fix for login

Stan Johnson johnson at euler.jsc.nasa.gov
Wed Mar 6 02:53:16 AEST 1991


Vernon Schryver writes:
>Please note that the fix for /bin/login does not close any security holes.
>The problem is only that people are forced to run the passwd command after
>being accepted as bona fide users.  What happens is exactly the same as if
>someone had first used rlogin, and then typed `passwd`.  At worst, this
>makes the new "password required" feature less useful.  It does not allow
>anyone any access to machines that they did not already have.  In fact, it
>effectively denies access.
 (...)
>Vernon Schryver,   vjs at sgi.com

You are absolutely right; my apologies.  The fact that the user must first
enter his or her old password makes the problem one of convenience, not
security.  I had forgotten that fact, since I ran into the problem as root
and so was not asked for the old password...

I should also mention that SGI hotline personnel were very helpful in
isolating and solving the problem.

-Stan Johnson
 NASA / Johnson Space Center
 (713) 483-4692
 johnson at euler.jsc.nasa.gov



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