[ale] sendmail using real rather than effective user ID

[Jim Kinney]

Is selinux active? It always keeps the real ID of the user intact even
through multiple layers of su.

On Wed, Aug 10, 2011 at 4:39 PM, Lightner, Jeff <JLightner at water.com> wrote:

> **************
>
>  On a couple of recently loaded servers including a RHEL6 I found that
> Sendmail is sending emails generated by root processes using my real user ID
> rather than root’s ID.****
>
> ** **
>
> These root processes were started from command line after I did “sudo su –“
> to become root.   The processes definitely show root as the user running
> them.   The sudo man page says that when one switches to another user both
> real and effective user ID are set to the new user which seems to be born
> out by the “id” command.   However, if I run “who am i” and “whoami” I’m
> seeing my real user id (the one I was before doing the sudo su) and
> effective ID.   However, this is also true on my RHEL5 boxes.****
>
> ** **
>
> Did something change in Sendmail where it is detecting the underlying user
> somehow?   On my RHEL5 boxes the email goes out just fine as root@ after a
> sudo su -.****
>
> ** **
>
> **
>
>
>
>
>
>  *
> __________________________________________________________________________________________
> *********
>
> *Jeff Lightner *| *UNIX/Linux Administrator** *| *DS Waters of America,
> Inc *| ************5660 New Northside Drive, Ste 250************ | *******
> *****Atlanta**********, ******GA****** ******30328********* *
> (: (Direct Dial) 678-486-3516 |(: (Cell) 678-772-0018 |  *:
> jlightner at water.com********
>
> ** **
>  ********
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>
> Proud partner. Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
>
> ****
>
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-- 
-- 
James P. Kinney III

As long as the general population is passive, apathetic, diverted to
consumerism or hatred of the vulnerable, then the powerful can do as they
please, and those who survive will be left to contemplate the outcome.
- *2011 Noam Chomsky

http://heretothereideas.blogspot.com/
*
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