Howto strace apache as nobody/apache user?

["Rizki Wicaksono" <rizki.wicaksono () gmail com>]

Hi List,

Does anyone know how to strace/ktrace-ing apache httpd server as
nobody/apache user ? Apache initially starting as root then it forks
into many process after leaving its root credentials, usually being
apache or nobody (depends on httpd.conf). So, by theory if I could be
apache/nobody user, I will be able to strace/ktrace-ing any process
that owned by apache/nobody user.

So i put small cmd.php shell to do that. With this simple code:
<pre><? passthru($_GET['cmd']); ?></pre>

Using my browser pointing to http://localhost/cmd.php?cmd=id, confirm
that it has apache credentials. After reading the output of ps aux
(http://localhost/cmd.php?cmd=ps aux), i chose one process id of httpd
owned by apache to test. When I try using URL
http://localhost/cmd.php?cmd=strace -p apache_pid 2>/tmp/err, I got
operation not permitted error. The same happen to freebsd box using
ktrace command.

Is this a security feature of apache or what?

Thanks before
- Rizki Wicaksono -

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