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Conference noted::hackers_v1

Title:-={ H A C K E R S }=-
Notice:Write locked - see NOTED::HACKERS
Moderator:DIEHRD::MORRIS
Created:Thu Feb 20 1986
Last Modified:Mon Aug 03 1992
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:680
Total number of notes:5456

175.0. "subdividing an account" by MILVAX::ROSE () Fri Nov 08 1985 13:08

Hi folks:


	A young lady that I know had a public account, and would like to 
subdivide it. I have talked to some people and they seem to think that if 
there was a COM file that asked who was trying to use the account, and asked
for their password, you could give access to only some of the files in the 
account. My problem is I'm not wiz with DCL or VAX utilities, and I would like
to do what I've been told might work. If I was to try it I wouldn't be sure
that I hadn't made a "locked me out" type error. So, I turn to the men/women
with the power to do it, and beg for help.


ThankX

	Harry
T.RTitleUserPersonal
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175.1HARE::GILBERTFri Nov 08 1985 15:538
The following is frequently used for just this kind of situation:

	$ MCR AUTHORIZE
	ADD username /PASS=password /DEVICE=device /DIRECTORY=[directory]
	$ CREATE /DIR device:[directory] /OWNER=[username]
	$ MAIL SYS$INPUT: username /SUBJ="Hello"
	Your account is enabled.
	$ EXIT
175.2KOALA::ROBINSFri Nov 08 1985 16:397
re .1:
	I think what he was looking for was a way to allow multiple users
in a single (captive?) account, with each user restricted to a certain subset
of files and/or programs therein.

re .0:
	Am I right?
175.3TRIVIA::MUNYANFri Nov 08 1985 16:5811
Re: .2

If that's the case go with the AUTHORIZE idea that Gilbert mentioned except
add an additional switch I think /LOGCMD=User1.COM or User2.COM that contains
the different captive stuff.

If the accounts are indeed captive you should also add /FLAGS=Captive and
Disctly if appropriate.

Steve

175.4ACE::BREWERTue Nov 12 1985 11:304
	Might also be a good idea to include an ONCONTROLY go to LOGOUT.
Or... a NOCONTROLY as the first line in the COM files?

	-JB
175.5VAXUUM::DYERTue Nov 12 1985 13:433
	DISCTLY as a login flag (you do that with authorize) is
usually how that's accomplished.
		<_Jym_>
175.6PASTIS::MONAHANWed Nov 13 1985 04:203
	Remember that if all the users have the same UIC then
there is NO VMS provided protection between them. Any one of
them can cause havoc to all the others.
175.7AKOV68::NORRISWed Nov 13 1985 12:528
	I think he is looking for the ability to have multiple users log
	into the same account and from there be able to access only certain
	files. You could do this by granting indentifiers to each user and
	then add acl's to each file in the directory authorizing the use
	of that file. I don't have a command procedure to do this, but it
	shouldn't be hard.

Ed
175.8PISA::FAIMANWed Nov 13 1985 15:473
But for heaven's sake, why?

	-Neil
175.9STAR::FISHERWed Nov 13 1985 15:5915
re .7:  How do you grant different identifiers to the different users if
they all log in under the same account?

It seems to me that once you, with the help of VMS, are able to differentiate
between different users, then you can do anything you want to either merge
their contexts or separate them.  But to do that, you/VMS must be able to
differentiate them.  That is what UAF records are for!

There might have been reasons for wanting several people to share the same
account before ACLs (although even then you could give them the same UIC,
I guess), but now the reasons are getting fewer and further between, in my
opinion!

Burns

175.10BAGELS::ROSENBAUMWed Nov 13 1985 16:419
TOPS-20 has another way to treat this problem.  (I'm just mentioning this to
offer another perspective).  Under TOPS-20, Usernames == Directories
(specifically, eash user is associated with a specific directory).  Users
can create subdirectories that can be "logged into."

Disk quota by the way is subtracted from the "owner" directory.

The nice thing about this approach is that unpriveleged users can do this
(good for the teacher - student environment).
175.11MILVAX::ROSEThu Nov 14 1985 08:2020
Hi: 

	Back again, 

	Re:.6   I know, but they're not VMS types, they're business types.

	Re:.7   Right, could you make a list of users and make it so they can 
		see only what is for them???? You see she distributes Info. to
		the group, but some info is for one and not the other.

	Re:.8	Why, Well, each of the users have VMS accounts of there own,
		but some of the info sent to her is to be shared and worked on
		by many other people. The real problem is that these people
		would rather be logged into her account then know how to get
		to and from the non protected parts of her account.


	ThankX

	Harry
175.12AKOV68::NORRISThu Nov 14 1985 08:429
	Re .9  I used a poor chose of words, "same account", what I meant
	to do was this:

	UAF> ADD USER1/PASS=XXX/DEV=DISK$USER:/DIR=[COMMON_USER]/ ...
	UAF> COP USER1 USER2/PASS=XXY
	UAF> COP USER1 USER3/PASS=XXZ

Ed
                                     
175.13LEHIGH::CANTORThu Nov 14 1985 18:427
Re .12:

Different users, same UIC, same default directory.  One trap is Mail.  If this
setup is used, I suggest for each user, make a separate subdirectory under
[COMMON_USER] and declare it to be the individual's mail directory. 

Dave C.
175.14NETWRK::MCCONNELLWed Dec 04 1985 15:3224
Maybe I'm a little late for this discussions, but I just did something 
similar for a friend who's coworkers needed to access her account but she
didn't want them to be able to get into her mail.

I added the line $ @PWORD  to her login.com where PWORD.COM was:

$ set nocontrol
$ inquire/nopun pword "Enter Password:"
$ if pword.eqs."FOOBAR" then goto loop
$ write sys$output "User is not allowed Mail access"
$ ma*il :== @M.COM
$ loop:
$ set control
$ exit

and M.COM is

$ write sys$output "Mail Access Denied"
$ exit

Like I said, this is very basic...but it's what was needed.

Sue

175.15BABEL::FAIMANThu Dec 05 1985 09:439
Re .14:

Did her co-workers realize that they could defeat this security scheme by
typing $ MAILX instead of $ MAIL?  (Or deleting the MAIL symbol, or
redefining it, or...)  A `security' scheme with holes in it is worse
than none at all, since it provides the illusion of security without
the substance.

	-Neil
175.16PARVAX::PFAUThu Dec 05 1985 20:063
Maybe you should try SET COMMAND/DELETE=MAIL.

tom_p
175.17PASTIS::MONAHANFri Dec 06 1985 03:0610
	re : .16

Still not secure. Try :-

$ a = "$sys$system:mail"
$ a

MAIL>

	Dave
175.18VAXUUM::DYERFri Dec 06 1985 13:558
	    Maybe if she had CMKRNL privs, she could use one hack to
	change the username to something not in the SYSUAF (MAIL will
	not work under such conditions), then use another hack to get
	rid of CMKRNL privs permanently.
	    Of course, the user could counter-hack with the anonymous
	mail utility hack (above), unless you take away NETMBX privs
	permanently too.
			<_Jym_>