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From: Wolfgang Helbig <helbig@MX.BA-Stuttgart.De>
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Subject: Re: sendmail complains about being unable to write his pid file
In-Reply-To: <15406.869308066@verdi.nethelp.no> from "sthaug@nethelp.no" at "Jul 19, 97 12:27:46 pm"
To: sthaug@nethelp.no
Date: Sat, 19 Jul 1997 14:41:47 +0200 (MET DST)
Cc: andreas@klemm.gtn.com, hackers@FreeBSD.ORG
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> > > I'm always nervous about directories owned by bin, on the assumption
> > > that bin might be easier to break than root, and could then be used
> > > as a stepstone to breaking root.
> > 
> > I don't believe this, because bin isn't a password protected login.
> > Look here:
> > bin:*:3:7:Binaries Commands and Source,,,:/:/nonexistent
> 
> That's fine - until somebody decides to run NFS. Then all bets are off.
> 
> > I think it's a BSDism. bin is the UID and GID for Binaries, Commands
> > and source as shown by the entry in /etc/passwd ...
> 
> Yes, but the question stands - why is it setup this way? What is gained
> by having binaries (and important directories) owned by bin instead of
> root?

More security? setuid / setgid will give you the powers of bin
only, not of root.

Wolfgang