non-root doing "svc -o /service/root-owned-service"

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Hello,

my question is related to daemontools but not to multilog.
let me know if I should ask this somewhere else.

I have to start an important-process from inside a cgi script spawned by
Apache.
to avoid running important-process in the possibly-dirty environment of
Apache I usually:
- in the cgi scipt: create a flag file somewhere
- wait for a minute-by-minute cron job to notice it and start
 important-process
...and I hate this solution!!!

so I am trying to run important-process under svscan / supervise:
- /service/important-process would be "normally down"
- the cgi script would issue a mere svc -o /service/important-process

now in order to allow www-data to control the service I did (what seemed to
me) the bare minimum to give it write access to supervise/control
like that:
- chgrp www-data supervise
- chmod g+x supervise
- chgrp www-data supervise/control
- chmod g+w supervise/control

and it did work!

now... beeing the lousy unix admin that I am, before going ahead I would
like to ask you some questions:

   1. do you see any further security implications?
   (apart from the fact that now www-data can control the service)
   2. would you suggest a better/safer way to do that?

thank you!

-- 
Otavio Exel /<\oo/>\ [email protected] <[email protected]>

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<div dir=3D"ltr"><div class=3D"gmail_default" style=3D"font-family:arial,he=
lvetica,sans-serif"><div dir=3D"ltr" style=3D"font-family:Arial,Helvetica,s=
ans-serif"><div class=3D"gmail_default" style=3D"font-family:arial,helvetic=
a,sans-serif">Hello,</div><div class=3D"gmail_default" style=3D"font-family=
:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><br></div><div class=3D"gmail_default" style=
=3D"font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">my question is related to daemo=
ntools but not to multilog.<br>let me know if I should ask this somewhere e=
lse.</div><div><br></div><div><div class=3D"gmail_default" style=3D"font-fa=
mily:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">I have to start an important-process from =
inside a cgi script spawned by Apache.</div></div></div><span style=3D"font=
-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">to avoid running important-process in t=
he possibly-dirty environment of Apache I usually:</span><br style=3D"font-=
family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span class=3D"gmail_default">-=C2=A0</s=
pan>in the cgi scipt<span class=3D"gmail_default">:</span>=C2=A0create a fl=
ag file somewhere<br style=3D"font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span=
 class=3D"gmail_default">-=C2=A0</span>wait for a minute-by-minute cron job=
 to notice it and=C2=A0<span class=3D"gmail_default">start</span>=C2=A0impo=
rtant-process<br style=3D"font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span cla=
ss=3D"gmail_default">...</span><span style=3D"font-family:Arial,Helvetica,s=
ans-serif">and I hate this solution!!!</span><div style=3D"font-family:Aria=
l,Helvetica,sans-serif"><br>so I am trying to run important-process under s=
vscan / supervise:<br><span style=3D"font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif=
"><span class=3D"gmail_default">-=C2=A0</span>/</span><font face=3D"monospa=
ce, monospace">service/important-process</font><font face=3D"arial, helveti=
ca, sans-serif">=C2=A0would be &quot;normally down&quot;</font><br><span st=
yle=3D"font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><span class=3D"gmail_default=
">-=C2=A0</span>the cgi script would issue a mere</span><font face=3D"monos=
pace, monospace">=C2=A0svc -o /service/important-process</font><br><br></di=
v><div style=3D"font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">now in order to all=
ow www-data to control the service I did=C2=A0<span class=3D"gmail_default"=
 style=3D"font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">(what seemed to me)=C2=A0=
</span>the bare minimum to give=C2=A0<span class=3D"gmail_default" style=3D=
"font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">it=C2=A0</span>write access to<fon=
t face=3D"monospace, monospace">=C2=A0supervise/control</font></div><div st=
yle=3D"font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">like that:<br><span style=3D=
"font-family:monospace,monospace"><span class=3D"gmail_default" style=3D"fo=
nt-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">-=C2=A0</span>chgrp www-data supervis=
e</span><br><span style=3D"font-family:monospace,monospace"><span class=3D"=
gmail_default" style=3D"font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">-=C2=A0</sp=
an>chmod g+x supervise</span><br><span style=3D"font-family:monospace,monos=
pace"><span class=3D"gmail_default" style=3D"font-family:arial,helvetica,sa=
ns-serif">-=C2=A0</span>chgrp www-data supervise/control</span><br><span st=
yle=3D"font-family:monospace,monospace"><span class=3D"gmail_default" style=
=3D"font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">-=C2=A0</span>chmod g+w supervi=
se/control</span></div><div style=3D"font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif=
"><font face=3D"monospace, monospace"><br></font>and it did work!</div><div=
 style=3D"font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><br></div><div style=3D"f=
ont-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span class=3D"gmail_default" style=
=3D"font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">now... beeing the lousy unix ad=
min that I am,=C2=A0</span>before go<span class=3D"gmail_default" style=3D"=
font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">ing</span>=C2=A0ahead I would like =
to ask you some questions:<div><div dir=3D"ltr"><div class=3D"gmail_default=
"><ol><li style=3D"margin-left:15px">do you see any further security implic=
ations?<br>(apart from the fact that now<font face=3D"monospace, monospace"=
>=C2=A0www-data=C2=A0</font>can control the service)<br></li><li style=3D"m=
argin-left:15px">would you suggest a better/safer way to do that?</li></ol>=
</div><div class=3D"gmail_default">thank you!</div></div></div></div></div>=
<div><br></div>-- <br><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_signature" data-smart=
mail=3D"gmail_signature"><div dir=3D"ltr">Otavio Exel /&lt;\oo/&gt;\=C2=A0<=
a href=3D"mailto:[email protected]" target=3D"_blank">[email protected]=
m.br</a><br></div></div></div>

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