Another Root access issue...

davidev · 08-22-2009, 04:54 AM

Hi all,

I have some problems while trying to gain root access in DLS. I made an HD install, so my old notebook is completely running with that wonderful OS.

The problems is not what you're thinking: is not that I can't access as root... but that I can access as root WHITOUT password, as every sudo command is executed with no root password request.

I changed the root password with "passwd", then created a new user account on the machine called "davide". Then I connected to the "davide" user on the DSL machine with an ssh connection from another notebook I have in my house... then I typed

Code:

sudo shutdown -h now

and the DSL machine went down without asking for root password first... I think this is a big security problem, isn't it?

Did I missed some setup?

Thanks,
Davide.

repo · 08-22-2009, 05:43 AM

AFAIK, when you install DSL to your HD, after the first reboot it will ask for a root password.

davidev · 08-22-2009, 09:06 AM

Hello repo,

Quote:

Originally Posted by repo

AFAIK

what's AFAIK?

Quote:

when you install DSL to your HD, after the first reboot it will ask for a root password.

When I installed DSL to the hd it asked me for a root password and for a user/pass in order to log on the system with no root privileges. I did it, so I set the password for root, then created the "dsl" user with his password... this is my usual login username.

I also created a new user with the "adduser" command, but nothing changed (I thought maybe the "dsl" user had some privilege). The clue is that when I type

Code:

davide@tty1[davide]$ su root

it prompts me for the root password, but when I type

Code:

davide@tty1[davide]$ sudo command

it executes any command without asking me the root password first.

repo · 08-22-2009, 12:06 PM

AFAIK
As Far As I Know

Seems to be the way DSL works
From the Getting started guide:
http://www.damnsmalllinux.org/getting_started.html

Quote:

Administrator / SuperUser / Root:

Each system requires some command to be run as the administrator. In DSL, such user is called root. To get root privileges to run a specific command, just proceed the command with the word sudo (e.g., sudo dsl-hdinstall).
To become the super user, then use the command sudo su. Normally, you should not run your system as root.

davidev · 08-22-2009, 02:13 PM

It simply seems to be the way every GNU/Linux system works... doesn't tell anything on root password...