Article View: sci.crypt
Article #4078Re: Unix Password Security
From: Bruce Thompson
Date: Fri, 26 Feb 1988 21:20
Date: Fri, 26 Feb 1988 21:20
36 lines
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In article <5289@well.UUCP>, pokey@well.UUCP (Jef Poskanzer) writes:
> Ok, one fix would be to keep the encrypted passwords in a non-world-readable
> file, while leaving the rest of /etc/passwd readable so that nothing breaks.
> Doing this would mean adding a small hack to the getpwent routines, and
> recompiling login and passwd. But if you don't have source, this is a
> problem.
>
> ...
>
>
> ---
> Jef
>
> Jef Poskanzer jef@lbl-rtsg.arpa ...well!pokey
> "Who's going to believe you? You're just a talking head."
This is similar to the approach taken by Apollo in their systems. I
honestly don't know if the passwords are stored encrypted or not, as the
account file is unreadable. This relates to Apollo's protected sub-system
techniques. File(s) and/or programs can be declared as 'members' of a
protected sub-system, and only 'member' programs can access 'member' files.
Naturally, control of 'member'ship depends on the ACLs in effect for the
subsystem. (on our system, you must be root) The /etc/passwd file is as
suggested above, everything except the passwords.
TTFN,
Bruce Thompson
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<1397@vaxb.calgary.UUCP>Path:
arc1-ca.pugleaf.net!utzoo!mnetor!uunet!seismo!sundc!pitstop!sun!decwrl!decvax!ucbvax!pasteur!ames!ptsfa!ihnp4!alberta!calgary!thompsonReferences:
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Path: arc1-ca.pugleaf.net!utzoo!mnetor!uunet!seismo!sundc!pitstop!sun!decwrl!decvax!ucbvax!pasteur!ames!ptsfa!ihnp4!alberta!calgary!thompson From: thompson@calgary.UUCP (Bruce Thompson) Newsgroups: sci.crypt Subject: Re: Unix Password Security Message-ID: <1397@vaxb.calgary.UUCP> Date: 26 Feb 88 21:20:03 GMT References: <7271@brl-smoke.ARPA> <5289@well.UUCP> Distribution: na Organization: U. of Calgary, Calgary, Ab. Lines: 35 Summary: Non-world readable password files