Re: Security question: "Text file busy" overwriting executables but

[Alexander Viro]

On Thu, 4 Oct 2001, Linus Torvalds wrote:

> The reason the kernel refuses to honour it, is that MAP_DENYWRITE is an
> excellent DoS-vehicle - you just mmap("/etc/passwd") with MAP_DENYWRITE,
> and even root cannot write to it.. Vary nasty.

<nit>
I _really_ doubt that something does write() on /etc/passwd.  Create a
file and rename it over the thing - sure, but that's it.
</nit>