'RE: kdesu overrides user's PATH with hardcoded path'

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List: kde-devel
Subject: RE: kdesu overrides user's PATH with hardcoded path
From: "AJ Venter" <AJ.Venter () datacash ! co ! za>
Date: 2008-09-08 7:39:19
Message-ID: 6D3DB03C7B43164AA4BF76875F15875F16C2F11C () c3po ! mercantrade ! com
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> Hi, 

> I second that. 
> I understand the feature from a security standpoint, and i suppose i
doesn't hurt as an added security layer. However, being able to
configure it >simply configure it through a (read only,root owned)
configuration file would have helped me in the situation i was in when i
originally posted this >question. I am glad it sparked this discussion .

> If an evil-intended someone achieves to modify this file by getting
root write privilege, well there's much worse he/she could do than
modifying >kdesu's path don't you think ?.

I am not sure it should be separately configurable. As somebody else
pointed out, su also overrides the path, and the override (as well as
the new path) can be configured through PAM - I would say the logical
answer then is that kdesu should inherit those PAM settings and follow
them religiously. That way there is a single point of configuration for
su path's regardless of whether it's commandline or KDE su. Moreover it
shifts the burden of keeping that configuration secure back to the OS
where it belongs - more specifically to the PAM developers rather than
the KDE devs. As a final bonus - it means a single point for finding and
fixing su PATH security bugs across the entire system.

Ciao

A.J.

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<div>

&gt;Hi, 
 
&gt;I second that. 
&gt;I understand the feature from a security
standpoint, and i suppose i doesn't hurt as an added security layer. However,
being able to configure it &gt;simply
configure it through a (read only,root owned) configuration file would have
helped me in the situation i was in when i originally posted this &gt;question. I am glad it sparked this discussion
. 
 
&gt;If an evil-intended someone achieves to
modify this file by getting root write privilege, well there's much worse
he/she could do than modifying &gt;kdesu's
path don't you think ?. 
 
<o:p></o:p>

I am not sure it should be \
separately configurable. As somebody else pointed out, su also overrides the path, \
and the override (as well as the new path) can be configured through PAM &#8211; I \
would say the logical answer then is that kdesu should inherit those PAM settings and
follow them religiously. That way there is a single point of configuration for
su path&#8217;s regardless of whether it&#8217;s commandline or KDE su. Moreover it \
shifts the burden of keeping that configuration secure back to the OS where it \
belongs &#8211; more specifically to the PAM developers rather than the KDE devs. As \
a final bonus &#8211; it means a single point for finding and fixing su PATH security \
bugs across the entire system.<o:p></o:p>

<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Ciao<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>A.J.<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><br>
<br>
<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p>

</div>

</div>

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