Allow only Exim or CONFIGURE_OWNER to use whitelisted configs with -C

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

diff --git a/doc/doc-docbook/spec.xfpt b/doc/doc-docbook/spec.xfpt
index b2c40e48add835c3413090d959ca7dc27013b70a..c9b77b88cdaa9c400acd4e5cc7c4e39b9bcbd321 100644 (file)
--- a/doc/doc-docbook/spec.xfpt
+++ b/doc/doc-docbook/spec.xfpt
@@ -3336,7 +3336,8 @@ from the compiled-in list, Exim gives up its root privilege immediately, and
 runs with the real and effective uid and gid set to those of the caller.
 However, if a TRUSTED_CONFIG_PREFIX_LIST file is defined in &_Local/Makefile_&,
 root privilege is retained for any configuration file which matches a prefix
-listed in that file.
+listed in that file as long as the caller is the Exim user (or the user
+specified in the CONFIGURE_OWNER option, if any).
 
 Leaving TRUSTED_CONFIG_PREFIX_LIST unset precludes the possibility of testing
 a configuration using &%-C%& right through message reception and delivery,
@@ -4536,10 +4537,12 @@ A one-off alternate configuration can be specified by the &%-C%& command line
 option, which may specify a single file or a list of files. However, when
 &%-C%& is used, Exim gives up its root privilege, unless called by root (or
 unless the argument for &%-C%& is identical to the built-in value from
-CONFIGURE_FILE) or matches a prefix listed in the TRUSTED_CONFIG_PREFIX_LIST
-file. &%-C%& is useful mainly for checking the syntax of configuration files
-before installing them. No owner or group checks are done on a configuration
-file specified by &%-C%&, if root privilege has been dropped.
+CONFIGURE_FILE), or matches a prefix listed in the TRUSTED_CONFIG_PREFIX_LIST
+file and the caller is the Exim user or the user specified in the
+CONFIGURE_OWNER setting. &%-C%& is useful mainly for checking the syntax of
+configuration files before installing them. No owner or group checks are done
+on a configuration file specified by &%-C%&, if root privilege has been
+dropped.
 
 Even the Exim user is not trusted to specify an arbitrary configuration file
 with the &%-C%& option to be used with root privileges, unless that file is
@@ -33820,17 +33823,16 @@ which only root has access, this guards against someone who has broken
 into the Exim account from running a privileged Exim with an arbitrary
 configuration file, and using it to break into other accounts.
 .next
-If a non-trusted configuration file (i.e. the default configuration file or
-one which is trusted by virtue of matching a prefix listed in the
+If a non-trusted configuration file (i.e. not the default configuration file
+or one which is trusted by virtue of matching a prefix listed in the
 TRUSTED_CONFIG_PREFIX_LIST file) is specified with &%-C%&, or if macros are
-given with &%-D%& (but see the next item),
-then root privilege is retained only if the caller of Exim
-is root. This locks out the possibility of testing a configuration using &%-C%&
-right through message reception and delivery, even if the caller is root. The
-reception works, but by that time, Exim is running as the Exim user, so when
-it re-execs to regain privilege for the delivery, the use of &%-C%& causes
-privilege to be lost. However, root can test reception and delivery using two
-separate commands.
+given with &%-D%& (but see the next item), then root privilege is retained only
+if the caller of Exim is root. This locks out the possibility of testing a
+configuration using &%-C%& right through message reception and delivery, even
+if the caller is root. The reception works, but by that time, Exim is running
+as the Exim user, so when it re-execs to regain privilege for the delivery, the
+use of &%-C%& causes privilege to be lost. However, root can test reception and
+delivery using two separate commands.
 .next
 The WHITELIST_D_MACROS build option declares some macros to be safe to override
 with &%-D%& if the real uid is one of root, the Exim run-time user or the