[Python-Dev] BDFL ruling request: should we block forever waiting for high-quality random bits?

[Nikolaus Rath]

On Jun 16 2016, Nick Coghlan <ncoghlan at gmail.com> wrote:
> On 16 June 2016 at 09:39, Paul Moore <p.f.moore at gmail.com> wrote:
>> I'm willing to accept the view of the security experts that there's a
>> problem here. But without a clear explanation of the problem, how can
>> a non-specialist like myself have an opinion? (And I hope the security
>> POV isn't "you don't need an opinion, just do as we say").
>
> If you're not writing Linux (and presumably *BSD) scripts and
> applications that run during system initialisation or on embedded ARM
> hardware with no good sources of randomness, then there's zero chance
> of any change made in relation to this affecting you (Windows and Mac
> OS X are completely immune, since they don't allow Python scripts to
> run early enough in the boot sequence for there to ever be a problem).
>
> The only question at hand is what CPython should do in the case where
> the operating system *does* let Python scripts run before the system
> random number generator is ready, and the application calls a security
> sensitive API that relies on that RNG:
>
> - throw BlockingIOError (so the script developer knows they have a
> potential problem to fix)
> - block (so the script developer has a system hang to debug)
> - return low quality random data (so the script developer doesn't even
> know they have a potential problem)
>
> The last option is the status quo, and has a remarkable number of
> vocal defenders.

*applaud*


Best,
-Nikolaus

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