label at a higher label. The file is writable only at the lower label.

To link a file, the user presses Shift-Control while dragging the file icon from the source File Manager to the target File Manager. Then, the user confirms the link, or cancels the operation.

Troubleshooting

If your system is not configured to permit the upgrading or downgrading of labels, a dialog box that states that the transfer is not authorized is displayed. Check with your administrator.