problems with /bin/false
 

I am using vsftpd 2.0.3 installed from source and recently I have this problem. Users with /bin/false can't log in . When I put /bin/bash everything it's okay. Anyone can help me ? Thanks

Is /bin/false in /etc/shells? Most ftpds will not allow users to log in unless their shell is in /etc/shells. You can just add /bin/false to this file (i usually copy /bin/false to /bin/ftponly so I can remember what it's there for :)).

I believe using /bin/false is a security measure to prevent them from being able to login. For that reason, I would not add it to /etc/shells. If your user must be able to login, I would give them a "real" shell (eg. bash). Or you could try by adding /bin/true to /etc/shells and give them that as a default.

In my unmodified /etc/shells, /bin/false is not listed, but it is the default shell for several user id's which should not need login access.

Garry

I try the variant with adding /bin/false in /etc/shells, and now my users can log in on ftp chrooted with -s /bin/false ..so they don't have access on ssh or telnet(shell). Whatever I think this is an issue with vsftpd, because security is the first goal and maybe in in next version it will be fixed. Thank you both.

It's not an issue, it's pretty standard behavior for an ftp server.Adding /bin/false to /etc/shells will not magically grant users with /bin/false as their shell the ability to login (after all it's a program that does nothing, which is pretty useless for a login shell). That's why it can be used as a "shell" for people who only need ftp access. Of course, you don't necessarily want all /bin/false users to necessarily be allowed ftp, which is why I copy it to /bin/ftponly as described above.

Aha! Now I get your thinking.

You copy /bin/false to /bin/ftponly, then add /bin/ftponly to /etc/shells and setup the users you want to have ftp access only with /bin/ftponly.

I like that idea, especially since it doesn't open up any other doors (such as allowing system users ftp access).

Please excuse my thickness. :D

Garry