6

Here is the code:

(root:)

# mkdir /test
# cp /bin/bash /test/sbash
# chmod a+s /test/sbash

(user1:)

$ cd /test
$ ./sbash
$ mkdir trycreate
mkdir: cannot create directory `trycreate': Permission denied

And bash scripts with setuid bit set not work, either.

By the way, my setuid perl script works:

test.pl: (with setuid bit set, owner=root)

#!/usr/bin/perl
mkdir('/test/tryperlcreate') or die 'failed'; 

execute test.pl by user1 will create the directory owned by root.

5 Answers 5

5

Try exec ./sbash with -p.

sh:~# cp /bin/bash /bin/ape
sh:~# chmod +s /bin/ape
sh:~**$** /bin/ape -p
ape-3.2#
1
  • 4
    The -p option does work, but for shell scripts shebang #!/bin/bash -p doesn't work, while #!/bin/renamed-bash works. I'm wondering how kernel distinguish this, and whether can I configure it to force override to allow it?
    – Lenik
    Dec 23, 2010 at 1:04
7

You cannot make scripts SUID. Fortunately.

You may be interested in the SUID-wrapper program here, though: http://isptools.sourceforge.net/suid-wrap.html

I should also add, please please please make sure that you really need to do this before you do it. SUID binaries can be a great big gaping hole in your system.

4
  • Thank you, I think shc compiler would help, cuz I really don't want to setuid to root, but I have to setuid to some specific user, so, If setuid shell script is dangerout, the OS should give me a warning message rather than silently ignored. Cuz I know what am I going to do and I can sacrifice a bit of security to gain a large convienience.
    – Lenik
    Dec 13, 2009 at 14:15
  • 1
    The suid wrappers seems not work any more. I'll give up suid script and try something different, thanks
    – Lenik
    Dec 14, 2009 at 4:36
  • 1
    I think SUDO is a safer alternative to everything else.
    – LatinSuD
    Sep 17, 2010 at 11:41
  • You cannot make scripts SUID Actually perl scripts (for instance) allow the SUID. A bunch of `command x` in the perl script resemble a bash script :-)
    – Déjà vu
    Dec 22, 2010 at 17:26
5

I could repost what's been done to death already, but this is a great read.

Basically setuid shell scripts don't work by default

http://www.faqs.org/faqs/unix-faq/faq/part4/section-7.html

3
  • Thanks, I got the point. But what can I do to force enabling the default option?
    – Lenik
    Dec 13, 2009 at 14:10
  • And, though setuid on bash script is ignored, setuid on the perl ones did work, this really confused me at that time. When I copied /bin/bash to another executable renamed, it doesn't work , too. So, I guess OS ignores setuid on specific shell executables by there file digest, huh??
    – Lenik
    Dec 13, 2009 at 14:19
  • 4
    No, it doesn't do it by file digest. It doesn't work for any interpreter. Perl itself is doing it. From 'perldoc perlsec': Perl can emulate the setuid and setgid mechanism when it notices the otherwise useless setuid/gid bits on Perl scripts. It does this via a special executable called suidperl that is automatically invoked for you if it's needed.
    – MikeyB
    Dec 13, 2009 at 17:20
1

This is by design, in Ubuntu as well as in many other modern *nix system. While a setuid is always a potential security vulnerability this is extra so when dealing with shell scripts.

(The classic problem is having someone fool around with what is considered separate arguments by modifying the IFS environment variable.)

1

As others have mentioned, this is by design.

Try using sudo rather than setuid scripts.

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