root ssh X11 forwarding

nocturna_gr · 04-29-2006, 12:07 PM

Hi,
i've had a look, but cannot find a clear answer. Is ssh X11 forwarding disabled for root or just not possible? In the second occasion would the only solution be the creation of an account with administrative rights?

Thanks

Brian1 · 04-29-2006, 12:25 PM

In /etc/ssh/sshd_config is where root is define as not a user that can login. It is just a default setting to add more security to ssh. If root is allowed to login and you have a easy password that a brute force password cracker can do then someone would have full control of your machine. If they are not nice then you may have nothing or they may even use yours to attack others and it will be your machine attacking others. What do you need to run as root from X11. There should be a way to do it.

Brian1

nocturna_gr · 04-29-2006, 12:36 PM

Thanks Brian1,
I have enabled the option "PermitRootLogin" and i can login as root. However, X11 applications -when i have logged in as root- gets me with errors, which do not appear when i login as a regular user. I suspect that X11 forwarding for root is not possible. I want to login as root and be able to get X forwarding, in order to use fwbuilder. Your security remarks are right, but which are the alternatives?

PS: fortunately this is not a production system

Brian1 · 04-29-2006, 01:59 PM

This is the way I run an X app that needs to be run as root. Login using the -Y option.
ssh -Y username@192.168.2.1
Enter password or passphrase
Type su and enters root password of remote machine
Then one can type ' fwbuilder ' and the fwbuilder from the remote machine should come up on local desktop.
If it works go back and disable root login.

Brian1

nocturna_gr · 04-30-2006, 03:28 AM

I face the same problems when i "su" and when i directly login as root.

nocturna_gr · 04-30-2006, 05:49 AM

I fixed it! However, i would like, if possible, somebody to explain me what happened exactly. I just copied .Xauthority from /home/userName to /root.

Brian1 · 04-30-2006, 09:51 AM

.Xauthority contains the Magic Cookie. Hard to to explain it but do a search on google for Magic Cookie mit and ssh.

Brian1