passwd: execute permission denied

[Dave Bunting]

Any ideas?
checked /usr/sbin/passwd permission:
-r-sr-xr-x 5 root bin 49152 Apr 10 1998 /usr/bin/passwd

checked /etc/passwd:
2 -r--r--r-- 1 root sys 857 Nov 15 19:46 /etc/passwd

where do i go next?
THanks adv...

[Dave Bunting]

its an HPUX 10.20 trusted system
no restrictions on user accounts (sam)
regular users [non root] gets the above error

[Deepak Extross · Accepted solution]

The permissions on the file in /usr/sbin are correct (-r-sr-xr-x). Someone seems to have messed with the passwd file in /usr/bin.

cp -p the file from sbin into bin, and dont forget to set the sticky bit.

Ordinary users should be able to run /usr/sbin/passwd without ant problem.

HTH.

[Deepak Extross]

thats
#cp -p /usr/sbin/passwd /usr/bin
#chmod u+s /usr/bin/passwd

At the end of which, the permissions on the file should be -r-sr-xr-x

[Dave Bunting]

Hello and thanks...
how did you figure out that it was messed up?
also how do i sopy the file with the sticky bit?
is it just a simple cp file1 file2?
Thanks again

[Deepak Extross]

Elementary, dear Watson.
The timestamp on the /usr/bin/passwd file is 15 Nov (yesterday), and you report a problem today.
Also, the file size (857) seems too small to be a valid passwd file.

Cheers,
Deepak.

[Michael Tully]

Hi,

The permissions were copied as using the -p option of 'cp' Have a look at the man page or below

-Michael

-p (preserve permissions) Causes cp to preserve in the copy as
many of the modification time, access time, file mode, user
ID, and group ID as allowed by permissions.