Don't allow a configure file which is writeable by the Exim user or group

[exim.git] / doc / doc-docbook / spec.xfpt

diff --git a/doc/doc-docbook/spec.xfpt b/doc/doc-docbook/spec.xfpt
index 14c1bf8d8c592b5f3d5b1f3ddad9060e700cf5e1..049b2b6b082e291cb33dceac969d26ed41dcd66a 100644 (file)
--- a/doc/doc-docbook/spec.xfpt
+++ b/doc/doc-docbook/spec.xfpt
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-. $Cambridge: exim/doc/doc-docbook/spec.xfpt,v 1.87 2010/06/12 15:21:25 jetmore Exp $
+. $Cambridge: exim/doc/doc-docbook/spec.xfpt,v 1.88 2010/06/14 18:51:09 pdp Exp $
 .
 . /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 . This is the primary source of the Exim Manual. It is an xfpt document that is
@@ -3184,12 +3184,15 @@ the listening daemon.
 .cindex "testing", "malware"
 .cindex "malware scan test"
 This debugging option causes Exim to scan the given file,
-using the malware scanning framework.  The option of av_scanner influences
-this option, so if av_scanner's value is dependent upon an expansion then
-the expansion should have defaults which apply to this invocation.  Exim will
-have changed working directory before resolving the filename, so using fully
-qualified pathnames is advisable.  Exim will be running as the Exim user
-when it tries to open the file, rather than as the invoking user.
+using the malware scanning framework.  The option of &%av_scanner%& influences
+this option, so if &%av_scanner%&'s value is dependent upon an expansion then
+the expansion should have defaults which apply to this invocation.  ACLs are
+not invoked, so if &%av_scanner%& references an ACL variable then that variable
+will never be populated and &%-bmalware%& will fail.
+
+Exim will have changed working directory before resolving the filename, so
+using fully qualified pathnames is advisable.  Exim will be running as the Exim
+user when it tries to open the file, rather than as the invoking user.
 This option requires admin privileges.
 
 The &%-bmalware%& option will not be extended to be more generally useful,
@@ -4498,17 +4501,21 @@ existing file in the list.
 .cindex "configuration file" "ownership"
 .cindex "ownership" "configuration file"
 The run time configuration file must be owned by root or by the user that is
-specified at compile time by the EXIM_USER option, or by the user that is
 specified at compile time by the CONFIGURE_OWNER option (if set). The
-configuration file must not be world-writeable or group-writeable, unless its
-group is the one specified at compile time by the EXIM_GROUP option or by the
+configuration file must not be world-writeable, or group-writeable unless its
+group is the root group or the one specified at compile time by the
 CONFIGURE_GROUP option.
 
 &*Warning*&: In a conventional configuration, where the Exim binary is setuid
 to root, anybody who is able to edit the run time configuration file has an
-easy way to run commands as root. If you make your mail administrators members
-of the Exim group, but do not trust them with root, make sure that the run time
-configuration is not group writeable.
+easy way to run commands as root. If you specify a user or group in the
+CONFIGURE_OWNER or CONFIGURE_GROUP options, then that user and/or any users
+who are members of that group will trivially be able to obtain root privileges.
+
+Up to Exim version 4.72, the run time configuration file was also permitted to
+be writeable by the Exim user and/or group. That has been changed in Exim 4.73
+since it offered a simple privilege escalation for any attacker who managed to
+compromise the Exim user account.
 
 A default configuration file, which will work correctly in simple situations,
 is provided in the file &_src/configure.default_&. If CONFIGURE_FILE