C Compiler on a Production Server

[rohit05]

hello everybody!

I just want to know a very little thing from all you C/C++ Experts that:

is it considered to be an unsafe practice or a security threat to have a C Compiler installed on a Live Production server?

In case yes, can there be any possible ways to mitigate possible risk ?

Please suggest ! Thanks in Advance !

Rohit!

[sicarie]

I would say that's an incredibly bad idea. Ways to mitigate risk is to move it out of prod. You could go through your lockdown procedures, make sure only the people who are supposed to have access to it have access but I still cannot fathom why a compiler would need to be there. Under any circumstances.

[JosAH]

I'd love to have my own login.c program compiled on that machine ;-)

kind regards,

Jos

[rohit05]

Helo Sicarie,

Thanks for your valuable opinion. That's what i needed to understand.

The reason why a compiler is required there, goes like this:

I work with HP Openview Management softwares, hope you know what these are. I am not someone who's done a lot of coding.
Now, i need to use some very small APIs of this tool called OVO and may need to customize it to a smalller extent.
I don't have a test environment ready with me as of now. Just have two servers, one prod and one DR. And moreover, even if i plan to build a testbed, i'd need one more license for the whole application and that's not cheap. Hope it's making sense to you.

I am not going to make new applications using this compiler. Just that there are few advanced features like APIs and integration features to other applications, that i need to use with this in my production environment.

Please enlighten me if you have any thoughts.

Thanks..Rohit

[sicarie]

Keep the compiler out of Prod. (See Jos' post above) This is a major security issue, and I can't stress it strongly enough.

I would recommend keeping the compiler on a client in the domain/workgroup, but then only running the test binaries during your change time (weekends, weeknights, whatever), and having a good backout plan.

A situation like this is difficult to develop around, but if you use good design principles from the beginning, it will make everything a lot easier. Difficult, but not impossible.

[rohit05]

Hi Sicarie,

Just like to add something more here..

Access is not a problem on my servers, only I have access to the server and application, so no Josah can come in and compile his login.c program. :)

But, if you guys would say that it's an incredibly bad idea, i'll certainly understand and i had not decided to go that way, please dont take me wrong, i just imagined this possibility since i am not a coding expert and I just felt like asking you experts.

Thanks!

[rohit05]

Hello..

I got what you mean to say now! that's exactly what i wanted to understand and i am clear now that it's not a good idea.

I think i'd look for other alternatives in my situation now.

Thanks a TON for your guidance. I truly appreciate it !

Rohit

[sicarie]

I do believe it to be a bad idea - just as one single scenario that it could be detrimental is if a 0-day is used to compromise the machine, then someone could create Jos' login.c. That's aside from any sort of stored credentials it might currently have, or it's place in the domain. I would strongly, strongly recommend keeping it out of prod.