xref: /netbsd-src/libexec/rexecd/rexecd.8 (revision 5e4c038a45edbc7d63b7c2daa76e29f88b64a4e3)
1.\"	$NetBSD: rexecd.8,v 1.9 2002/02/08 01:30:08 ross Exp $
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34.\"     from: @(#)rexecd.8	8.3 (Berkeley) 6/1/94
35.\"
36.Dd June 1, 1994
37.Dt REXECD 8
38.Os
39.Sh NAME
40.Nm rexecd
41.Nd remote execution server
42.Sh SYNOPSIS
43.Nm
44.Sh DESCRIPTION
45.Nm
46is the server for the
47.Xr rexec 3
48routine.
49The server provides remote execution facilities with authentication
50based on user names and passwords.
51.Pp
52.Nm
53listens for service requests at the port indicated in
54the ``exec'' service specification; see
55.Xr services 5 .
56When a service request is received the following protocol
57is initiated:
58.Bl -enum
59.It
60The server reads characters from the socket up to a NUL
61.Pq Ql \e0
62byte.
63The resultant string is interpreted as an
64.Tn ASCII
65number, base 10.
66.It
67If the number received in step 1 is non-zero,
68it is interpreted as the port number of a secondary
69stream to be used for the
70.Em stderr .
71A second connection is then created to the specified
72port on the client's machine.
73.It
74A NUL terminated user name of at most 16 characters
75is retrieved on the initial socket.
76.It
77A NUL terminated, unencrypted password of at most
7816 characters is retrieved on the initial socket.
79.It
80A NUL terminated command to be passed to a
81shell is retrieved on the initial socket.
82The length of the command is limited by the upper bound on the size
83of the system's argument list.
84.It
85.Nm
86then validates the user as is done at login time and, if the
87authentication was successful, changes to the user's home directory,
88and establishes the user and group protections of the user.
89If any of these steps fail the connection is
90aborted with a diagnostic message returned.
91.It
92A NUL byte is returned on the initial socket and the command line
93is passed to the normal login shell of the user.
94The shell inherits the network connections established by
95.Nm "" .
96.El
97.Sh DIAGNOSTICS
98Except for the last one listed below,
99all diagnostic messages are returned on the initial socket,
100after which any network connections are closed.
101An error is indicated by a leading byte with a value of
1021 (0 is returned in step 7 above upon successful completion
103of all the steps prior to the command execution).
104.Pp
105.Bl -tag -width Ds
106.It Sy username too long
107The name is
108longer than 16 characters.
109.It Sy password too long
110The password is longer than 16 characters.
111.It Sy command too long
112The command line passed exceeds the size of the argument
113list (as configured into the system).
114.It Sy Login incorrect.
115No password file entry for the user name existed.
116.It Sy Password incorrect.
117The wrong password was supplied.
118.ne 1i
119.It Sy \&No remote directory.
120The
121.Xr chdir 2
122to the home directory failed.
123.It Sy Try again.
124A
125.Xr fork 2
126by the server failed.
127.It Sy \*[Lt]shellname\*[Gt]: ...
128The user's login shell could not be started.
129This message is returned
130on the connection associated with the
131.Em stderr ,
132and is not preceded by a flag byte.
133.El
134.Sh SEE ALSO
135.Xr rexec 3
136.Sh HISTORY
137The
138.Nm
139command appeared in
140.Bx 4.2 .
141.Sh BUGS
142Indicating ``Login incorrect'' as opposed to ``Password incorrect''
143is a security breach which allows people to probe a system for users
144with null passwords.
145.Pp
146A facility to allow all data and password exchanges to be encrypted should be
147present.
148.Sh SECURITY CONSIDERATIONS
149As the passwords exchanged by the client and
150.Nm
151are not encrypted, it is
152.Em strongly
153recommended that this service is not enabled.
154