Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!cs.utexas.edu!rutgers!topaz.rutgers.edu!ron
From: ron@topaz.rutgers.edu (Ron Natalie)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.questions
Subject: Re: more unix jokes - /dev/null
Message-ID: 
Date: 24 Sep 88 13:06:28 GMT
References: <8488@smoke.ARPA> <26090@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> <1049@sybase.sybase.com> <1414@star.cs.vu.nl> <811@philmds.UUCP> <8541@smoke.ARPA> <813@philmds.UUCP> <2928@mipos3.intel.com>
Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.
Lines: 11


I managed to destroy the password file on an earlier version of unix
by closing down file descriptor 1 before executing it.  What happens
is that the password file is opened and since 1 is the lowest unused
file descriptor, it gets used.  The program then does something to
stdout and plouie.  Most setuid programs these days are carefull to
avoid people playing around like that.

-Ron

This blasted PS2 is ruining me for real keyboards.