Re: Separate tmp-dir for every user?

[Maarten Vink <vink@interstroom.nl>]

> On Mon, Dec 01, 2008 at 03:12:29PM +0100, Paul van der Vlis wrote:
> > Hello,
> >
> > I am installing a new shared hosting server, and I would like to know
> > how important it is to have a seperate tmp-dir for every user.
> >
> > What are the disadvantages/risks of a shared tmp-dir?
>
> Can you really elliminate the need for a shared /tmp? I guess you  
> would
> be really lucky not to come across an application which has /tmp
> hardcoded and does not consult $T{E,}MPDIR
>
> As for the risks, the biggest is probably the possibility of having a
> symlink attack vulnerability in one of your applications. Having
> per-user tmp dirs avoids the problem for applications which will use
> them.

Actually, we've been using this kind of setup for a while now, and we  
have yet to see any major problems. And one doesn't exclude the other;  
just set up a separate tmp-dir for each user, and still allow everyone  
to write to /tmp. That way any application that has the paths  
hardcoded will still function.

Regards,

Maarten Vink