Re: Root SSH permitted by default (was: how does root run a graphical prog)
On Tue, May 21, 2002 at 01:23:20PM -0500, Dave Sherohman wrote:
> On Mon, May 20, 2002 at 08:26:11PM +0100, Colin Watson wrote:
> > Like the document says, regularly su'ing to root from an account makes
> > compromising that account essentially equivalent to compromising root
> > anyway.
>
> How so? Regularly sudo'ing, sure, since that uses the user's password
> as a (hopefully limited) root password. Or if the user's password
> and the root password are the same (which is a problem unto itself).
> However, I have two separate (and relatively strong) passwords for my
> user account and for root. In this situation, how would frequent use of
> su from my account "make compromising that account essentially equivalent
> to compromising root"?
Do you check for processes running under your uid every time you run su?
Not many people do. It's sensible to consider an account root-equivalent
if it frequently escalates to root, and I know (paranoid) people who
maintain separate insecure and secure user accounts to make this
explicit.
--
Colin Watson [cjwatson@flatline.org.uk]
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