Re: Unix Application,

["R. DuFresne" <dufresne () sysinfo com>]

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On Mon, 21 May 2007, IRM wrote:

> Dear all,
>
> On my recent pen test, I have seen on Unix Apps (written in C) relies on
> UNIX authentication (/etc/passwd and /etc/group) to determine which
> functionalities the user can access to.
> 1) My first question would be what is the rationale of having such
> design? Obviously the authentication design is open to not only the
> application users but to the operating system users.
>
> 2) I know on some Unix/Linux flavors, the system could enforce the user
> to change their password every X days. If I am not wrong this setting
> can be set through "/etc/shadow" but what if the user never accesses
> their Shell?


Quite a number of lazy aplication developers have been going this route, 
many web based applications.  Bet if you search teh directory structure of 
the application you'll find such goodies and tads of directories with 777 
perms, and many files under then with the same 777 perms, many of which 
will be *.html and *.gif type files that are left in place with the exe 
bit set...  Oracle has this as a history, webshpere by IBM, and just about 
any product put out by BMC, SAS applications...



> Would it still enforce the user to change their password?


We have found this to not be the case, and get tons of requests for 
non-expiring passwd's from various groups that lack a clue as to what a 
shell might be, and any clue at all about maintianing their accounts.


Application developers need to get a clue and keep application accounts 
out of the whole shell/unix level access account game.  The Webtrends 
folks used to have a clue and might still, offering one to install the 
application and seperate user shell and application accounts.  Much safer 
setup and less work for the admins having to reset passwd's for users that 
never used a shell in their life on the job...


> (say on /etc/passwd;  username .......: :::::: /bin/apps - instead of
> /bin/sh) - so when the user is actually connect to the terminal, its
> automatically run the application and not a shell - if I am not wrong
> .Profile is run after /bin/sh is called?


you likely meant .profile, correct?



Thanks,

Ron DuFresne



> Cheers,
> John,
>
>
>
>
>
>
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