cron does not log any error when a line in a file in /etc/cron.d contains a username that does not exist. A very easy way for this to happen is someone forgetting that the files in /var/spool/cron/crontabs have a different format than /etc/cron.d. To reproduce: echo '* * * * * nosuchuser touch /tmp/nosuchuser-ran-a-cron-job' > /etc/cron.d/test1 echo '* * * * * root touch /tmp/root-ran-a-cron-job' > /etc/cron.d/test2 (the latter is the control) tail -f /var/log/cron /var/log/messages And watch as the valid cron line is run but no error is reported for the invalid one. If you look at entry.c load_entry(), you see no error reporting for a failed "pw = getpwnam(username);" call. This problem exists in at least RHEL 4 and 5, and presumably in all releases with /etc/cron.d support.
Thank you for report. This bug was already fixed in upstream version.
This request was evaluated by Red Hat Product Management for inclusion, but this component is not scheduled to be updated in the current Red Hat Enterprise Linux release. If you would like this request to be reviewed for the next minor release, ask your support representative to set the next rhel-x.y flag to "?".
This request was evaluated by Red Hat Product Management for inclusion in the current release of Red Hat Enterprise Linux. Because the affected component is not scheduled to be updated in the current release, Red Hat is unfortunately unable to address this request at this time. Red Hat invites you to ask your support representative to propose this request, if appropriate and relevant, in the next release of Red Hat Enterprise Linux.
This request was erroneously denied for the current release of Red Hat Enterprise Linux. The error has been fixed and this request has been re-proposed for the current release.
Since the problem described in this bug report should be resolved in a recent advisory, it has been closed with a resolution of ERRATA. For information on the advisory, and where to find the updated files, follow the link below. If the solution does not work for you, open a new bug report. http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2012-0304.html