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# Re: Fun with FUP and root.

- Date: Wed, 26 Feb 1997 13:12:07 PST
- From:
- cc: MOO-Cows@parc.xerox.com
- Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
- In-reply-to: Your message of "Wed, 26 Feb 1997 11:02:23 PST." <199702261902.LAA21813@Xenon.Stanford.EDU>

    > Is "nobody" really correct?

    	No, setuid nobody is a bit paranoid, but it is the only
    	unprivleged username that is likely to be found on a UN*X
    	system (of course, you can't guarantee that...)

    > Can that user write the checkpoints?

    	Well, sure, if you have the directory permissions set properly.

    	But that IS a good point. If a server running as root does an
    	invisible setuid, there's a pretty good chance it will lose the
    	ability to write to its working directory. (This problem is not
    	specific to nobody, just a lot more likely) A server that can't
    	(seem to) write checkpoints out of the box is definitely a Bad
    	Thing.

    	One might argue that the server should fail to start if it
    	cannot write a checkpoint (I haven't looked at this code
    	since 1.7.x, and I can't remember if it does)

    	On the other hand, it might be better to take Paul Snow's
    	approach, and handle the uid swap someplace external to the
    	server. But then you get back to the problem of binding a
    	port below 1024.

    	Having the server silently setuid (or even noisily) suddenly
    	seems a bit heavy-handed to me...on the other hand, I DO
    	think it would be a good idea to provide a way to bind a lower
    	port easily, yet continue running as a specific (non-root)
    	user.

    	Hmm, maybe if the user to run as could be set through a
    	command line option, or an environment variable.

    	Unfortunately there's no clear path on what should be done.

    (probably more than my allotted $0.02 (in any currency))

    --
    Erik R. Ogan                                        Mail with Subject:
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