Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!clyde.concordia.ca!uunet!wuarchive!mit-eddie!uw-beaver!rice!sun-spots-request
From: moldev!rootksh@uunet.uu.net (Operator)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.sun
Subject: Possible bug in /usr/ucb/Mail
Keywords: SunOS
Message-ID: <6153@brazos.Rice.edu>
Date: 28 Mar 90 18:29:28 GMT
Sender: root@rice.edu
Organization: Sun-Spots
Lines: 9
Approved: Sun-Spots@rice.edu
X-Sun-Spots-Digest: Volume 9, Issue 93, message 8

It appears that there is a serious potential problem related to using
/usr/ucb/Mail as root. The problem manifests itself on our Sun3 ( OS 4.0.3
) by changing the permissions of /dev/null to remove rw for group and
other, and ownership is left as root. This breaks all sorts of programs
and cron jobs system wide. The effect has appeared after replying to mail,
using ~v to edit and read in a file. After leaving vi ( ZZ ) and dropping
back into mail, cancel the message with two ^C. Bingo !

George Pontis ( ...uunet!moldev!geo )