RE: [SLUG] WAS about Linux virii

From: Grantham, Patrick (Patrick.Grantham@vacationclub.com)
Date: Thu Feb 14 2002 - 09:45:00 EST


Set you shell to NULL for root then root cannot login. I have used this to
create accounts that do not have rights to login directly. Be careful to
have some other super user equivalent login.

-----Original Message-----
From: Ronald KA4INM Youvan [mailto:ka4inm@tampabay.rr.com]
Sent: Wednesday, February 13, 2002 7:31 PM
To: slug@nks.net
Subject: Re: [SLUG] WAS about Linux virii

Someone said:

> . . . don't run as root if you can help it.

snip

   I can't think of why logging in as root is a security problem,
if you are logged in as `Joe', that doesn't prevent a Trojan
horse from sending your password to a guy named Lu (in China)
that tenets into an open port and logs in as root and E-mail
your private thoughts to him. (or what ever)

   What has bothered me from my start is:
   I know the name of the super user on your box, everyone
does.
That seems to me to make security twice as hard as it needs to be.

   Does anyone know of a way to have a name other than `root'
being the super user? (In LINUX.)
(I would also want to hide his directory among all `normal' users)

       73 (= Best Regards) de: Ron ka4inm@tampabay.rr.com
    100% LINUX, 100% of the time. SENT Time and Date are UTC
        Visit my HAM Web SITE at: http://www.qsl.net/ka4inm



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