[LWN Logo]

Date:	Fri, 5 Mar 1999 20:03:39 +0100
From:	Andrea Arcangeli <andrea@E-MIND.COM>
Subject:      Re: Linux /usr/bin/gnuplot overflow
To:	BUGTRAQ@NETSPACE.ORG

On Fri, 5 Mar 1999, Hans-Bernhard Broeker wrote:

>I strongly second this recommendment. I'll mail S.u.S.E. about it, if
>no-one else does (but then, they're bound to have someone reading bugtraq,
>right?).

If you use SuSE and you care a _lot_ about local security you must edit
/etc/rc.config and set PERMISSION_SECURITY="paranoid". That way gnuplot
would _not_ be suidroot. See the contents of /etc/permissions.paranoid:

root@laser:/home/andrea# grep gnuplot /etc/permissions.paranoid
# WHY ON HELL was gnuplot suid root !!!!!
/usr/bin/gnuplot                       root.root        755

Using PERMISSION_SECURITY="secure" was just installing tvscreen _not_
suidroot.

Using PERMISSION_SECURITY="easy" (and note: you are asked to set "easy"
instead of "secure") is very riskious in a envinronment that has to be
secured, but you asked for that so don't complain (e.g. about xtvscreen).

I just tried once to fix the disinformation on the list about SuSE
xtvscreen suidroot but Aleph One didn't accepted my email. I don't know
why Aleph One didn't accepted my first email. Aleph?

Andrea Arcangeli