Privilege during exec

[TennTux]

There is a command that I run on a regular basis with one of two sets of parameters. To run with these parameters requires root privilege. I would set the sticky bit but that would open an unnecessary security hole. However, I am comfortable with giving just these two sets for parameters privilege.

So, I wrote a simple C++ application that checks for one of two values on the command line and exec's the real command with the fixed parameters. I was then able to set the sticky bit chmod u+s xyz and this worked in Ubuntu 10.04. However, I have installed Ubuntu 10.10 from scratch and I'm now getting errors that amount to the exec'd command not having root privilege.

I'm still getting my system up to speed so don't have all my documentation up to date yet. I suspect, when I exec, I have to explicitly pass on privilege as a safe guard against security leaks.

Would somebody point me in the right direction.

[ziekfiguur]

Wouldn't it be easier to just allow the commands, with fixed parameters, to be run with root privileges in the sudoers file?

[TennTux]

Wouldn't it be easier to just allow the commands, with fixed parameters, to be run with root privileges in the sudoers file?

It was my impression that the sudoers file specified what commands a given user could invoke as super user. My issue is also one of abbreviating a command and limiting the need to provide a password for "sudo".

I can currently run "sudo command 'with all' 'the parameters' 'and provide' 'a password' 'to boot'" or I can run "mycommand do" and "mycommand undo". Call me lazy but sometimes stopping to remember all the parameters and fixing typos is a pain.

Or did I misunderstand your post or what sodoers does? :)

[ziekfiguur]

No, you're right, if you're to lazy to type sudo you shouldn't use the sudoers file.
The s bit makes it possible to run the executable with the pivileges of its owner, so you should check if the file is owned by root. (and than set the s bit again, 'cause it's reset by chown)