openssh on interix

[Martin Koeppe]

On Mon, 10 Nov 2008, Douglas E. Engert wrote:

> Martin Koeppe wrote:
>> Hi openssh developers,
>> 
>> I'm trying to port openssh to Interix. See [1] for more on this.
>> 
>> For Interix sshd needs to be patched to not use setuid()/setgid(), but an 
>> Interix specific function setuser(). See [2] why it is needed. 
>> Unfortunately, setuser() needs the clear-text password of the user to be 
>> fully functional (If you use password-less setuser(), then the user doesn't 
>> have network access rights, e.g. no access to a network home dir).
>
> Sounds like what you are trying to do is run the sshd on a Windows
> machine, and get the user's windows password so they can "login"
> to Windows?

It's only partly right. Interix can be thought of a unix-like kernel 
running within the windows kernel. So you have all the unix syscalls
and unix libc functions available. You also get unix-like file system 
semantics. I'd like to port sshd to this unix-like environment.
The goal is not just to have "any" ssh login on windows, it's to 
enhance my port of Debian to interix.

While setuid() is also available and basically functional, the right 
way to change to the user is - on interix - not setuid(), but 
setuser(). If setuser() gets no password, local access is granted, but 
for network access a new session would be needed. But if the password 
could be used for setuser(), then setuser() would allow network access 
to the new session. And sshd has the needed password in auth_passwd(), 
but not in permanently_set_uid().


> If the sshd could use the GSSAPI and delegated credentials, it might
> be possible to pass the Kerberos ticket into the LSA.  This could give
> you single sign on.
> I believe with a registry setting, the Kerberos for Windows can do
> something like this. You might want to ask on the kerberos at mit.edu list

>From within the interix environment the only way to contact the LSA is 
over the built-in interix kerrnel functions like setuser(). Interix 
programs don't have access to the Win32 API.

Martin


> http://www.vandyke.com/products/vshell/index.html
> might be another possibility.
>
>> 
>> The problem is now: How to get the clear-text password from
>>    auth-passwd.c:auth_password()
>> to
>>    uidswap.c:permanently_set_uid()
>> where it would be needed as argument for setuser()?
>> 
>> See [3] for the patch I'm currently using. My first idea would be to use 
>> the struct passwd pw_passwd field that is passed to permanently_set_uid() 
>> for storing the clear-text password after successful 
>> (password-)authentication.
>> 
>> Before looking into details I just want to ask:
>> Would such use of struct passwd be a security issue?
>> 
>> 
>> Many thanks in advance
>> 
>> Martin
>> 
>> 
>> [1] http://www.debian-interix.net/
>> [2] 
>> http://www.suacommunity.com/forum/tm.aspx?m=4663&mpage=1&key=setuser&#7061
>> [3] 
>> http://www.debian-interix.net/debian-interix/pool/unreleased35/main/o/openssh/openssh_4.7p1-9_4.7p1-9+interix.2.interdiff.gz
>> _______________________________________________
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>> openssh-unix-dev at mindrot.org
>> https://lists.mindrot.org/mailman/listinfo/openssh-unix-dev
>> 
>> 
>
> -- 
>
> Douglas E. Engert  <DEEngert at anl.gov>
> Argonne National Laboratory
> 9700 South Cass Avenue
> Argonne, Illinois  60439
> (630) 252-5444
>