Advanced Bash-Scripting Guide: An in-depth exploration of the art of shell scripting
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# Chapter 22. Restricted Shells

Disabled commands in restricted shells

  . Running a script or portion of a script in restricted mode disables certain commands that would otherwise be available. This is a security measure intended to limit the privileges of the script user and to minimize possible damage from running the script.

The following commands and actions are disabled:

- Using `cd` to change the working directory.

- Changing the values of the `$PATH`, `$SHELL`, `$BASH_ENV`, or `$ENV` environmental variables.

- Reading or changing the `$SHELLOPTS`, shell environmental options.

- Output redirection.

- Invoking commands containing one or more /'s.

- Invoking exec to substitute a different process for the shell.

- Various other commands that would enable monkeying with or attempting to subvert the script for an unintended purpose.

- Getting out of restricted mode within the script.

Example 22-1. Running a script in restricted mode

       1 #!/bin/bash
       2
       3 #  Starting the script with "#!/bin/bash -r"
       4 #+ runs entire script in restricted mode.
       5
       6 echo
       7
       8 echo "Changing directory."
       9 cd /usr/local
      10 echo "Now in `pwd`"
      11 echo "Coming back home."
      12 cd
      13 echo "Now in `pwd`"
      14 echo
      15
      16 # Everything up to here in normal, unrestricted mode.
      17
      18 set -r
      19 # set --restricted    has same effect.
      20 echo "==> Now in restricted mode. <=="
      21
      22 echo
      23 echo
      24
      25 echo "Attempting directory change in restricted mode."
      26 cd ..
      27 echo "Still in `pwd`"
      28
      29 echo
      30 echo
      31
      32 echo "\$SHELL = $SHELL"
      33 echo "Attempting to change shell in restricted mode."
      34 SHELL="/bin/ash"
      35 echo
      36 echo "\$SHELL= $SHELL"
      37
      38 echo
      39 echo
      40
      41 echo "Attempting to redirect output in restricted mode."
      42 ls -l /usr/bin > bin.files
      43 ls -l bin.files    # Try to list attempted file creation effort.
      44
      45 echo
      46
      47 exit 0

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