RE: Sun Application Server Drop Privs

Have you tried creating a properties file or editing the existing properties
file that contains the environment variables associated with launching the
app server?  I know for the Sun Proxy server you can create a properties
page that contains the user that will run the service as well as the ports
to which it will bind to.  The properties file may be accessed by root, but
privs will be dropped to the user defined within the config file.



Tony UcedaVélez, CISM, CISA, GIAC
Managing Partner
VerSprite, LLC
(office) 678.938.3434
(email) tonyuv@versprite.com
(web)   www.versprite.com

-----Original Message-----
From: listbounce@securityfocus.com [mailto:listbounce@securityfocus.com] On
Behalf Of Crist J. Clark
Sent: Monday, April 23, 2007 8:11 PM
To: focus-sun@securityfocus.com
Subject: Sun Application Server Drop Privs

We're using Sun Java System Application Server 8.1. I know
the software is designed so it can be run as a non-root user,
but right now, we have to run it as root since it binds to ports
80/tcp and 443/tcp.

I've hit SunSolve, docs.sun.com, and Google, but can't seem to
find out how to get it to drop privs to a non-root user after
grabbing the low-numbered ports. Anyone know how to do this?
I'd rather (a) not have this monster run as root if it doesn't
have to and (b) not have the web app developers have to get a
sys admin to make changes as root for them whenever they want
to tweak some file.
-- 
Crist J. Clark                     |     cjclark@alum.mit.edu