[Bug 1842408] [NEW] rabbitmq-server writes to /etc/rabbitmq

[Hadmut Danisch]

Public bug reported:

Hi, 
I just ran into a design problem of the ubuntu/debian installation of rabbitmq-server.

I tried to configure rabbitmq with puppet, it didn't work, and I
debugged it.

Problem: the puppet plugin changes ownership of /etc/rabbitmq to root,
while the ubuntu/debian package requires it to be rabbitmq.rabbitmq,
because the tool rabbitmq-plugins needs to write to
/etc/rabbitmq/enabled_plugins and create
/etc/rabbitmq/enabled_plugins.tmp


So if the /etc/rabbitmq belongs root, rabbitmq-plugins can write only if run as root, but then it issues error message because ownership trouble with rabbitmq daemon, which expects things to be rabbitmq. 


It is definitely a poor and insecure idea to give an /etc directory
ownership to a daemon and use it to store state information.
/etc/rabbitmq/enabled_plugins definitely belongs to /var/lib/rabbitmq,
and as far as I know, this is what linux design guides say.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 18.04
Package: rabbitmq-server 3.6.10-1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.15.0-58.64-generic 4.15.18
Uname: Linux 4.15.0-58-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: zfs zunicode zavl icp zcommon znvpair
ApportVersion: 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.7
Architecture: amd64
CurrentDesktop: LXDE
Date: Tue Sep  3 12:17:42 2019
InstallationDate: Installed on 2018-04-30 (491 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Lubuntu 18.04 LTS "Bionic Beaver" - Release amd64 (20180426)
PackageArchitecture: all
SourcePackage: rabbitmq-server
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
modified.conffile..etc.default.rabbitmq-server: [modified]
mtime.conffile..etc.default.rabbitmq-server: 2019-09-02T17:17:09.167373

** Affects: rabbitmq-server (Ubuntu)
     Importance: Undecided
         Status: New


** Tags: amd64 apport-bug bionic

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1842408

Title:
  rabbitmq-server writes to /etc/rabbitmq

Status in rabbitmq-server package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  Hi, 
  I just ran into a design problem of the ubuntu/debian installation of rabbitmq-server.

  I tried to configure rabbitmq with puppet, it didn't work, and I
  debugged it.

  Problem: the puppet plugin changes ownership of /etc/rabbitmq to root,
  while the ubuntu/debian package requires it to be rabbitmq.rabbitmq,
  because the tool rabbitmq-plugins needs to write to
  /etc/rabbitmq/enabled_plugins and create
  /etc/rabbitmq/enabled_plugins.tmp

  
  So if the /etc/rabbitmq belongs root, rabbitmq-plugins can write only if run as root, but then it issues error message because ownership trouble with rabbitmq daemon, which expects things to be rabbitmq. 


  It is definitely a poor and insecure idea to give an /etc directory
  ownership to a daemon and use it to store state information.
  /etc/rabbitmq/enabled_plugins definitely belongs to /var/lib/rabbitmq,
  and as far as I know, this is what linux design guides say.

  ProblemType: Bug
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 18.04
  Package: rabbitmq-server 3.6.10-1
  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.15.0-58.64-generic 4.15.18
  Uname: Linux 4.15.0-58-generic x86_64
  NonfreeKernelModules: zfs zunicode zavl icp zcommon znvpair
  ApportVersion: 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.7
  Architecture: amd64
  CurrentDesktop: LXDE
  Date: Tue Sep  3 12:17:42 2019
  InstallationDate: Installed on 2018-04-30 (491 days ago)
  InstallationMedia: Lubuntu 18.04 LTS "Bionic Beaver" - Release amd64 (20180426)
  PackageArchitecture: all
  SourcePackage: rabbitmq-server
  UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
  modified.conffile..etc.default.rabbitmq-server: [modified]
  mtime.conffile..etc.default.rabbitmq-server: 2019-09-02T17:17:09.167373

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