Arch Linux

dmce

Member

Registered: 2006-12-16

Posts: 20

roots limitations

Hi folks

I was wondering what things the root user cant do? Only thing i could come up with is seeing a users password (although i suppose root could change it)

skale

Member

From: Atlanta, GA

Registered: 2006-08-04

Posts: 146

Re: roots limitations

While other users can modify files only if they have permission to do so, root can mess with anything on the system.  Most system-wide configuration has to run as root, because normal users do not have permission to do so.

http://wiki.linuxquestions.org/wiki/Permission

iphitus

Forum Fellow

From: Melbourne, Australia

Registered: 2004-10-09

Posts: 4,927

Re: roots limitations

but root could modify binaries to intercept and store the user's password in plaintext

root can do everything, as it has the power to change any binary or file on the system.* And everything is a file isnt it? Well, that was the idea once upon a time.

James

* Not on some SELinux and equivalent configurations.

xhemi

Member

From: /dev/urandom

Registered: 2007-03-14

Posts: 11

Website

Re: roots limitations

sorry to wake the thread, but can module 'capability' be used to restrict filesystem access for root?