Unix questions - setuid script insecure dependency error

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Author setuid script insecure dependency error
ct

2006-02-21, 5:54 pm


Hi,

I am using a setuid script. Inside the script I need to get a path
from a user defined environment variable and then append the executable
to that path and then issue the system command to execute it.

I won't know the path beforehand so I cannot use regular expression to
"untaint" it.

Any advise regarding how to get around it?

Thanks,
CT

Jay C. James

2006-02-26, 10:17 am

"ct" <ctsang213@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1140565343.837097.121240@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com...
>
> Hi,
>
> I am using a setuid script. Inside the script I need to get a path
> from a user defined environment variable and then append the executable
> to that path and then issue the system command to execute it.
>
> I won't know the path beforehand so I cannot use regular expression to
> "untaint" it.
>
> Any advise regarding how to get around it?
>
> Thanks,
> CT
>


Personally I wouldnt recommend writing a SETUID script that allowed an
external,
potentially end user modifiable variable to drive its further execution.
This could be subverted to easily create a SETUID shell, or process,
creating a
bit of a risk to your system

If you -must- have a SETUID script, then it may suit you to use the shell
built-ins to
validate the path using conditional if statements. If you dont know the path
beforehand,
perhaps you can narrow it down to a few choices, thereby eliminating
everything else?
That would be better than going in completely blind, opening up yourself to
taintable input.

jcj





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