Article View: comp.bugs.sys5
Article #712Re: A security hole
From: chip
Date: Tue, 08 Mar 1988 23:24
Date: Tue, 08 Mar 1988 23:24
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1850 bytes
In article <388@koel.rmit.oz> rcodi@koel.UUCP writes:
>in article <181@wsccs.UUCP>, terry@wsccs.UUCP (terry) says:
>> Do NOT write a setuid program that uses getcwd(). The getcwd() call
>> does a popen() of the "pwd" shell command and does not check it's path. This
>> means that someone could write their own pwd and execute the command from
>> their directory, thus gaining root access via a sh -c.
>
>This would be a hole if your system had the BSD /bin/sh, but in the SVR2
>/bin/sh, the "pwd" command is a built-in and always executes the same way
>regardless of any PATH setting or the contents of the current directory.
Mild flames accepted for the following statement:
"Nothing which is 'builtin' to the shell is guarenteed to stay builtin."
Since many (okay some) UNIX sites also have a source license, if you
recompile the shell after altering msg.c (change the "pwd" builtin to
"_pwd" or whatever), then it seems that a call to getcwd would execute
the pwd in your carefully, although mischiefously (is that a word?)
setup path to get the desired root privileges.
EAT
THIS
INEWS
!!!!!
!!!!!
--
Chip ("My grandmother called me Charles once. ONCE!!") Maurer
Concurrent Computer Corporation, Tinton Falls, NJ 07724 (201)758-7361
uucp: {mtune|purdue|rutgers|princeton|encore}!petsd!pedsga!chip
arpa: pedsga!chip@UXC.CSO.UIUC.EDU
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<357@pedsga.UUCP>Path:
arc1-ca.pugleaf.net!utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!bloom-beacon!mit-eddie!rutgers!mtune!petsd!pedsga!chipReferences:
<181@wsccs.UUCP> <388@koel.rmit.oz>Show Full Headers
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Path: arc1-ca.pugleaf.net!utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!bloom-beacon!mit-eddie!rutgers!mtune!petsd!pedsga!chip From: chip@pedsga.UUCP Newsgroups: comp.bugs.sys5 Subject: Re: A security hole Message-ID: <357@pedsga.UUCP> Date: 8 Mar 88 23:24:53 GMT References: <181@wsccs.UUCP> <388@koel.rmit.oz> Reply-To: chip@pedsga.UUCP (Chip Maurer,7361) Organization: Concurrent Computer Corp., Tinton Falls, N.J. Lines: 31 Keywords: shell, secure