Article View: comp.unix.shell
Article #1542Re: Beware xargs security holes
From: Dave Eisen
Date: Fri, 19 Oct 1990 17:31
Date: Fri, 19 Oct 1990 17:31
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In article <3940@awdprime.UUCP> tif@doorstop.austin.ibm.com (Paul Chamberlain) writes: >In article <tim.656101080@ggumby> tim@ggumby.cs.caltech.edu (Timothy L. Kay) writes: >>tif@doorstop.austin.ibm.com (Paul Chamberlain) writes: >>>In article brnstnd@kramden.acf.nyu.edu (Dan Bernstein) writes: >>>> find / -name '#*' -atime +7 -print | xargs rm >>>>lets a malicious user remove every file on the system. >>> > >In any case, I've yet to see how "a malicious user [could] >remove every file on the system." > If xargs is implemented using system (as it is on this machine), an old file named #<newline>-rf * will remove every file on the machine if the rm -rf * happens to be the start of the buffer passed to system. -- Dave Eisen Home: (415) 323-9757 dkeisen@Gang-of-Four.Stanford.EDU Office: (415) 967-5644 1447 N. Shoreline Blvd. Mountain View, CA 94043
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arc1-ca.pugleaf.net!utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!clyde.concordia.ca!mcgill-vision!snorkelwacker!mintaka!olivea!apple!agate!shelby!neon!Gang-of-Four!dkeisenReferences:
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Path: arc1-ca.pugleaf.net!utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!clyde.concordia.ca!mcgill-vision!snorkelwacker!mintaka!olivea!apple!agate!shelby!neon!Gang-of-Four!dkeisen From: dkeisen@Gang-of-Four.Stanford.EDU (Dave Eisen) Newsgroups: comp.unix.shell Subject: Re: Beware xargs security holes Message-ID: <1990Oct19.173133.11096@Neon.Stanford.EDU> Date: 19 Oct 90 17:31:33 GMT References: <3876@awdprime.UUCP> <tim.656101080@ggumby> <3940@awdprime.UUCP> Sender: news@Neon.Stanford.EDU (USENET News System) Organization: Sequoia Peripherals Lines: 24