Problems understanding /etc/sudoers

majestik33 · 08-15-2014, 12:02 AM

According to the documentation, modifications of this file may enables local users to execute sudo commands on remote machines:

user1 192.168.1.14=(user2:group1) ALL

According to what I read, this entry enables user1 to execute all commands on the host with the IP 192.168.1.14. How can this be possible?

I also have problems understanding what does running commands as different users means?

sundialsvcs · 08-15-2014, 08:35 AM

No, nothing that you do on one machine can give you elevated permissions on that machine, unless that machine also gives consent.

In practice, many enterprises simply use LDAP to control everything ... authentication and authorization ... across the enterprise. In that context, the sudoers file might not be used at all.

pan64 · 08-16-2014, 11:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by majestik33

I also have problems understanding what does running commands as different users means?

Programs (commands) usually have no rights by themselves, but the users who tried to execute. So if I execute ls (or whatever) it will use my own actual status during execution. running commands as different users means the command should be executed as a different (usually a specified) user.