From: "Alan Cox" <alan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Of course not. It never did. An encrypted key ring is safe from "root".
An unencrypted key ring is open to root. So if you get root kitted your
passwords are dead.
An encrypted ring is open to root. They might just have to wait until you
use it that is all.
I guess I should have said an encrypted ring is no more open to root than
it is open to any person who has cracked into your account. Root by
definition has done that. And root can't casually read it. Root would
have to execute an exploit to gain access.
{^_^}