privacy in Unix environment

Hello everyone, here is a question well suited for the c'punks.
I'm looking for some kind of utility that will allow script files
to be run, to spawn off processes, but will wipe out environment
and "ps" info from being read. i.e. imagine that the commands
being called must shield their arguments and environment from
the "ps" command run on a system. the ideal program would let
me run csh scripts but make all the unix commands called
(sort, grep, whatever) invisible to other users on my local
system.

can it be done?

note: I am aware of the trick of using symbolic links to hide
command names.

tx.
bye

Vladimir Z. Nuri writes:
 > (sort, grep, whatever) invisible to other users on my local
 > system.
 > 
 > can it be done?

Not unless you write your own suite of utilities (or get linux and
modify all the ones there).  Even if you do, the kernel will always
keep around the command name (ps -c on BSDish machines).  Of course,
if you've got your own suite of utilities you can scramble the names.
Juest remind me never to log in to your account...

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> Hello everyone, here is a question well suited for the c'punks.
> I'm looking for some kind of utility that will allow script files
> to be run, to spawn off processes, but will wipe out environment
> and "ps" info from being read. i.e. imagine that the commands
> being called must shield their arguments and environment from
> the "ps" command run on a system. the ideal program would let
> me run csh scripts but make all the unix commands called
> (sort, grep, whatever) invisible to other users on my local
> system.
> 
> can it be done?
> 
> note: I am aware of the trick of using symbolic links to hide
> command names.

This can't be done with scripting (though, as some other folks have
pointed out, you can sometimes overwrite argv from a C program).

Perl might be a good alternative.  You get to perform fairly
high-level functions without spawning additional shells.

   - Mark -


--
Mark Chen 
chen@netcom.com
415/329-6913
finger for PGP public key
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This depends on the OS.  On some Operating Systems, you can overwrite
the arguments and that will clear the PS listing.  On other systems,
however, the environment variables and process listings are kept in
different memory than that of the process, so you cannot have a
process hide its arguments.

I hope this helps

-derek

> 
> Hello everyone, here is a question well suited for the c'punks.
> I'm looking for some kind of utility that will allow script files
> to be run, to spawn off processes, but will wipe out environment
> and "ps" info from being read. i.e. imagine that the commands
> being called must shield their arguments and environment from
> the "ps" command run on a system. the ideal program would let
> me run csh scripts but make all the unix commands called
> (sort, grep, whatever) invisible to other users on my local
> system.
> 
> can it be done?

Sure:

1) rewrite ps.  Since it's setuid for kmem versions, noone else should be
   able to use a real one.
2) rewrite device driver for /proc/ps versions.

You could argue that in some situations, users should only see their own
processes (very few situations).

> note: I am aware of the trick of using symbolic links to hide
> command names.
> 
> tx.
> bye
> 
> 


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> 
> Hello everyone, here is a question well suited for the c'punks.
> I'm looking for some kind of utility that will allow script files
> to be run, to spawn off processes, but will wipe out environment
> and "ps" info from being read. i.e. imagine that the commands
> being called must shield their arguments and environment from
> the "ps" command run on a system. the ideal program would let
> me run csh scripts but make all the unix commands called
> (sort, grep, whatever) invisible to other users on my local
> system.
> 
Hi,

There is a program for Linux which sorta does this that was written by a 
friend of mine. It basicly 'hides' a process such that neither it or any
of its children will show up using 'ps'. If you would like more info
then contact:

     ifch151@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu

Take care.