Re: Why does Postgres need the /bin/sh?

From: Tom Lane <tgl(at)sss(dot)pgh(dot)pa(dot)us>
To: Stephen Amadei <amadei(at)dandy(dot)net>
Cc: pgsql-bugs(at)postgresql(dot)org
Subject: Re: Why does Postgres need the /bin/sh?
Date: 2002-05-04 03:37:04
Message-ID: 24454.1020483424@sss.pgh.pa.us
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Stephen Amadei <amadei(at)dandy(dot)net> writes:
> Hey guys... second post of the day. If you read my last post about
> Postgres 7.2.1 segfaulting on Slackware 8.0, you noted I am trying to
> chroot Postgres. Unfortunately, my chrooted postgres cannot create
> databases due to a 'system' call, which runs '/bin/sh'.

Ah.

> While, IMHO, the safest way to do this would be to code the cp and rm code
> internally, I have patched my copy to do a fork and execl to call the cp
> and rm programs directly (and placed /bin/cp and /bin/rm in the chroot
> jail) as a quick fix... I feel it gives a bit more security.

Why? If you are launching daemon processes with insecure directories
in their $PATH, who are you gonna blame but yourself?

I don't really see an advantage to reinventing the cp and rm wheels
here...

regards, tom lane

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