Bug 260 - should xterm be suid?
Summary: should xterm be suid?
Status: CLOSED NOTABUG
Alias: None
Product: Red Hat Linux
Classification: Retired
Component: distribution   
(Show other bugs)
Version: 5.2
Hardware: i386 Linux
medium
medium
Target Milestone: ---
Assignee: David Lawrence
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Keywords: Security
Depends On:
Blocks:
TreeView+ depends on / blocked
 
Reported: 1998-12-02 12:05 UTC by ian.clark
Modified: 2008-05-01 15:37 UTC (History)
0 users

Fixed In Version:
Doc Type: Bug Fix
Doc Text:
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Environment:
Last Closed: 1998-12-02 16:14:31 UTC
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Regression: ---
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Description ian.clark 1998-12-02 12:05:24 UTC 
I have just installed redhat 5.2 and noticed that xterm was
running as root. Upon looking in /usr/X11R6/bin in noticed
there a number of files set as suid is this correct?

The files affected are :-

kterm
nxterm
seyon
xbill
xhextris
xscreensaver
and xterm
also (but i'm not sure about) XConsole and XWrapper.

Ian
Comment 1 Bill Nottingham 1998-12-02 16:14:59 UTC 
XConsole, kterm, nxterm, xterm are suid to log to utmp/wtmp.
xscreensaver is setuid to read shadow passwords.
(this will be changed in a future release...)
xbill & xhextris are set(u|g)id *games* to read/write score files.
XWrapper is suid so the X server isn't. :)
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