Re: systemd fails to parse user that should run service

[Jeffrey Walton <noloader () gmail com>]

On Sun, Jul 2, 2017 at 5:08 AM, Daniel Skowroński <daniel () dsinf net> wrote:
> Just wanted to bring attention to issue with systemd not doing what is expected when parsing User that should run 
> service.
> When it fails to parse string starting with digit it fails back to root causing obvious threat to security.
>
> See discussion with developer on github: https://github.com/systemd/systemd/issues/6237

Point 1 from https://github.com/systemd/systemd/issues/6237#issuecomment-312479534
seems to be a problem:

> systemd is not the one coming up with the restrictions on user names,
> and while some distributions are less restrictive, many do enforce the
> same restrictions as we do. In order to make systemd unit files
> portable between systems we'll hence enforce something that
> resembles more the universally accepted set, rather than accept the
> most liberal set possible.

systemd is effectively setting policy where it has no business doing so.

Jeff