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From: Andrew Halliday <andrew@recalldesign.com>
To : <linuxsa@linuxsa.org.au>
Date: Mon, 29 Jan 2001 09:48:14 +1030
Changing the root user
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Okay, heres an interesting proposition that may prove quite =
controversial but I just want to see how possible it is first.
When I was thinking about protecting my little naked linux box on the =
big fat Internet and about all those people trying to hack root - it was =
daunting. Then I thought - "So what if they hacked root and root wasnt =
the root user?".
So my question is: is there any way to change WHO the root user is? I =
mean, I cant see that linux would be coded in such a way that this would =
be unretrenchably embedded in the system, since thats a bad coding =
ethic...however I can forsee that because root is an exceptional user, =
there will be certain exceptions all over the place.
But just imagine it : someone living in the depths of Russia or =
something, after having spent too much time on hacking my box FINALLY =
gets root...only to discover that root has the eqivalent access =
permissions of nobody and that this user called 'fred' or =
'sakjfhsdfgldfgkdfjgkdgskdjfhgdkjfhgadfkjhgaf' is the super-user!!!
-then again, i spose once they have shell access youre prettey much =
stuffed anyway?
Thoughts anyone?
AndrewH
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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Okay, heres an interesting proposition =
that may=20
prove quite controversial but I just want to see how possible it is=20
first.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>When I was thinking about protecting my =
little=20
naked linux box on the big fat Internet and about all those people =
trying to=20
hack root - it was daunting. Then I thought - "So what if they =
hacked root=20
and root wasnt the root user?".</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>So my question is: is there any =
way to change=20
WHO the root user is? I mean, I cant see that linux would be coded =
in=20
such a way that this would be unretrenchably embedded in the =
system, since=20
thats a bad coding ethic...however I can forsee that because root is an=20
exceptional user, there will be certain exceptions all over the=20
place.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>But just imagine it : someone living in =
the depths=20
of Russia or something, after having spent too much time on hacking my =
box=20
FINALLY gets root...only to discover that root has the eqivalent access=20
permissions of nobody and that this user called 'fred' or=20
'sakjfhsdfgldfgkdfjgkdgskdjfhgdkjfhgadfkjhgaf' is the =
super-user!!!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>-then again, i spose once they have =
shell access=20
youre prettey much stuffed anyway?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Thoughts anyone?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>AndrewH</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>
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