Difference between setuid and seteuid function
The documentation is pretty clear about the difference:
If the user is root or the program is set-user-ID-root, special care must be taken. The setuid() function checks the effective user ID of the caller and if it is the superuser, all process-related user ID's are set to uid. After this has occurred, it is impossible for the program to regain root privileges.
Thus, a set-user-ID-root program wishing to temporarily drop root privileges, assume the identity of an unprivileged user, and then regain root privileges afterward cannot use setuid(). You can accomplish this with seteuid.
mohangraj
Updated on July 16, 2022Comments
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mohangraj almost 2 years
Program 1: Example with setuid()
#include<stdio.h> #include<sys/types.h> #include<unistd.h> void main() { printf("Real user id = %d, Effective User id = %d\n",getuid(),geteuid()); setuid(1000); printf("Real user id = %d, Effective User id = %d\n",getuid(),geteuid()); setuid(1014); printf("Real user id = %d, Effective User id = %d\n",getuid(),geteuid()); }
Output:
guest $ ./a.out Real user id = 1000, Effective User id = 1014 Real user id = 1000, Effective User id = 1000 Real user id = 1000, Effective User id = 1014 guest $
Program 2: Example with seteuid()
#include<stdio.h> #include<sys/types.h> #include<unistd.h> void main() { printf("Real user id = %d, Effective User id = %d\n",getuid(),geteuid()); seteuid(1000); printf("Real user id = %d, Effective User id = %d\n",getuid(),geteuid()); seteuid(1014); printf("Real user id = %d, Effective User id = %d\n",getuid(),geteuid()); }
Output:
guest $ ./a.out Real user id = 1000, Effective User id = 1014 Real user id = 1000, Effective User id = 1000 Real user id = 1000, Effective User id = 1014 guest $
Both programs give the same output. So, what is the difference between these two functions? As per the reference (man page), both functions are used to set the effective user ID of the process. Where does the functionality differ between these two programs?
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mohangraj over 8 yearsDo you have any example to verify this?
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legends2k over 8 yearsNope, I'm not on a *nix machine.
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mohangraj over 8 yearsI have a doubt in the above man page reference. Using setuid we can set the effective user id of the process. For Ex: setuid(getuid()); After this statement is executed, the effective userid of the process is changed to current user. So, to regain the root permission, I am simply use, setuid(0); But why the man page reference shows
afterward cannot use setuid(). You can accomplish this with seteuid(2)
.