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Date:      Sun, 13 Oct 2002 18:41:27 +0300
From:      Giorgos Keramidas <keramida@ceid.upatras.gr>
To:        Ricardo Anguiano <anguiano@codesourcery.com>
Cc:        Chris BeHanna <behanna@zbzoom.net>, FreeBSD Security <security@FreeBSD.ORG>
Subject:   Re: access() is a security hole?
Message-ID:  <20021013154127.GA2970@hades.hell.gr>
In-Reply-To: <m3r8exszf8.fsf@mordack.codesourcery.com>
References:  <20021011094935.I86274-100000@topperwein.pennasoft.com> <m3r8exszf8.fsf@mordack.codesourcery.com>

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On 2002-10-11 09:39, Ricardo Anguiano <anguiano@codesourcery.com> wrote:
> Chris BeHanna <behanna@zbzoom.net> writes:
> > On Fri, 11 Oct 2002, Bruce Evans wrote:
> > > Setuid programs should only use access() to check whether they will
> > > have permission after they set[ug]id() to the real [ug]id.  Non-setuid
> > > programs mostly don't need such checks.  They can just try the operation.
> >
> >     Perhaps the way to avoid the race is to open the file, lock it,
> > and *then* call access(), then close the file or proceed based upon
> > the result.
>
> What's wrong with opening the file, then using fstat to check the
> properties of the file associated with the file descriptor?

Sometimes, just opening a `file' has interesting side-effects.  For
instance, opening a rewinding tape device will start the tape rewinding
process.  You might not want to cause such side-effects to happen :-/

-- 
keramida@FreeBSD.org       FreeBSD: The Power to Serve
FreeBSD 5.0-CURRENT #12: Thu Oct 10 21:08:38 EEST 2002

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