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To: Lane <lane@joeandlane.com>
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From: Lowell Gilbert <freebsd-questions-local@be-well.ilk.org>
Date: 26 Jul 2005 20:35:44 -0400
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Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
Subject: Re: cat /dev/urandom
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Lane <lane@joeandlane.com> writes:

> On Tuesday 26 July 2005 17:35, Michael Beattie wrote:
> > On 7/26/05, Matt Juszczak <matt@atopia.net> wrote:
> > > Hi all,
> > >
> > > Quick question.
> > >
> > > shell# cat /dev/urandom
> > >
> > > can that executed as root cause any harm to the system?  What if a random
> > > sequence of `rm *` was generated... would it be executed?
> > >
> > > I tried that to fix my terminal and forgot it might cause damage as root,
> > > even if its just being cat'd to the screen.  I thought I saw some files
> > > fly by which would indicate an execution of `ls`....
> > >
> > > Just curious....
> >
> > If you had a file with an rm * in it and you cat'd it would it execute?
> > _______________________________________________
> That's a good answer, but what if the command was:
> 
> `cat /dev/urandom`
> 
> could /dev/urandom generate arbitrary and potentially executable code?

Sure.  It also might produce "Hamlet".