su modifications posted to net.sources

rbj at icst-cmr.arpa rbj at icst-cmr.arpa
Fri Feb 20 13:02:43 AEST 1987


   In general, you do NOT want "su" to search an "/etc/su_people".
   Having such a file multiplies the number of accounts which must
   be secured against intrusion.  It is difficult enough to protect
   one account (root).  With N entries in "/etc/su_people" there are
   (effectively) N root accounts which can be attacked.  It is much
   harder to protect N passwords, N accounts' files, etc. than it is
   to protect a single root password and the system directories.

Gee, that's easy! If account `fred' is in `/etc/su_people', then
you just have a file called `/etc/fred_people' :-)

	(Root Boy) Jim "Just Say Yes" Cottrell	<rbj at icst-cmr.arpa>
	Help! A 900 foot tall vision of Dennis Ritchie told me
	that if I don't get my 4.3 BSD tapes by March I'll die!



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