topic Re: view crontab -l as non root user in Operating System - HP-UX

view crontab -l as non root user

Franky Leeuwerck_1 — Wed, 05 Feb 2003 15:45:10 GMT

How can a non root user get the output of the crontab -l command for root ?
(only viewing is necessary, not editing)

Franky

Re: view crontab -l as non root user

Steve Steel — Wed, 05 Feb 2003 15:54:17 GMT

Hi

Go to
http://hpux.cs.utah.edu/hppd/hpux/Sysadmin/sudo-1.6.6/

Install sudo

sudo-1.6.6
A package to allow commands to be run as the superuser. Sudo determines who is an authorised user by consulting your /etc/sudoers database. The program prompts for a user's password to initiate a validation period of N minutes, here N is defined at installation time. N.B. There is no easy way to prevent a user from gaining a root shell if he has access to commands that are shell scripts or that allow shell escapes.

regards

Steve Steel

Note. this is public domain

Re: view crontab -l as non root user

Paul Sperry — Wed, 05 Feb 2003 15:54:27 GMT

sudo-1.6.6 (8 May 2002)
A package to allow commands to be run as the superuser

super-3.9.7 (29 Apr 1997)
Super allows users to execute commands as a superuser

both can be found here:
http://hpux.cs.utah.edu/

search for super or sudo

Re: view crontab -l as non root user

Ken Hubnik_2 — Wed, 05 Feb 2003 15:55:06 GMT

I tried this but not sure what other effects it would have.
chmod 444 /var/spool/cron/crontabs/root

more /var/spool/cron/crontabs/root

Re: view crontab -l as non root user

Steve Steel — Wed, 05 Feb 2003 15:56:40 GMT

Hi

You could just run a cronjob every hour or so which does crontab -l to another file

steve Steel

Re: view crontab -l as non root user

Franky Leeuwerck_1 — Wed, 05 Feb 2003 16:00:41 GMT

Thanks all for your hints for tools like Sudo and Super, but scheduling a job as root which output crontab -l to a file is the simpliest way. Thanks Steve.

Regards to all,

Franky

Re: view crontab -l as non root user

Ravi_8 — Wed, 05 Feb 2003 16:01:21 GMT

Hi,

sudo will help you,
this will available at the link posted by Steve

giving the permision for that user to read can view crontab of root

Re: view crontab -l as non root user

Thierry Poels_1 — Wed, 05 Feb 2003 16:12:42 GMT

Hi guys,

I'm not a "sudo" or "super" expert, but I'm afraid they work on command basis, and not on parameter level. So if you allow somebody to use a command through sudo or super they will also be able to use:
crontab -e user
crontab -r user
next to the wanted crontab -l user

Hope I'm wrong however.

Otherwise regular dump to a file, accessible by the required user, would be the least insecure option.

regards,
Thierry.

Re: view crontab -l as non root user

Jose Mosquera — Wed, 05 Feb 2003 16:15:31 GMT

Hi,

A very easy way to **view** cron file of any user is the followin:

Every cron files are created into /var/spool/cron/crontabs directory. A user have a file with a specific restrictive mode, generally readable only by the owner. If you expand mode readable permission (a risky security factor) to group or other user you can access this file with a simple "cat /var/spool/cron/crontabs/root"

Rgds.

Re: view crontab -l as non root user

Chuck Higgins — Thu, 06 Feb 2003 04:42:20 GMT

I like Thierry's answer. Just create another entry in the root crontab that runs crontab -l and outputs it to a file. Then you don't have to worry about changing permissions on the files (which could possibly be changed back next time crontab -e is run).

Sudo has many uses but you have to be careful with it. I remember going to a site where they had given sudo permissions to vi! Hmmm, if you can start vi with root permissions, not much you can't do. Same thing with crontab, which could allow anyone to create a cron job to give themselves a root account.

Chuck

Re: view crontab -l as non root user

Robin Wakefield — Thu, 06 Feb 2003 08:45:50 GMT

Hi,

It's a good idea anyway to backup your cron files using "crontab -l > filename" - it's saved me on a number of occasions without having to resort to tapes...

rgds, Robin