Subject: Re: BUG??? WU!

From: Michael Brennen <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 26 Nov 1997 15:48:15 -0600 (CST)

--rsh-command=COMMAND      use remote COMMAND instead of rsh

This is the nasty option in GNU tar; lets people run anything they
want, I suspect anything they upload.  oosp.  I've not worked out the
details; it is something I picked up a long time ago on a list far far
away, so I just don't make it available. 

   -- Michael

On Wed, 26 Nov 1997, Becki Kain wrote:

> What do you mean, gnu tar should not be available?  I thougth it was
> supposed to be used so that we could use static tar on fly?

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From: Jon Lewis <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 27 Nov 1997 03:31:25 -0500 (EST)

> away, so I just don't make it available. 

Assuming gnu tar is not in a directory for which the remote user can do
"site exec" how is a remote user going to cause tar to attempt to operate
on a remote file (in which case it would run rsh or --rsh-command)?

--rsh-command is useful when doing something like 
tar --rsh-command=/usr/local/bin/ssh -cf user@host:/dev/st0

to backup to a remote tape via ssh instead of rsh....So how will you via
ftp cause tar to execute a command like the above?

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From: Michael Brennen <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 27 Nov 1997 10:28:29 -0600 (CST)

> ftp cause tar to execute a command like the above?

I'm not sure....  This is why I said "I've not worked out the
details".  I knew it sounded cheesy when I posted it. :)

I use ssh exclusively for interhost communication, but I run a
different variant of your above command to do cross LAN backup. 

It would be interesting to define better how tar could be exploited in
an anonymous / guest environment.  It may only be practical in a real
user environment, with access to suid root tools. 

   -- Michael