[Nix-dev] When calling nix-store --verify-path - How to know the hash database is not corrupt?

[Matthias Beyer]

Hi,

I have a question. When calling `nix-store --verify-path /nix/store/something`,
it verifies that the contents of the store path haven't been altered by an
attacker or some other corruption like bitflips or something, am I right?

It does so by comparing the hashsum of the directory contents with a hash sum
stored in some database, am I right?

How to know that the database isn't corrupt?

Following scenario:

    An attacker altered the libc of my system. The attacker knows how nix works
    and alters the hash stored in the database as well.
    Calling `nix-store --verify-path /nix/store/somehash-libc-something` exits
    without error now, as the hashes still match.

Or am I getting something wrong here?

-- 
Mit freundlichen Grüßen,
Kind regards,
Matthias Beyer

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