cannot open /dev/kmem

[KNC]

The system outputs the message
"cannot open /dev/kmem: permission denied"
when executing an Oracle reports print command.

[Darrel Louis]

Hi,

Don't know what Oracle is trying to execute, but only root should have access to /dev/kmem.

Darrel

[Darrel Louis]

Hi,

Additional info:
Protect the memory files, /dev/mem and /dev/kmem, from casual access, since these files contain sensitive user information. For example, a program that watches memory for an invocation of the
login program might copy the password from loginâ s buffers when a user types it in. The directory entries should look like:
crw-r----- 1 bin sys 3 0x000001 Jun 9 1996 /dev/kmem
crw-r----- 1 bin sys 3 0x000000 Jun 9 1996 /dev/mem

Darrel

[Mridul Shrivastava]

- check permissions of /dev/kmem, /stand/vmunix

-> set correct permissions for lanscan:
# chmod 2555 /usr/sbin/lanscan
# ll /usr/sbin/lanscan
-r-xr-sr-x 1 root sys 40960 Mar 2 1999 /usr/sbin/lanscan

I found some issues when permission for lanscan is not correct as mentioned above.

[A. Clay Stephenson]

Only root should have access to /dev/kmem and most certainly only root should have write access to /dev/kmem. This is the actual memory image of the running kernel so that values changed here actually alter the kernel itself. Write access to this file is thus extremely dangerous; read access should also be extremely restricted because sensitive data can be accessed. If your dba needs to run a report and it needs to access /dev/kmem (and it would be difficult to persuade me that the dba needs that access AND I would also carefully examine the script to see what values the report is trying to get) then the reports should be under the control of sudo.

[Michael Steele_2]

I also agree with my cohorts that oracle should not have access to kmem. What application is running and trying to access /dev/kmem? Is it from oracle?

orcora?