Description of problem: https://bugs.freedesktop.org/show_bug.cgi?id=46943 Upstream, they say this is a problem with Fedora, not them. Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable): cups-pk-helper-0.1.3-3.fc16.x86_64 How reproducible: Try adding a networked printer. Requires root password, which unnecessarily exposes root password to interception and compromise. Since users, in almost all cases, can contact network printers on their own, requiring _any_ password for a user to add a printer for their own use does nothing but needlessly expose passwords to interception and compromise. Additional info: Screenshots: http://ponzo.net/PolKit-printer/
Well as long as the printer is set up system-wide and the machine is a multi-user machine this is still a security problem to not require any sysadmin authentication. As you could add silently a printer for other users that would intercept the documents that they are printing. So I'd say definitely no need to ask for a password if the printer is set just for the user that asks for the action, otherwise some kind of authentication is surely needed being it root or wheel group user password.
Agreed, Tomas -- though as you can see from the screenshots, I was asked for both my (wheel) user password, as well as root password at the very last. Also, this is reported here: https://fedorahosted.org/fesco/ticket/816
Yes, there is no dispute that the current process is really suboptimal.
I'm not able to reproduce your claim that a root password is required. I ran system-config-printer, tried to add a network printer, was prompted for my own admin (wheel group) password by polkit 3 times, but never saw the forth one you mention. Am I missing something?
Someone else on irc just mentioned seeing the root dialog too, so sounds like I am indeed doing something different or wrong.
Hi, I agree with Tomas here. As long as we set the printer system-wide we need to require sysadmin authentication. Also, CUPS needs root privileges when adding a printer using lpadmin. Regarding the wheel group, it asks you for your user (wheel) password if you are in the group. The last dialog is a bug in cups-pk-helper or system-config-printer, you shouldn't see it when adding a printer. It is system-config-printer's fail-safe dialog for situation when communication with cups-pk-helper failed (or for authentication of jobs requiring authentication). Does the dialog show name of an operation in its title? Something like "Authentication (adding printer LaserJet)"? Regards Marek
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