[gopher] Re: Security issues in Gopher?

[John Goerzen <jgoerzen@complete.org>]

Robert Hahn <rhahn@tenletters.com> writes:

> Interesting.  I manned chroot last night, which gave me a clear answer as to what and how, but, as is typical with all man pages, lacks a 'why'. :P
> 
> So, can you explain what the significance of chroot* is and how it
> increases security?  Especially as it compares to running a server
> either as 'nobody' or (horrors) root?

It means that the files not under that directly are completely and
forever inaccessible* to that process and all of its children.  Even a
process running as nobody can read /etc/passwd.

So, run gopherd as nobody and put it chrooted, and you've got a
bombproof protection.

* Exceptions exist for the superuser.