Skip site navigation (1)Skip section navigation (2)
Date:      Fri, 7 Jun 1996 20:19:02 +0400 (MSD)
From:      =?KOI8-R?Q?=E1=CE=C4=D2=C5=CA_=FE=C5=D2=CE=CF=D7?= (aka Andrey A. Chernov, Black Mage) <ache@astral.msk.su>
To:        security@freebsd.org
Subject:   Re: FreeBSD's /var/mail permissions
Message-ID:  <199606071619.UAA00541@astral.msk.su>
In-Reply-To: <199606071251.FAA25052@precipice.shockwave.com> from "Paul Traina" at "Jun 7, 96 05:51:50 am"

next in thread | previous in thread | raw e-mail | index | archive | help
>     If popper were the only problem, I'd consider chosing a
>     different directory for this temporary file to be created, such
>     as /var/tmp.  This leads to a new set of problems and I consider
>     it less secure than maintaining the file in /var/mail as we have
>     always done.

Not popper only is the problem, I remember that procmail and
elm use this feature too (but can work without it too).
It is common technique to create temporary mailbox in /var/mail
and rename it to actual mailbox. This method avoid complex
locking during rewriting window.

> Proposed solution:
>     I'm considering creating group "mail" and going the setgid route,
>     so that a program which creates files in /var/mail can be simply
>     setgid mail.
> 
>     This is a well understood mail directory protection mechanism
>     and employs the "principle of least privilege."

adduser program MUST create new user mailbox in this case to avoid
pre-created mailboxes.
Now it only send mail wich can be appended to pre-created mailbox. :-(

-- 
Andrey A. Chernov        : And I rest so composedly,  /Now, in my bed,
ache@astral.msk.su       : That any beholder  /Might fancy me dead -
http://dt.demos.su/~ache : Might start at beholding me,  /Thinking me dead.
RELCOM Team,FreeBSD Team :         E.A.Poe         From "For Annie" 1849



Want to link to this message? Use this URL: <https://mail-archive.FreeBSD.org/cgi/mid.cgi?199606071619.UAA00541>