[SOLVED] How do I add mesg -n to /etc/profile?

JockVSJock · 05-05-2016, 09:38 AM

I'm trying to prevent messages from being used as a DoS.

I'm adding

Code:

mesg -n

to /etc/profile, however when logging in I'm getting a mesg -n under the motd and I don't think that is correct.

How do I set this up correctly?

thanks

keefaz · 05-05-2016, 09:41 AM

Did you look in /etc/login.defs, maybe comment MOTD line here

JockVSJock · 05-05-2016, 09:45 AM

This is under RHEL5.

I've looked under /etc/login.defs and don't see an entry for motd.

This is a STIG that I'm trying to implement and the rule is trying to have me set it up under /etc/profile. If I add it in say before the final lines of:

Code:

unset i 
unset pathmunge

I'm getting mesg -n showing up at the bottom of motd, which I have coming from /etc/issue.

thanks

keefaz · 05-05-2016, 09:48 AM

mesg -n disallows messages (-y permit), maybe it's here for a security concern

edit
correct syntax is:

mesg n (not -n)

JockVSJock · 05-05-2016, 12:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by keefaz

mesg -n disallows messages (-y permit), maybe it's here for a security concern

edit
correct syntax is:

mesg n (not -n)

mesg n worked, thanks.

Not mesg -n. Alot of the times the STIGs are written very well or easy to understand.

I looked for a man page for profile and there wasn't anything listed. So I'm wondering what mesg does under /etc/profile?

I also added it here

Code:

mesg n 

unset -i 
unset pathmunge

keefaz · 05-05-2016, 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JockVSJock

I looked for a man page for profile and there wasn't anything listed. So I'm wondering what mesg does under /etc/profile?

[/code]

There is an entry in bash manual

Code:

quote from man bash:

 When  bash is invoked as an interactive login shell, or as a non-inter-
       active shell with the --login option, it first reads and executes  com-
       mands  from  the file /etc/profile, if that file exists.  After reading
       that file, it looks for ~/.bash_profile, ~/.bash_login, and ~/.profile,
       in  that order, and reads and executes commands from the first one that
       exists and is readable.  The --noprofile option may be  used  when  the
       shell is started to inhibit this behavior.