useradd -p stores cleartext passwords / shadow-980724

From: Emils Klotins (emilsat_private)
Date: Fri Jun 11 1999 - 01:11:29 PDT

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    Hello.
    
    Sorry if this is reported already. Didn't find it in Bugtraq archives nor in SuSE support db.
    
    OS: SuSE Linux 6.1
    Program: useradd
    Package: shadow-980724
    
    Problem description:
    'useradd' command has an option '-p password' for specifying password to the newly added user.
    (This option btw, does not appear anywhere in useradd man page)
    If you specify this option along with a password, the password will be stored in /etc/shadow, but
    in cleartext, creating 2 problems:
    1. The password is stored in cleartext
    2. It of course does not work, for upon login an encrypted version of password is expected to be in
    /etc/shadow.
    
    PS. I could agree that specifying password in command-line can be considered quite dangerous,
    however, if the option is there, it should either work correctly or not be there.
    
    
    
    
    Emils Klotins       e-mail: emilsat_private
    Systems Manager     URL: http://www.usis.bkc.lv/
    USIS Riga           7 Smilsu Str., Riga LV1050, LATVIA
    



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