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,
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
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
# privileges for local message delivery), this will normally cause Exim to
# drop root privileges. The TRUSTED_CONFIG_PREFIX_LIST option, specifies
# a file which contains a list of trusted configuration prefixes (like the
-# ALT_CONFIG_PREFIX above), one per line. If the -C option is used to specify
-# a configuration file which matches a trusted prefix, root privileges are not
+# ALT_CONFIG_PREFIX above), one per line. If the -C option is used by the Exim
+# user or by the user specified in the CONFIGURE_OWNER setting, to specify a
+# configuration file which matches a trusted prefix, root privileges are not
# dropped by Exim.
# TRUSTED_CONFIG_PREFIX_LIST=/usr/exim/trusted_configs