Cronjob for root password change. Post: 302903735

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Top Forums Shell Programming and Scripting Cronjob for root password change. Post 302903735 by rbatte1 on Thursday 29th of May 2014 09:19:21 AM

05-29-2014

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I would never give the application team access.

If you hand over access to root then you have no idea what they could insert. Consider that they put on a service for a port that they choose and have it run the Korn shell. From any other server, a simple telnet to that port will fire up a Korn shell and give them root access again.

There are a myriad of other possibilities too. You need to turn this completely around.

Find out:-

What they need to do
Why they think they must have root access

I would bet that they can't, but it's just convenient. I f you feel you really have to, use sudo to grant them the minimum privilege to do their work and if you have concerns that they could escape to a shell or set a script to SUID etc., then keep them away from it.

Even something as critical as creating an Oracle database does not need the DBA to have root authority. True, someone has to install the software and allocate disk space etc. but that is your job.

Perhaps have them tell you what to do and you drive the process if you are happy with it.

If you have a really great car and you give them the key, what's to stop them copying the key and borrowing it when you're not looking and getting you speeding points or just wrecking it and running away?

Would you give them the password and trust them to make an update on your on-line bank account without stealing the cash?

Be honest with yourself. If they mess it up, who is in the firing line?

Just my opinion.

Robin

rbatte1

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LEARN ABOUT CENTOS

mkpasswd

MKPASSWD(1)						      General Commands Manual						       MKPASSWD(1)

NAME

       mkpasswd - generate new password, optionally apply it to a user

SYNOPSIS

       mkpasswd [ args ] [ user ]

INTRODUCTION

       mkpasswd generates passwords and can apply them automatically to users.	mkpasswd is based on the code from Chapter 23 of the O'Reilly book
       "Exploring Expect".

USAGE

       With no arguments, mkpasswd returns a new password.

	    mkpasswd

       With a user name, mkpasswd assigns a new password to the user.

	    mkpasswd don

       The passwords are randomly generated according to the flags below.

FLAGS

       The -l flag defines the length of the password.	The default is 9.  The following example creates a 20 character password.

	    mkpasswd -l 20

       The -d flag defines the minimum number of digits that must be in the password.  The default is 2.  The following example creates a password
       with at least 3 digits.

	    mkpasswd -d 3

       The -c flag defines the minimum number of lowercase alphabetic characters that must be in the password.	The default is 2.

       The -C flag defines the minimum number of uppercase alphabetic characters that must be in the password.	The default is 2.

       The -s flag defines the minimum number of special characters that must be in the password.  The default is 1.

       The -p flag names a program to set the password.  By default, /etc/yppasswd is used if present, otherwise /bin/passwd is used.

       The  -2 flag causes characters to be chosen so that they alternate between right and left hands (qwerty-style), making it harder for anyone
       watching passwords being entered.  This can also make it easier for a password-guessing program.

       The -v flag causes the password-setting interaction to be visible.  By default, it is suppressed.

EXAMPLE

       The following example creates a 15-character password that contains at least 3 digits and 5 uppercase characters.

	    mkpasswd -l 15 -d 3 -C 5

SEE ALSO

       "Exploring Expect: A Tcl-Based Toolkit for Automating Interactive Programs" by Don Libes, O'Reilly and Associates, January 1995.

AUTHOR

       Don Libes, National Institute of Standards and Technology

       mkpasswd is in the public domain.  NIST and I would appreciate credit if this program or parts of it are used.

								  22 August 1994						       MKPASSWD(1)