table of contents
SETUID(1) | General Commands Manual | SETUID(1) |
NAME¶
setuid - run a command with a different uid.
SYNOPSIS¶
setuid username|uid command [ args ]
DESCRIPTION¶
Setuid changes user id, then executes the specified command. Unlike some versions of su(1), this program doesn't ever ask for a password when executed with effective uid=root. This program doesn't change the environment; it only changes the uid and then uses execvp() to find the command in the path, and execute it. (If the command is a script, execvp() passes the command name to /bin/sh for processing.)
For example,
Setuid is useful inside scripts that are being run by a setuid-root user — such as a script invoked with super, so that the script can execute some commands using the uid of the original user, instead of root. This allows unsafe commands (such as editors and pagers) to be used in a non-root mode inside a super script. For example, an operator with permission to modify a certain protected_file could use a super command that simply does:
cp protected_file temp_file setuid $ORIG_USER ${EDITOR:-/bin/vi} temp_file cp temp_file protected_file
AUTHOR¶
Will Deich
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