phablet user in android_net group

[Jamie Strandboge]

The phablet user is in several android_net* groups:
  /etc/group:android_net:x:3003:phablet
  /etc/group:android_net2:x:3004:phablet
  /etc/group:android_net3:x:3002:phablet

ubuntu-system image #97 has the following:
/var/lib/lxc/android/rootfs/system/bin/netcfg -rwxr-s--- root android_net

Looking at system/core/netcfg/netcfg.c from the 'android' source package, netcfg can be used to bring network interfaces up and down. It is not clear why the phablet user would need this access when the phablet user can use network-manager. This isn't currently a security issue because the phablet user is able to user network-manager to bring up and down interfaces already, so no privilege boundary is crossed. However, on a multiuser system when the system is configured to restrict network configuration for a user, this may become a problem. Regardless, the hidden additional access seems superfluous.

Can someone remove the phablet user from the android_net* groups or justify why this is needed?

Thanks!

[Jamie Strandboge (jdstrand)]

Any information on this?