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Date:      Tue, 23 Apr 1996 19:28:53 +0200 (MET DST)
From:      J Wunsch <j@uriah.heep.sax.de>
To:        freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org (FreeBSD hackers)
Cc:        henrich@crh.cl.msu.edu (Charles Henrich)
Subject:   Re: .forward and sendmail?
Message-ID:  <199604231728.TAA23187@uriah.heep.sax.de>
In-Reply-To: <199604231358.JAA05012@crh.cl.msu.edu> from "Charles Henrich" at Apr 23, 96 09:58:33 am

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As Charles Henrich wrote:

> Yes but think about it, .forwards WILL NOT WORK USUALLY EVER if
> sendmail doesnt read .forward's as root!  Most home directories are
> 700!  This is a *bug* not a feature.

You might call it a bug.  Make your home dirs 0711, or use a separate
alias database, or make your sendmail vulnerable if you don't like it.

Eric Allman's READ_ME makes it absolutely clear that he considers it a
security feature:

HASSETREUID     Define this if you have setreuid(2) ***AND*** root can
                use setreuid to change to an arbitrary user. [...]
                [...]  Setting this improves the
                security, since sendmail doesn't have to read .forward
                and :include: files as root.  There are certain attacks
                that may be unpreventable without this call.

I don't think you will find anybody here supporting your opinion.

-- 
cheers, J"org

joerg_wunsch@uriah.heep.sax.de -- http://www.sax.de/~joerg/ -- NIC: JW11-RIPE
Never trust an operating system you don't have sources for. ;-)



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