1SUDO(1m)                     System Manager's Manual                    SUDO(1m)
2
3NNAAMMEE
4     ssuuddoo, ssuuddooeeddiitt - execute a command as another user
5
6SSYYNNOOPPSSIISS
7     ssuuddoo --hh | --KK | --kk | --LL | --VV
8     ssuuddoo --vv [--AAkknnSS] [--aa _a_u_t_h___t_y_p_e] [--gg _g_r_o_u_p _n_a_m_e | _#_g_i_d] [--pp _p_r_o_m_p_t]
9          [--uu _u_s_e_r _n_a_m_e | _#_u_i_d]
10     ssuuddoo --ll[_l] [--AAkknnSS] [--aa _a_u_t_h___t_y_p_e] [--gg _g_r_o_u_p _n_a_m_e | _#_g_i_d] [--pp _p_r_o_m_p_t]
11          [--UU _u_s_e_r _n_a_m_e] [--uu _u_s_e_r _n_a_m_e | _#_u_i_d] [_c_o_m_m_a_n_d]
12     ssuuddoo [--AAbbEEHHnnPPSS] [--aa _a_u_t_h___t_y_p_e] [--CC _f_d] [--cc _c_l_a_s_s | _-]
13          [--gg _g_r_o_u_p _n_a_m_e | _#_g_i_d] [--pp _p_r_o_m_p_t] [--rr _r_o_l_e] [--tt _t_y_p_e]
14          [--uu _u_s_e_r _n_a_m_e | _#_u_i_d] [VVAARR=_v_a_l_u_e] --ii | --ss [_c_o_m_m_a_n_d]
15     ssuuddooeeddiitt [--AAnnSS] [--aa _a_u_t_h___t_y_p_e] [--CC _f_d] [--cc _c_l_a_s_s | _-]
16              [--gg _g_r_o_u_p _n_a_m_e | _#_g_i_d] [--pp _p_r_o_m_p_t] [--uu _u_s_e_r _n_a_m_e | _#_u_i_d] file
17              ...
18
19DDEESSCCRRIIPPTTIIOONN
20     ssuuddoo allows a permitted user to execute a _c_o_m_m_a_n_d as the superuser or
21     another user, as specified by the _s_u_d_o_e_r_s file.  See the _C_O_M_M_A_N_D
22     _E_X_E_C_U_T_I_O_N section below for more details.
23
24     ssuuddoo determines who is an authorized user by consulting the file
25     _/_e_t_c_/_s_u_d_o_e_r_s.  By running ssuuddoo with the --vv option, a user can update the
26     time stamp without running a _c_o_m_m_a_n_d.  If authentication is required,
27     ssuuddoo will exit if the user's password is not entered within a
28     configurable time limit.  The default password prompt timeout is 5
29     minutes.
30
31     When invoked as ssuuddooeeddiitt, the --ee option (described below), is implied.
32
33     The options are as follows:
34
35     --AA          Normally, if ssuuddoo requires a password, it will read it from
36                 the user's terminal.  If the --AA (_a_s_k_p_a_s_s) option is
37                 specified, a (possibly graphical) helper program is executed
38                 to read the user's password and output the password to the
39                 standard output.  If the SUDO_ASKPASS environment variable is
40                 set, it specifies the path to the helper program.  Otherwise,
41                 the value specified by the _a_s_k_p_a_s_s option in sudoers(4) is
42                 used.  If no askpass program is available, ssuuddoo will exit
43                 with an error.
44
45     --aa _t_y_p_e     The --aa (_a_u_t_h_e_n_t_i_c_a_t_i_o_n _t_y_p_e) option causes ssuuddoo to use the
46                 specified authentication type when validating the user, as
47                 allowed by _/_e_t_c_/_l_o_g_i_n_._c_o_n_f.  The system administrator may
48                 specify a list of sudo-specific authentication methods by
49                 adding an ``auth-sudo'' entry in _/_e_t_c_/_l_o_g_i_n_._c_o_n_f.  This
50                 option is only available on systems that support BSD
51                 authentication.
52
53     --bb          The --bb (_b_a_c_k_g_r_o_u_n_d) option tells ssuuddoo to run the given
54                 command in the background.  Note that if you use the --bb
55                 option you cannot use shell job control to manipulate the
56                 process.  Most interactive commands will fail to work
57                 properly in background mode.
58
59     --CC _f_d       Normally, ssuuddoo will close all open file descriptors other
60                 than standard input, standard output and standard error.  The
61                 --CC (_c_l_o_s_e _f_r_o_m) option allows the user to specify a starting
62                 point above the standard error (file descriptor three).
63                 Values less than three are not permitted.  This option is
64                 only available when the administrator has enabled the
65                 _c_l_o_s_e_f_r_o_m___o_v_e_r_r_i_d_e option in sudoers(4).
66
67     --cc _c_l_a_s_s    The --cc (_c_l_a_s_s) option causes ssuuddoo to run the specified
68                 command with resources limited by the specified login class.
69                 The _c_l_a_s_s argument can be either a class name as defined in
70                 _/_e_t_c_/_l_o_g_i_n_._c_o_n_f, or a single `-' character.  Specifying a
71                 _c_l_a_s_s of - indicates that the command should be run
72                 restricted by the default login capabilities for the user the
73                 command is run as.  If the _c_l_a_s_s argument specifies an
74                 existing user class, the command must be run as root, or the
75                 ssuuddoo command must be run from a shell that is already root.
76                 This option is only available on systems with BSD login
77                 classes.
78
79     --EE          The --EE (_p_r_e_s_e_r_v_e _e_n_v_i_r_o_n_m_e_n_t) option will override the
80                 _e_n_v___r_e_s_e_t option in sudoers(4).  It is only available when
81                 either the matching command has the SETENV tag or the _s_e_t_e_n_v
82                 option is set in sudoers(4).  ssuuddoo will return an error if
83                 the --EE option is specified and the user does not have
84                 permission to preserve the environment.
85
86     --ee          The --ee (_e_d_i_t) option indicates that, instead of running a
87                 command, the user wishes to edit one or more files.  In lieu
88                 of a command, the string "sudoedit" is used when consulting
89                 the _s_u_d_o_e_r_s file.  If the user is authorized by _s_u_d_o_e_r_s, the
90                 following steps are taken:
91
92                  1.   Temporary copies are made of the files to be edited
93                       with the owner set to the invoking user.
94
95                  2.   The editor specified by the SUDO_EDITOR, VISUAL or
96                       EDITOR environment variables (in that order) is run to
97                       edit the temporary files.  If none of SUDO_EDITOR,
98                       VISUAL or EDITOR are set, the first program listed in
99                       the _e_d_i_t_o_r sudoers(4) option is used.
100
101                  3.   If they have been modified, the temporary files are
102                       copied back to their original location and the
103                       temporary versions are removed.
104
105                 If the specified file does not exist, it will be created.
106                 Note that unlike most commands run by _s_u_d_o, the editor is run
107                 with the invoking user's environment unmodified.  If, for
108                 some reason, ssuuddoo is unable to update a file with its edited
109                 version, the user will receive a warning and the edited copy
110                 will remain in a temporary file.
111
112     --gg _g_r_o_u_p    Normally, ssuuddoo runs a command with the primary group set to
113                 the one specified by the password database for the user the
114                 command is being run as (by default, root).  The --gg (_g_r_o_u_p)
115                 option causes ssuuddoo to run the command with the primary group
116                 set to _g_r_o_u_p instead.  To specify a _g_i_d instead of a _g_r_o_u_p
117                 _n_a_m_e, use _#_g_i_d.  When running commands as a _g_i_d, many shells
118                 require that the `#' be escaped with a backslash (`\').  If
119                 no --uu option is specified, the command will be run as the
120                 invoking user (not root).  In either case, the primary group
121                 will be set to _g_r_o_u_p.
122
123     --HH          The --HH (_H_O_M_E) option option sets the HOME environment
124                 variable to the home directory of the target user (root by
125                 default) as specified by the password database.  The default
126                 handling of the HOME environment variable depends on
127                 sudoers(4) settings.  By default, ssuuddoo will set HOME if
128                 _e_n_v___r_e_s_e_t or _a_l_w_a_y_s___s_e_t___h_o_m_e are set, or if _s_e_t___h_o_m_e is set
129                 and the --ss option is specified on the command line.
130
131     --hh          The --hh (_h_e_l_p) option causes ssuuddoo to print a short help
132                 message to the standard output and exit.
133
134     --ii [_c_o_m_m_a_n_d]
135                 The --ii (_s_i_m_u_l_a_t_e _i_n_i_t_i_a_l _l_o_g_i_n) option runs the shell
136                 specified by the password database entry of the target user
137                 as a login shell.  This means that login-specific resource
138                 files such as _._p_r_o_f_i_l_e or _._l_o_g_i_n will be read by the shell.
139                 If a command is specified, it is passed to the shell for
140                 execution via the shell's --cc option.  If no command is
141                 specified, an interactive shell is executed.  ssuuddoo attempts
142                 to change to that user's home directory before running the
143                 shell.  It also initializes the environment to a minimal set
144                 of variables, similar to what is present when a user logs in.
145                 The _C_o_m_m_a_n_d _e_n_v_i_r_o_n_m_e_n_t section below documents in detail how
146                 the --ii option affects the environment in which a command is
147                 run.
148
149     --KK          The --KK (sure _k_i_l_l) option is like --kk except that it removes
150                 the user's time stamp file entirely and may not be used in
151                 conjunction with a command or other option.  This option does
152                 not require a password.
153
154     --kk [_c_o_m_m_a_n_d]
155                 When used alone, the --kk (_k_i_l_l) option to ssuuddoo invalidates the
156                 user's time stamp file.  The next time ssuuddoo is run a password
157                 will be required.  This option does not require a password
158                 and was added to allow a user to revoke ssuuddoo permissions from
159                 a _._l_o_g_o_u_t file.
160
161                 When used in conjunction with a command or an option that may
162                 require a password, the --kk option will cause ssuuddoo to ignore
163                 the user's time stamp file.  As a result, ssuuddoo will prompt
164                 for a password (if one is required by _s_u_d_o_e_r_s) and will not
165                 update the user's time stamp file.
166
167     --LL          The --LL (_l_i_s_t defaults) option will list the parameters that
168                 may be set in a _D_e_f_a_u_l_t_s line along with a short description
169                 for each.  This option will be removed from a future version
170                 of ssuuddoo.
171
172     --ll[ll] [_c_o_m_m_a_n_d]
173                 If no _c_o_m_m_a_n_d is specified, the --ll (_l_i_s_t) option will list
174                 the allowed (and forbidden) commands for the invoking user
175                 (or the user specified by the --UU option) on the current host.
176                 If a _c_o_m_m_a_n_d is specified and is permitted by _s_u_d_o_e_r_s, the
177                 fully-qualified path to the command is displayed along with
178                 any command line arguments.  If _c_o_m_m_a_n_d is specified but not
179                 allowed, ssuuddoo will exit with a status value of 1.  If the --ll
180                 option is specified with an _l argument (i.e. --llll), or if --ll
181                 is specified multiple times, a longer list format is used.
182
183     --nn          The --nn (_n_o_n_-_i_n_t_e_r_a_c_t_i_v_e) option prevents ssuuddoo from prompting
184                 the user for a password.  If a password is required for the
185                 command to run, ssuuddoo will display an error message and exit.
186
187     --PP          The --PP (_p_r_e_s_e_r_v_e _g_r_o_u_p _v_e_c_t_o_r) option causes ssuuddoo to preserve
188                 the invoking user's group vector unaltered.  By default, ssuuddoo
189                 will initialize the group vector to the list of groups the
190                 target user is in.  The real and effective group IDs,
191                 however, are still set to match the target user.
192
193     --pp _p_r_o_m_p_t   The --pp (_p_r_o_m_p_t) option allows you to override the default
194                 password prompt and use a custom one.  The following percent
195                 (`%') escapes are supported:
196
197                 %H  expanded to the host name including the domain name (on
198                     if the machine's host name is fully qualified or the _f_q_d_n
199                     option is set in sudoers(4))
200
201                 %h  expanded to the local host name without the domain name
202
203                 %p  expanded to the name of the user whose password is being
204                     requested (respects the _r_o_o_t_p_w, _t_a_r_g_e_t_p_w, and _r_u_n_a_s_p_w
205                     flags in sudoers(4))
206
207                 %U  expanded to the login name of the user the command will
208                     be run as (defaults to root unless the --uu option is also
209                     specified)
210
211                 %u  expanded to the invoking user's login name
212
213                 %%  two consecutive `%' characters are collapsed into a
214                     single `%' character
215
216                 The prompt specified by the --pp option will override the
217                 system password prompt on systems that support PAM unless the
218                 _p_a_s_s_p_r_o_m_p_t___o_v_e_r_r_i_d_e flag is disabled in _s_u_d_o_e_r_s.
219
220     --rr _r_o_l_e     The --rr (_r_o_l_e) option causes the new (SELinux) security
221                 context to have the role specified by _r_o_l_e.
222
223     --SS          The --SS (_s_t_d_i_n) option causes ssuuddoo to read the password from
224                 the standard input instead of the terminal device.  The
225                 password must be followed by a newline character.
226
227     --ss [_c_o_m_m_a_n_d]
228                 The --ss (_s_h_e_l_l) option runs the shell specified by the SHELL
229                 environment variable if it is set or the shell as specified
230                 in the password database.  If a command is specified, it is
231                 passed to the shell for execution via the shell's --cc option.
232                 If no command is specified, an interactive shell is executed.
233
234     --tt _t_y_p_e     The --tt (_t_y_p_e) option causes the new (SELinux) security
235                 context to have the type specified by _t_y_p_e.  If no type is
236                 specified, the default type is derived from the specified
237                 role.
238
239     --UU _u_s_e_r     The --UU (_o_t_h_e_r _u_s_e_r) option is used in conjunction with the --ll
240                 option to specify the user whose privileges should be listed.
241                 Only root or a user with the ALL privilege on the current
242                 host may use this option.
243
244     --uu _u_s_e_r     The --uu (_u_s_e_r) option causes ssuuddoo to run the specified command
245                 as a user other than _r_o_o_t.  To specify a _u_i_d instead of a
246                 _u_s_e_r _n_a_m_e, _#_u_i_d.  When running commands as a _u_i_d, many shells
247                 require that the `#' be escaped with a backslash (`\').  Note
248                 that if the _t_a_r_g_e_t_p_w Defaults option is set (see sudoers(4)),
249                 it is not possible to run commands with a uid not listed in
250                 the password database.
251
252     --VV          The --VV (_v_e_r_s_i_o_n) option causes ssuuddoo to print its version
253                 string and exit.  If the invoking user is already root the --VV
254                 option will display the arguments passed to configure when
255                 ssuuddoo was built as well a list of the defaults ssuuddoo was
256                 compiled with as well as the machine's local network
257                 addresses.
258
259     --vv          When given the --vv (_v_a_l_i_d_a_t_e) option, ssuuddoo will update the
260                 user's time stamp file, authenticating the user's password if
261                 necessary.  This extends the ssuuddoo timeout for another 5
262                 minutes (or whatever the timeout is set to in _s_u_d_o_e_r_s) but
263                 does not run a command.
264
265     ----          The ---- option indicates that ssuuddoo should stop processing
266                 command line arguments.
267
268     Environment variables to be set for the command may also be passed on the
269     command line in the form of VVAARR=_v_a_l_u_e, e.g.
270     LLDD__LLIIBBRRAARRYY__PPAATTHH=_/_u_s_r_/_l_o_c_a_l_/_p_k_g_/_l_i_b.  Variables passed on the command line
271     are subject to the same restrictions as normal environment variables with
272     one important exception.  If the _s_e_t_e_n_v option is set in _s_u_d_o_e_r_s, the
273     command to be run has the SETENV tag set or the command matched is ALL,
274     the user may set variables that would otherwise be forbidden.  See
275     sudoers(4) for more information.
276
277   AAuutthheennttiiccaattiioonn aanndd llooggggiinngg
278     ssuuddoo requires that most users authenticate themselves by default.  A
279     password is not required if the invoking user is root, if the target user
280     is the same as the invoking user, or if the authentication has been
281     disabled for the user or command in the _s_u_d_o_e_r_s file.  Unlike su(1), when
282     ssuuddoo requires authentication, it validates the invoking user's
283     credentials, not the target user's (or root's) credentials.  This can be
284     changed via the _r_o_o_t_p_w, _t_a_r_g_e_t_p_w and _r_u_n_a_s_p_w Defaults entries in _s_u_d_o_e_r_s.
285
286     If a user who is not listed in _s_u_d_o_e_r_s tries to run a command via ssuuddoo,
287     mail is sent to the proper authorities.  The address used for such mail
288     is configurable via the _m_a_i_l_t_o _s_u_d_o_e_r_s Defaults entry and defaults to
289     root.
290
291     Note that mail will not be sent if an unauthorized user tries to run ssuuddoo
292     with the --ll or --vv option.  This allows users to determine for themselves
293     whether or not they are allowed to use ssuuddoo.
294
295     If ssuuddoo is run by root and the SUDO_USER environment variable is set, its
296     value will be used to determine who the actual user is.  This can be used
297     by a user to log commands through ssuuddoo even when a root shell has been
298     invoked.  It also allows the --ee option to remain useful even when invoked
299     via a sudo-run script or program.  Note, however, that the _s_u_d_o_e_r_s lookup
300     is still done for root, not the user specified by SUDO_USER.
301
302     ssuuddoo uses time stamp files for credential caching.  Once a user has been
303     authenticated, the time stamp is updated and the user may then use sudo
304     without a password for a short period of time (5 minutes unless
305     overridden by the _t_i_m_e_o_u_t option).  By default, ssuuddoo uses a tty-based
306     time stamp which means that there is a separate time stamp for each of a
307     user's login sessions.  The _t_t_y___t_i_c_k_e_t_s option can be disabled to force
308     the use of a single time stamp for all of a user's sessions.
309
310     ssuuddoo can log both successful and unsuccessful attempts (as well as
311     errors) to syslog(3), a log file, or both.  By default, ssuuddoo will log via
312     syslog(3) but this is changeable via the _s_y_s_l_o_g and _l_o_g_f_i_l_e Defaults
313     settings.
314
315     ssuuddoo also supports logging a command's input and output streams.  I/O
316     logging is not on by default but can be enabled using the _l_o_g___i_n_p_u_t and
317     _l_o_g___o_u_t_p_u_t Defaults flags as well as the LOG_INPUT and LOG_OUTPUT command
318     tags.
319
320   CCoommmmaanndd eennvviirroonnmmeenntt
321     Since environment variables can influence program behavior, ssuuddoo provides
322     a means to restrict which variables from the user's environment are
323     inherited by the command to be run.  There are two distinct ways _s_u_d_o_e_r_s
324     can be configured to handle with environment variables.
325
326     By default, the _e_n_v___r_e_s_e_t option is enabled.  This causes commands to be
327     executed with a new, minimal environment.  On AIX (and Linux systems
328     without PAM), the environment is initialized with the contents of the
329     _/_e_t_c_/_e_n_v_i_r_o_n_m_e_n_t file.  On BSD systems, if the _u_s_e___l_o_g_i_n_c_l_a_s_s option is
330     enabled, the environment is initialized based on the _p_a_t_h and _s_e_t_e_n_v
331     settings in _/_e_t_c_/_l_o_g_i_n_._c_o_n_f.  The new environment contains the TERM,
332     PATH, HOME, MAIL, SHELL, LOGNAME, USER, USERNAME and SUDO_* variables in
333     addition to variables from the invoking process permitted by the
334     _e_n_v___c_h_e_c_k and _e_n_v___k_e_e_p options.  This is effectively a whitelist for
335     environment variables.
336
337     If, however, the _e_n_v___r_e_s_e_t option is disabled, any variables not
338     explicitly denied by the _e_n_v___c_h_e_c_k and _e_n_v___d_e_l_e_t_e options are inherited
339     from the invoking process.  In this case, _e_n_v___c_h_e_c_k and _e_n_v___d_e_l_e_t_e behave
340     like a blacklist.  Since it is not possible to blacklist all potentially
341     dangerous environment variables, use of the default _e_n_v___r_e_s_e_t behavior is
342     encouraged.
343
344     In all cases, environment variables with a value beginning with () are
345     removed as they could be interpreted as bbaasshh functions.  The list of
346     environment variables that ssuuddoo allows or denies is contained in the
347     output of ``sudo -V'' when run as root.
348
349     Note that the dynamic linker on most operating systems will remove
350     variables that can control dynamic linking from the environment of setuid
351     executables, including ssuuddoo.  Depending on the operating system this may
352     include _RLD*, DYLD_*, LD_*, LDR_*, LIBPATH, SHLIB_PATH, and others.
353     These type of variables are removed from the environment before ssuuddoo even
354     begins execution and, as such, it is not possible for ssuuddoo to preserve
355     them.
356
357     As a special case, if ssuuddoo's --ii option (initial login) is specified, ssuuddoo
358     will initialize the environment regardless of the value of _e_n_v___r_e_s_e_t.
359     The DISPLAY, PATH and TERM variables remain unchanged; HOME, MAIL, SHELL,
360     USER, and LOGNAME are set based on the target user.  On AIX (and Linux
361     systems without PAM), the contents of _/_e_t_c_/_e_n_v_i_r_o_n_m_e_n_t are also included.
362     On BSD systems, if the _u_s_e___l_o_g_i_n_c_l_a_s_s option is enabled, the _p_a_t_h and
363     _s_e_t_e_n_v variables in _/_e_t_c_/_l_o_g_i_n_._c_o_n_f are also applied.  All other
364     environment variables are removed.
365
366     Finally, if the _e_n_v___f_i_l_e option is defined, any variables present in that
367     file will be set to their specified values as long as they would not
368     conflict with an existing environment variable.
369
370CCOOMMMMAANNDD EEXXEECCUUTTIIOONN
371     When ssuuddoo executes a command, the _s_u_d_o_e_r_s file specifies the execution
372     envionment for the command.  Typically, the real and effective uid and
373     gid are set to match those of the target user, as specified in the
374     password database, and the group vector is initialized based on the group
375     database (unless the --PP option was specified).
376
377     The _s_u_d_o_e_r_s file settings affect the following execution parameters:
378
379     oo   real and effective user ID
380
381     oo   real and effective group ID
382
383     oo   supplementary group IDs
384
385     oo   the environment list
386
387     oo   SELinux role and type
388
389     oo   Solaris project
390
391     oo   Solaris privileges
392
393     oo   BSD login class
394
395     oo   file creation mode mask (umask)
396
397     See the _C_o_m_m_a_n_d _e_n_v_i_r_o_n_m_e_n_t section for details on how the environment
398     list is constructed.
399
400   PPrroocceessss mmooddeell
401     If ssuuddoo has been configured with PAM support or if I/O logging is
402     enabled, ssuuddoo must wait until the command has completed before it will
403     exit.  In the case of PAM, ssuuddoo must remain running so that it can close
404     the PAM session when the command is finished.  If neither PAM nor I/O
405     logging are configured, ssuuddoo will execute the command without calling
406     fork(2).  In either case, ssuuddoo sets up the execution environment as
407     described above, and calls the execve system call (potentially in a child
408     process).  If I/O logging is enabled, a new pseudo-terminal (``pty'') is
409     created and a second ssuuddoo process is used to relay job control signals
410     between the user's existing pty and the new pty the command is being run
411     in.  This extra process makes it possible to, for example, suspend and
412     resume the command.  Without it, the command would be in what POSIX terms
413     an ``orphaned process group'' and it would not receive any job control
414     signals.
415
416   SSiiggnnaall hhaannddlliinngg
417     If the command is run as a child of the ssuuddoo process (due to PAM or I/O
418     logging), ssuuddoo will relay signals it receives to the command.  Unless the
419     command is being run in a new pty, the SIGHUP, SIGINT and SIGQUIT signals
420     are not relayed unless they are sent by a user process, not the kernel.
421     Otherwise, the command would receive SIGINT twice every time the user
422     entered control-C.  Some signals, such as SIGSTOP and SIGKILL, cannot be
423     caught and thus will not be relayed to the command.  As a general rule,
424     SIGTSTP should be used instead of SIGSTOP when you wish to suspend a
425     command being run by ssuuddoo.
426
427     As a special case, ssuuddoo will not relay signals that were sent by the
428     command it is running.  This prevents the command from accidentally
429     killing itself.  On some systems, the reboot(1m) command sends SIGTERM to
430     all non-system processes other than itself before rebooting the systyem.
431     This prevents ssuuddoo from relaying the SIGTERM signal it received back to
432     reboot(1m), which might then exit before the system was actually rebooted,
433     leaving it in a half-dead state similar to single user mode.  Note,
434     however, that this check only applies to the command run by ssuuddoo and not
435     any other processes that the command may create.  As a result, running a
436     script that calls reboot(1m) or shutdown(1m) via ssuuddoo may cause the system
437     to end up in this undefined state unless the reboot(1m) or shutdown(1m) are
438     run using the eexxeecc() family of functions instead of ssyysstteemm() (which
439     interposes a shell between the command and the calling process).
440
441EEXXIITT VVAALLUUEE
442     Upon successful execution of a program, the exit status from _s_u_d_o will
443     simply be the exit status of the program that was executed.
444
445     Otherwise, ssuuddoo exits with a value of 1 if there is a
446     configuration/permission problem or if ssuuddoo cannot execute the given
447     command.  In the latter case the error string is printed to the standard
448     error.  If ssuuddoo cannot stat(2) one or more entries in the user's PATH, an
449     error is printed on stderr.  (If the directory does not exist or if it is
450     not really a directory, the entry is ignored and no error is printed.)
451     This should not happen under normal circumstances.  The most common
452     reason for stat(2) to return ``permission denied'' is if you are running
453     an automounter and one of the directories in your PATH is on a machine
454     that is currently unreachable.
455
456LLOOGG FFOORRMMAATT
457     ssuuddoo can log events using either syslog(3) or a simple log file.  In each
458     case the log format is almost identical.
459
460   AAcccceepptteedd ccoommmmaanndd lloogg eennttrriieess
461     Commands that sudo runs are logged using the following format (split into
462     multiple lines for readability):
463
464         date hostname progname: username : TTY=ttyname ; PWD=cwd ; \
465             USER=runasuser ; GROUP=runasgroup ; TSID=logid ; \
466             ENV=env_vars COMMAND=command
467
468     Where the fields are as follows:
469
470     date          The date the command was run.  Typically, this is in the
471                   format ``MMM, DD, HH:MM:SS''.  If logging via syslog(3),
472                   the actual date format is controlled by the syslog daemon.
473                   If logging to a file and the _l_o_g___y_e_a_r option is enabled,
474                   the date will also include the year.
475
476     hostname      The name of the host ssuuddoo was run on.  This field is only
477                   present when logging via syslog(3).
478
479     progname      The name of the program, usually _s_u_d_o or _s_u_d_o_e_d_i_t.  This
480                   field is only present when logging via syslog(3).
481
482     username      The login name of the user who ran ssuuddoo.
483
484     ttyname       The short name of the terminal (e.g. ``console'',
485                   ``tty01'', or ``pts/0'') ssuuddoo was run on, or ``unknown'' if
486                   there was no terminal present.
487
488     cwd           The current working directory that ssuuddoo was run in.
489
490     runasuser     The user the command was run as.
491
492     runasgroup    The group the command was run as if one was specified on
493                   the command line.
494
495     logid         An I/O log identifier that can be used to replay the
496                   command's output.  This is only present when the _l_o_g___i_n_p_u_t
497                   or _l_o_g___o_u_t_p_u_t option is enabled.
498
499     env_vars      A list of environment variables specified on the command
500                   line, if specified.
501
502     command       The actual command that was executed.
503
504     Messages are logged using the locale specified by _s_u_d_o_e_r_s___l_o_c_a_l_e, which
505     defaults to the ``C'' locale.
506
507   DDeenniieedd ccoommmmaanndd lloogg eennttrriieess
508     If the user is not allowed to run the command, the reason for the denial
509     will follow the user name.  Possible reasons include:
510
511     user NOT in sudoers
512        The user is not listed in the _s_u_d_o_e_r_s file.
513
514     user NOT authorized on host
515        The user is listed in the _s_u_d_o_e_r_s file but is not allowed to run
516        commands on the host.
517
518     command not allowed
519        The user is listed in the _s_u_d_o_e_r_s file for the host but they are not
520        allowed to run the specified command.
521
522     3 incorrect password attempts
523        The user failed to enter their password after 3 tries.  The actual
524        number of tries will vary based on the number of failed attempts and
525        the value of the _p_a_s_s_w_d___t_r_i_e_s _s_u_d_o_e_r_s option.
526
527     a password is required
528        The --nn option was specified but a password was required.
529
530     sorry, you are not allowed to set the following environment variables
531        The user specified environment variables on the command line that were
532        not allowed by _s_u_d_o_e_r_s.
533
534   EErrrroorr lloogg eennttrriieess
535     If an error occurs, ssuuddoo will log a message and, in most cases, send a
536     message to the administrator via email.  Possible errors include:
537
538     parse error in /etc/sudoers near line N
539        ssuuddoo encountered an error when parsing the specified file.  In some
540        cases, the actual error may be one line above or below the line number
541        listed, depending on the type of error.
542
543     problem with defaults entries
544        The _s_u_d_o_e_r_s file contains one or more unknown Defaults settings.  This
545        does not prevent ssuuddoo from running, but the _s_u_d_o_e_r_s file should be
546        checked using vviissuuddoo.
547
548     timestamp owner (username): No such user
549        The time stamp directory owner, as specified by the _t_i_m_e_s_t_a_m_p_o_w_n_e_r
550        setting, could not be found in the password database.
551
552     unable to open/read /etc/sudoers
553        The _s_u_d_o_e_r_s file could not be opened for reading.  This can happen
554        when the _s_u_d_o_e_r_s file is located on a remote file system that maps
555        user ID 0 to a different value.  Normally, ssuuddoo tries to open _s_u_d_o_e_r_s
556        using group permissions to avoid this problem.
557
558     unable to stat /etc/sudoers
559        The _/_e_t_c_/_s_u_d_o_e_r_s file is missing.
560
561     /etc/sudoers is not a regular file
562        The _/_e_t_c_/_s_u_d_o_e_r_s file exists but is not a regular file or symbolic
563        link.
564
565     /etc/sudoers is owned by uid N, should be 0
566        The _s_u_d_o_e_r_s file has the wrong owner.
567
568     /etc/sudoers is world writable
569        The permissions on the _s_u_d_o_e_r_s file allow all users to write to it.
570        The _s_u_d_o_e_r_s file must not be world-writable, the default file mode is
571        0440 (readable by owner and group, writable by none).
572
573     /etc/sudoers is owned by gid N, should be 1
574        The _s_u_d_o_e_r_s file has the wrong group ownership.
575
576     unable to open /var/adm/sudo/username/ttyname
577        _s_u_d_o_e_r_s was unable to read or create the user's time stamp file.
578
579     unable to write to /var/adm/sudo/username/ttyname
580        _s_u_d_o_e_r_s was unable to write to the user's time stamp file.
581
582     unable to mkdir to /var/adm/sudo/username
583        _s_u_d_o_e_r_s was unable to create the user's time stamp directory.
584
585   NNootteess oonn llooggggiinngg vviiaa ssyysslloogg
586     By default, _s_u_d_o_e_r_s logs messages via syslog(3).  The _d_a_t_e, _h_o_s_t_n_a_m_e, and
587     _p_r_o_g_n_a_m_e fields are added by the syslog daemon, not _s_u_d_o_e_r_s itself.  As
588     such, they may vary in format on different systems.
589
590     On most systems, syslog(3) has a relatively small log buffer.  To prevent
591     the command line arguments from being truncated, ssuuddoo will split up log
592     messages that are larger than 960 characters (not including the date,
593     hostname, and the string ``sudo'').  When a message is split, additional
594     parts will include the string ``(command continued)'' after the user name
595     and before the continued command line arguments.
596
597   NNootteess oonn llooggggiinngg ttoo aa ffiillee
598     If the _l_o_g_f_i_l_e option is set, _s_u_d_o_e_r_s will log to a local file, such as
599     _/_v_a_r_/_l_o_g_/_s_u_d_o.  When logging to a file, _s_u_d_o_e_r_s uses a format similar to
600     syslog(3), with a few important differences:
601
602     1.   The _p_r_o_g_n_a_m_e and _h_o_s_t_n_a_m_e fields are not present.
603
604     2.   If the _l_o_g___y_e_a_r _s_u_d_o_e_r_s option is enabled, the date will also
605          include the year.
606
607     3.   Lines that are longer than _l_o_g_l_i_n_e_l_e_n characters (80 by default) are
608          word-wrapped and continued on the next line with a four character
609          indent.  This makes entries easier to read for a human being, but
610          makes it more difficult to use grep(1) on the log files.  If the
611          _l_o_g_l_i_n_e_l_e_n _s_u_d_o_e_r_s option is set to 0 (or negated with a `!'), word
612          wrap will be disabled.
613
614SSEECCUURRIITTYY NNOOTTEESS
615     ssuuddoo tries to be safe when executing external commands.
616
617     To prevent command spoofing, ssuuddoo checks "." and "" (both denoting
618     current directory) last when searching for a command in the user's PATH
619     (if one or both are in the PATH).  Note, however, that the actual PATH
620     environment variable is _n_o_t modified and is passed unchanged to the
621     program that ssuuddoo executes.
622
623     ssuuddoo will check the ownership of its time stamp directory (_/_v_a_r_/_a_d_m_/_s_u_d_o
624     by default) and ignore the directory's contents if it is not owned by
625     root or if it is writable by a user other than root.  On systems that
626     allow non-root users to give away files via chown(2), if the time stamp
627     directory is located in a world-writable directory (e.g., _/_t_m_p), it is
628     possible for a user to create the time stamp directory before ssuuddoo is
629     run.  However, because ssuuddoo checks the ownership and mode of the
630     directory and its contents, the only damage that can be done is to
631     ``hide'' files by putting them in the time stamp dir.  This is unlikely
632     to happen since once the time stamp dir is owned by root and inaccessible
633     by any other user, the user placing files there would be unable to get
634     them back out.
635
636     ssuuddoo will not honor time stamps set far in the future.  Time stamps with
637     a date greater than current_time + 2 * TIMEOUT will be ignored and sudo
638     will log and complain.  This is done to keep a user from creating his/her
639     own time stamp with a bogus date on systems that allow users to give away
640     files if the time stamp directory is located in a world-writable
641     directory.
642
643     On systems where the boot time is available, ssuuddoo will ignore time stamps
644     that date from before the machine booted.
645
646     Since time stamp files live in the file system, they can outlive a user's
647     login session.  As a result, a user may be able to login, run a command
648     with ssuuddoo after authenticating, logout, login again, and run ssuuddoo without
649     authenticating so long as the time stamp file's modification time is
650     within 5 minutes (or whatever the timeout is set to in _s_u_d_o_e_r_s).  When
651     the _t_t_y___t_i_c_k_e_t_s _s_u_d_o_e_r_s option is enabled, the time stamp has per-tty
652     granularity but still may outlive the user's session.  On Linux systems
653     where the devpts filesystem is used, Solaris systems with the devices
654     filesystem, as well as other systems that utilize a devfs filesystem that
655     monotonically increase the inode number of devices as they are created
656     (such as Mac OS X), ssuuddoo is able to determine when a tty-based time stamp
657     file is stale and will ignore it.  Administrators should not rely on this
658     feature as it is not universally available.
659
660     Please note that ssuuddoo will normally only log the command it explicitly
661     runs.  If a user runs a command such as sudo su or sudo sh, subsequent
662     commands run from that shell are not subject to ssuuddoo's security policy.
663     The same is true for commands that offer shell escapes (including most
664     editors).  If I/O logging is enabled, subsequent commands will have their
665     input and/or output logged, but there will not be traditional logs for
666     those commands.  Because of this, care must be taken when giving users
667     access to commands via ssuuddoo to verify that the command does not
668     inadvertently give the user an effective root shell.  For more
669     information, please see the _P_R_E_V_E_N_T_I_N_G _S_H_E_L_L _E_S_C_A_P_E_S section in
670     sudoers(4).
671
672     To prevent the disclosure of potentially sensitive information, ssuuddoo
673     disables core dumps by default while it is executing (they are re-enabled
674     for the command that is run).
675
676     For information on the security implications of _s_u_d_o_e_r_s entries, please
677     see the _S_E_C_U_R_I_T_Y _N_O_T_E_S section in sudoers(4).
678
679EENNVVIIRROONNMMEENNTT
680     ssuuddoo utilizes the following environment variables:
681
682     EDITOR           Default editor to use in --ee (sudoedit) mode if neither
683                      SUDO_EDITOR nor VISUAL is set.
684
685     MAIL             In --ii mode or when _e_n_v___r_e_s_e_t is enabled in _s_u_d_o_e_r_s, set
686                      to the mail spool of the target user.
687
688     HOME             Set to the home directory of the target user if --ii or --HH
689                      are specified, _e_n_v___r_e_s_e_t or _a_l_w_a_y_s___s_e_t___h_o_m_e are set in
690                      _s_u_d_o_e_r_s, or when the --ss option is specified and _s_e_t___h_o_m_e
691                      is set in _s_u_d_o_e_r_s.
692
693     PATH             Set to a sane value if the _s_e_c_u_r_e___p_a_t_h option is set in
694                      the _s_u_d_o_e_r_s file.
695
696     SHELL            Used to determine shell to run with --ss option.
697
698     SUDO_ASKPASS     Specifies the path to a helper program used to read the
699                      password if no terminal is available or if the --AA option
700                      is specified.
701
702     SUDO_COMMAND     Set to the command run by sudo.
703
704     SUDO_EDITOR      Default editor to use in --ee (sudoedit) mode.
705
706     SUDO_GID         Set to the group ID of the user who invoked sudo.
707
708     SUDO_PROMPT      Used as the default password prompt.
709
710     SUDO_PS1         If set, PS1 will be set to its value for the program
711                      being run.
712
713     SUDO_UID         Set to the user ID of the user who invoked sudo.
714
715     SUDO_USER        Set to the login name of the user who invoked sudo.
716
717     USER             Set to the target user (root unless the --uu option is
718                      specified).
719
720     VISUAL           Default editor to use in --ee (sudoedit) mode if
721                      SUDO_EDITOR is not set.
722
723FFIILLEESS
724     _/_e_t_c_/_s_u_d_o_e_r_s              List of who can run what
725
726     _/_v_a_r_/_a_d_m_/_s_u_d_o             Directory containing time stamps
727
728     _/_e_t_c_/_e_n_v_i_r_o_n_m_e_n_t          Initial environment for --ii mode on AIX and
729                               Linux systems
730
731EEXXAAMMPPLLEESS
732     Note: the following examples assume suitable sudoers(4) entries.
733
734     To get a file listing of an unreadable directory:
735
736           $ sudo ls /usr/local/protected
737
738     To list the home directory of user yaz on a machine where the file system
739     holding ~yaz is not exported as root:
740
741           $ sudo -u yaz ls ~yaz
742
743     To edit the _i_n_d_e_x_._h_t_m_l file as user www:
744
745           $ sudo -u www vi ~www/htdocs/index.html
746
747     To view system logs only accessible to root and users in the adm group:
748
749           $ sudo -g adm view /var/log/syslog
750
751     To run an editor as jim with a different primary group:
752
753           $ sudo -u jim -g audio vi ~jim/sound.txt
754
755     To shut down a machine:
756
757           $ sudo shutdown -r +15 "quick reboot"
758
759     To make a usage listing of the directories in the /home partition.  Note
760     that this runs the commands in a sub-shell to make the cd and file
761     redirection work.
762
763           $ sudo sh -c "cd /home ; du -s * | sort -rn > USAGE"
764
765SSEEEE AALLSSOO
766     grep(1), su(1), stat(2), login_cap(3), passwd(4), sudoers(4),
767     sudoreplay(1m), visudo(1m)
768
769HHIISSTTOORRYY
770     See the HISTORY file in the ssuuddoo distribution
771     (http://www.sudo.ws/sudo/history.html) for a brief history of sudo.
772
773AAUUTTHHOORRSS
774     Many people have worked on ssuuddoo over the years; this version consists of
775     code written primarily by:
776
777           Todd C. Miller
778
779     See the CONTRIBUTORS file in the ssuuddoo distribution
780     (http://www.sudo.ws/sudo/contributors.html) for an exhaustive list of
781     people who have contributed to ssuuddoo.
782
783CCAAVVEEAATTSS
784     There is no easy way to prevent a user from gaining a root shell if that
785     user is allowed to run arbitrary commands via ssuuddoo.  Also, many programs
786     (such as editors) allow the user to run commands via shell escapes, thus
787     avoiding ssuuddoo's checks.  However, on most systems it is possible to
788     prevent shell escapes with ssuuddoo '' ss _n_o_e_x_e_c functionality.  See the
789     sudoers(4) manual for details.
790
791     It is not meaningful to run the cd command directly via sudo, e.g.,
792
793           $ sudo cd /usr/local/protected
794
795     since when the command exits the parent process (your shell) will still
796     be the same.  Please see the _E_X_A_M_P_L_E_S section for more information.
797
798     Running shell scripts via ssuuddoo can expose the same kernel bugs that make
799     setuid shell scripts unsafe on some operating systems (if your OS has a
800     /dev/fd/ directory, setuid shell scripts are generally safe).
801
802BBUUGGSS
803     If you feel you have found a bug in ssuuddoo, please submit a bug report at
804     http://www.sudo.ws/sudo/bugs/
805
806SSUUPPPPOORRTT
807     Limited free support is available via the sudo-users mailing list, see
808     http://www.sudo.ws/mailman/listinfo/sudo-users to subscribe or search the
809     archives.
810
811DDIISSCCLLAAIIMMEERR
812     ssuuddoo is provided ``AS IS'' and any express or implied warranties,
813     including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability
814     and fitness for a particular purpose are disclaimed.  See the LICENSE
815     file distributed with ssuuddoo or http://www.sudo.ws/sudo/license.html for
816     complete details.
817
818Sudo 1.7.10                      July 10, 2012                     Sudo 1.7.10
819