On Mon, Jun 10, 2013 at 08:04:27AM +0800, Chow Loong Jin wrote:
> On Sun, Jun 09, 2013 at 01:06:40PM -0700, Robert Holtzman wrote:
> > [...]
> > In my gross stupidity this seems like a nonissue. How does a popup
> > asking for your root p/w differ from using the CLI, typing "su" and
> > being asked for the root p/w? I'm assuming that the popup was in
> > connection with a command (GUI) that legitimately would require root
> > privileges. A popup from a CLI command would wave a red flag.
> 
> Typing in your root p/w in a prompt on the CLI is manually initiated -- you 
> run
> a command that you know will prompt you for a password, and it prompts you.
>

That's what I said.
 
> Having a random popup in your face asking you for your password, with the 
> reason
> for its appearance not always immediately clear, could be bad because you 
> would
> then be desensitizing yourself to password prompts, and on one fine morning
> before the caffeine, you might just accidentally type your password into a
> malicious prompt that you didn't verify beforehand.

Exactly right.

-- 
Bob Holtzman
If you think you're getting free lunch, 
check the price of the beer.
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