RHBA-2011:0221 - Bug Fix Advisory

Topic

An updated system-config-users package that fixes a bug that caused
new user creation to fail in some circumstances is now available.

Description

system-config-users is a graphical utility for administrating users and
groups. It depends on the libuser library.

This update addresses the following issue:

• When creating users, or more specifically their home directories,

system-config-users relied on the access() system call to check if a
directory was writable (and, consequently, whether a new home
directory could be created in the requested location).

The access() system call returns reliable information for
POSIX-compliant (or mostly POSIX-compliant) file-systems only. In some
cases, therefore, relying on the information returned by access()
could result in user creation failing.

If, for example, system-config-users was directed to create a user
with a home folder in a directory managed by an auto-mounter (such as
/net), access() returned inaccurate information and user creation
subsequently failed.

With this update, system-config-users no longer relies on access(), or
other operating system functions, in such cases: it now attempts to
create the home directory and checks whether it has succeeded in doing
so.

As well, if the chosen location is not writable, system-config-users
returns an alert to this effect and requests 'a writable location' be
chosen rather than simply writing errors to the terminal and failing.
(BZ#672822)

Users should upgrade to this updated package, which resolves this
issue.

Solution

Before applying this update, make sure all previously-released errata
relevant to your system have been applied.

This update is available via the Red Hat Network. Details on how to
use the Red Hat Network to apply this update are available at
http://kbase.redhat.com/faq/docs/DOC-11259

Affected Products

• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server 6 x86_64
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server 6 i386
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server - Extended Life Cycle Support 6 x86_64
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server - Extended Life Cycle Support 6 i386
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation 6 x86_64
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation 6 i386
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Desktop 6 x86_64
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Desktop 6 i386
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux for IBM z Systems 6 s390x
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux for Power, big endian 6 ppc64
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux for Scientific Computing 6 x86_64
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server from RHUI 6 x86_64
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server from RHUI 6 i386
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server - Extended Life Cycle Support (for IBM z Systems) 6 s390x
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server - Extended Life Cycle Support Extension 6 x86_64
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server - Extended Life Cycle Support Extension 6 i386
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server - Extended Life Cycle Support Extension (for IBM z Systems) 6 s390x

Fixes

CVEs

(none)

References

(none)