[thelist] Perl script as root

Chris Ditty CDitty at email.usps.gov
Thu Feb 14 11:52:46 CST 2002


     The cron method was going to be my next step if I couldn't resolve
     this one.

     Actually, I am not even using formmail.pl.  I just get tired of seeing
     it in my error logs and then moments later seeing every other
     variation of it from the same ip.  If I can cause just 1 spammer a
     minor incovienence, then I am a happy camper.  :)

     Thanks for the tips.

     Chris


______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Re: [thelist] Perl script as root
Author:  thelist-admin at lists.evolt.org at INTERNET
Date:    2/14/2002 12:28 PM

<snip>

The usual way to handle a situation where a browser initiated script
needs to write to a file that is owned by *root* is to have the script
write to a temp file. Then run a cron on a second *root* owned
script that moves the entries from the temp file to the *root* owned
file. Cron jobs run as the owner of the script and therefore scripts
run that way are not limited by the web server to run as *nobody*.

That said, if you are trying to limit access to formmail.pl by IP
address you'll not succeed in keeping spammers from using
formmail.pl as a spam relay. IP addresses are easily faked. In fact
any commercial spammer will be routinely faking the IP address.

keith
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