[thelist] UNIX SECURITY. . .

[Mark Scalia]

Does anyone have any sugguestions of a secure way of adding a user to a
unix system from a web based form.  I am wondering how sites like Yahoo,
for instace, go about adding a user to their system in able to offer such
features as pop email and web space.  I am guessing that their signup form
triggers some program that adds a user without being root.

I know that adduser takes root access and could be used in conjuction with
"sudo", or some other program, but is that how large sites such as yahoo
and others go about this?????

I get extremely nervous with even the thought of giving a cgi script access
to a  root command . . .

Thanks,

Mark