>Once securelevel has been increased, no process can decrease it because
>kernel always refuse decreasing it.  This is inconsistent with the
>manual page of init:
>
>     The kernel runs with four different levels of security.  Any super-user
>     process can raise the security level, but only init can lower it.
>
>Is there any security problem to implement this?  If no, could someone
>review following patch?

The patch just backs out rev.1.9:

RCS file: /home/ncvs/src/sys/kern/kern_mib.c,v
Working file: kern_mib.c
head: 1.25
...
----------------------------
revision 1.9
date: 1997/06/25 07:31:47;  author: joerg;  state: Exp;  lines: +2 -2
Don't ever allow lowering the securelevel at all.  Allowing it does
nothing good except of opening a can of (potential or real) security
holes.  People maintaining a machine with higher security requirements
need to be on the console anyway, so there's no point in not forcing
them to reboot before starting maintenance.

Agreed by:      hackers, guido
----------------------------

There used to be security holes that allowed root to lower `securelevel'
using init.  Rev.1.9 defends against any undiscovered holes.

Bruce


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