Crossplatform virus - the latest proof of concept [LWN.net]

Crossplatform virus - the latest proof of concept

Posted Apr 10, 2006 12:03 UTC (Mon) by tomas2 (guest, #37038)
In reply to: Crossplatform virus - the latest proof of concept by NAR
Parent article: Crossplatform virus - the latest proof of concept

Hmmm... Since when?
echo $PATH
/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/bin/X11:/usr/games

cat /etc/debian_version
3.1

Tomas

(Log in to post comments)

Crossplatform virus - the latest proof of concept

Posted Apr 10, 2006 12:31 UTC (Mon) by tomas2 (guest, #37038) [Link]

<copy-paste>
# set PATH so it includes user's private bin if it exists
#if [ -d ~/bin ] ; then
# PATH=~/bin:"${PATH}"
#fi
</copy-paste>

So, it's commented out, and I think this is the default, at least in Sarge?
(I'm sure I haven't changed the file myself)

Tomas

Crossplatform virus - the latest proof of concept

Posted Apr 10, 2006 12:46 UTC (Mon) by AAP (guest, #721) [Link]

Yes, IIRC, it's commented out, but it seems to me that it wouldn't be that unusual for someone to uncomment it.

Crossplatform virus - the latest proof of concept

Posted Apr 10, 2006 19:00 UTC (Mon) by NAR (subscriber, #1313) [Link]

Maybe the local administrator modified the skeleton files. But I still think it's a sane default.

Bye,NAR

Crossplatform virus - the latest proof of concept

Posted Apr 10, 2006 19:54 UTC (Mon) by tomas2 (guest, #37038) [Link]

Well, this is starting to get a little bit OT, but just for the record... :)
On my DeMuDi 1.3.0 box here at home ~/bin is included in the path by default if the directory exists.
DeMuDi 1.3.0 is based on Debian Etch, so either this is the default in Etch, or then the DeMuDi maintainer agrees with you that this is a sane default :) I personally think that the sane default is to have those lines commented out, and let root decide if he/she wants to change the default for all users or not, but maybe that's just me.

I didn't find anything about this in the Debian changelog, (maybe I didn't look carefully enough) and there is no DeMuDi changelog in /usr/share/doc/bash/

The system is DeMuDi 1.3.0, with a few packages installed from Debian Etch.
apt-cache policy bash says that the installed bash version is 3.1-2, and it's installed from DeMuDi (not Debian).

So, I don't know for sure about pure Debian Etch, but at least in DeMuDi 1.3.0 the default indeed is to include ~/bin in the path.

Tomas (/back to lurking mode, sorry for the noice guys :))