Re: Problems with :include: resolved... but aliases aren't trusted.

[Andy Poling <andy@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu>]

On Wed, 19 May 1993, Michael Richardson wrote:
[...]
>   The problem is that the mailbox transport isn't interested in
> delivering to the program.
>   I note line 420 of transports/mailbox/mailbox.c:
> 
> 	case TO_PIPE:	/* pipe to program */
> 		/* one should disallow this if uid == nobody? */
> 		if (uid == nobody) {
> 			DIAGNOSTIC(rp, EX_UNAVAILABLE,
> 				       "mail to program disallowed", 0);
> 			return;
> 		}
> 
>   I can see the logic of this, but the pipe came from an alias
> controlled by the administrator. Perhaps, aliases taken from the
> aliases should be given the trust of the uid that owns the alias file.
>   Actually, _I_ (mcr) own the alias file to make my maintenance life
> easier. (If you can become me, you can become root without a password
> on my system, so this matters little)

The simple solution that I use in these instances is to use a mailing-list
of one address (rather than an alias).  It solves the problem because the
mail is assigned the UID of the owner of the mailing list file.

-Andy

Andy Poling                              Internet: andy@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu
UNIX Systems Programmer                  Bitnet: ANDY@JHUNIX
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