F40 Change Proposal: Dropping sshd.socket file (Self Contained)

[Aoife Moloney]

== Summary ==
The sshd.socket behavior may cause the remote DoS and require a manual
intervention to make the server accepting the ssh connections back.
sshd.service doesn't have these downsides

== Owner ==
* Name: [[User:Dbelyavs| Dmitry Belyavskiy]]

* Email: dbelyavs(a)redhat.com


== Detailed Description ==
A while ago, a dropping the sshd.socket from the openssh package was
suggested in [https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2025716
BZ#2025716] as there are several shortcomings with this approach that
could lead to situations where users would lose access to a system
while under DoS or memory pressure.

This change was implemented in rawhide & f39 and discussed on the
devel list in a
[https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/[e-mail].o...
thread].

This change was reverted in f39 according to the
[https://pagure.io/fesco/issue/3062 FESCO decision].

== Feedback ==
The change as implemented does not include a migration path for
existing users of the sshd.socket unit to the sshd.service unit. We
need some migration path, also suitable for OSTree

This means that systems updating from 38 to 39 and relying on
sshd.socket for openssh access to the system will end up unreachable
via SSH.

This is notably important for Fedora CoreOS where we will
automatically update systems to the next Fedora version shortly after
the release: https://github.com/coreos/fedora-coreos-tracker/issues/1558

We think this change needs to get more visibility and should go
through the change process and be evaluated for inclusion in Fedora
40.

See also the mentioned before
[https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/[e-mail].o...
thread].


== Benefit to Fedora ==
This change will prevent remote DoS in the case the sshd.socket is activated.


== Scope ==
* Proposal owners: the migration scriptlet is the best solution.


* Other developers: check the dependencies on sshd.socket

* Release engineering: [https://pagure.io/releng/issues #Releng issue number]

* Policies and guidelines: N/A (not needed for this Change)

* Trademark approval: N/A (not needed for this Change)


* Alignment with Community Initiatives: N/A


== Upgrade/compatibility impact ==
The worst case the remote access to the system will be lost of
sshd.socket is enabled and the system is not switched to using
sshd.service before upgrade



== How To Test ==
Enable sshd.socket
Upgrade
Check remote access over sshd



== User Experience ==
See "Benefit for Fedora"


== Dependencies ==


== Contingency Plan ==
Reverting the change
* Contingency mechanism: N/A (not a System Wide Change)
* Contingency deadline: N/A (not a System Wide Change)
* Blocks release? N/A (not a System Wide Change)


== Documentation ==

N/A (not a System Wide Change)

== Release Notes ==
The change should be mentioned in the Release Notes.



-- 
Aoife Moloney

Product Owner

Community Platform Engineering Team

Red Hat EMEA

Communications House

Cork Road

Waterford

[Aoife Moloney]

The discussion thread is now available for feedback at
https://discussion.fedoraproject.org/t/f40-change-proposal-drop-sshd-sock...