Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!ames!pasteur!ucbvax!decwrl!pyramid!octopus!avsd!childers
From: childers@avsd.UUCP (Richard Childers)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.questions
Subject: Re: Comments in /etc/passwd
Keywords: passwd, comments
Message-ID: <396@avsd.UUCP>
Date: 13 Jan 89 01:37:49 GMT
References: <18759@agate.BERKELEY.EDU>
Reply-To: childers@avsd.UUCP (Richard Childers)
Followup-To: comp.unix.questions
Organization: die Edelstahlratte
Lines: 30

barn@paxton.ced.berkeley.edu (Gary Barnette) writes:

>	Can somone tell me if it is OK to have comments ( #... )
>	in /etc/passwd.

Theoretically speaking, no, you can't have comments in /etc/passwd.

But practically speaking, it's possible to hack a fake 'passwd' entry that
acts in a way analogous to comments.

But this is a security hole, of sorts, in that unless you do it just right
it might facilitate a breakin.

While I guess it depends on the intent, usually strict numbering of UIDs
and occasional use of CAPITALS will work as an interim solution.

>				Thank you,

You're welcome !

>				Gary Barnette
>				barn@CED.berkeley.edu

-- richard

-- 
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