Subject: Re: passwd file permission and pine

From: [email-masked] (Thomas Ulich)
Date: 13 May 1996 09:51:40 GMT

madhu arvindo ([email-masked]) wrote:
: A small problem : If one removes the read permission from the passwd file
: on a UNIX system then accessing pine gives an error which says unable to 
: identify user. How can one get round this ??

Why would you do that?  I can't remember any precise example right now,
but there are a few important other things for which /etc/passwd should 
be readable.  For example changing directories using the cd ~<username> 
syntax, probably for the finger command, talk?, other mail applications...

In case your aim is to hide the encoded passwords, so that an attack with
crack or similar programs won't be possible, you should enable password
shadowing, which unfortunately is still not the default in all UNIX Versions.

Read about it in the machine's documentation, or type "man shadow" for
more info.

In any case, inform yourself very well on the possible consequences of 
taking away the read permission for others (and group).

All the best,

-- 
Thomas Ulich  NEW e-mail: [email-masked]  www: http://cc.oulu.fi/~thu/
 
      Inuit say:  He who looks long upon the aurora soon goes mad.