If I ever need to switch to the root user, I usually type su, but I saw someone use sudo su - in a video, which I thought was pretty strange but maybe the video creator knew something I didn’t, or it wasn’t possible to simply su a few years ago.
Maybe I’m a bit ignorant, but would it make much of a difference? Whether I authenticate with my own account to get root permissions or directly with root, I still have a string of characters which I use to get root priveleges on my machine. For a single (physical) user machine, that allows me to use a separate password for root. Should be better than using the same one twice, right?
If root has a password, it’s only one password; everyone who has root access knows the password, which means that anyone can share it with no accountability. If privilege escalation rights are granted instead, it’s easy to see who did what, as well as to contain any kind of compromise (by revoking said rights).
Also, I think you originally referred to su but sudo allows much more granular control.
I want to know more. Looking past running full desktop sessions as root and inputting stupid commands when sudo su, what’s the problem with having a terminal window open and escalated to root?
There’s some time limit before having to re input it.
Inputting a password multiple times into sudo has downsides too. Larger window for attackers to do something like: add a directory to your path, which has a fake sudo in it, and capture your password.
I tend to to be working in obscure micro distros inside of docker or servers that should have been retired around the time of the dinosaurs so I am probably alone in this, just saying it can happen.
Why would you sudo su? That defeats the purpose of sudo.
If I ever need to switch to the root user, I usually type
su, but I saw someone usesudo su -in a video, which I thought was pretty strange but maybe the video creator knew something I didn’t, or it wasn’t possible to simplysua few years ago.You get tired of playing Simon Says when you’re doing a lot of admin stuff at once.
Well then still
sudo -swould suffice, no?Have you heard of
su?Having a password for root is Ill advised.
Maybe I’m a bit ignorant, but would it make much of a difference? Whether I authenticate with my own account to get root permissions or directly with root, I still have a string of characters which I use to get root priveleges on my machine. For a single (physical) user machine, that allows me to use a separate password for root. Should be better than using the same one twice, right?
If root has a password, it’s only one password; everyone who has root access knows the password, which means that anyone can share it with no accountability. If privilege escalation rights are granted instead, it’s easy to see who did what, as well as to contain any kind of compromise (by revoking said rights).
Also, I think you originally referred to
subutsudoallows much more granular control.If you do multiple admin commands, sudo doesn’t prompt for your password. There’s some time limit before having to re input it.
Logging in as root is bad security hygiene. You’ll become complacent and leave it logged in at some point. That’s how you get pwnd.
I want to know more. Looking past running full desktop sessions as root and inputting stupid commands when sudo su, what’s the problem with having a terminal window open and escalated to root?
Depends how it’s configured
Inputting a password multiple times into sudo has downsides too. Larger window for attackers to do something like: add a directory to your path, which has a fake sudo in it, and capture your password.
I don’t know if I’m the only one who ran into this but sometimes sudo just doesn’t work and you have too.
I’ve been using Debian for the better part of 20 years, and sudo has never not worked.
I tend to to be working in obscure micro distros inside of docker or servers that should have been retired around the time of the dinosaurs so I am probably alone in this, just saying it can happen.