[Bug 468050] [NEW] Clicking homepage link in UNetbootin opens page in Firefox as root

[kpk187]

Public bug reported:

Binary package hint: unetbootin

This affects Ubuntu 9.10
The installed package version is "356-1"

Using the Ubuntu Software Center I installed UNetbootin. After the
installation was done, I started UNetbootin from under System Tools in
the Applications menu. The administration dialog asking for my user
password appeared, I entered my password and UNetbootin started.

When I chose FreeBSD from the Distribution drop-down box and clicked the
homepage link, I expected Firefox to open that website under my user
account (which has all of my bookmarks and configuration). What happened
instead was Firefox opened that web page like it was first started on a
new user account. I thought Firefox might have started as root, so I
bookmarked the FreeBSD homepage (which I had not bookmarked before) then
closed Firefox and UNetbootin. I then started Firefox from the the
Applications menu and had all of my configuration back but did not have
the FreeBSD page in my bookmarks. I closed Firefox then opened a
terminal window and entered "gksudo firefox" which I think should start
Firefox as the root user. The administration dialog did not appear this
time (maybe because I entered my password before), Firefox started like
it did from UNetbootin, and the FreeBSD bookmark was there.

There is also a .mozilla directory in the /root folder, so I suspect
that UNetbootin is starting Firefox as the root account, which I'm told
is a security risk. I have also never started Firefox as root before
today. Even if this is not a security risk, it is still a minor
annoyance not having my bookmarks, add-ons, and configuration when I
open links from UNetbootin.

This bug should be reproducible on fresh install of Ubuntu 9.10 with all
updates installed before November 1st.

** Affects: unetbootin (Ubuntu)
     Importance: Undecided
         Status: New

-- 
Clicking homepage link in UNetbootin opens page in Firefox as root
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/468050
You received this bug notification because you are a member of Ubuntu
Bugs, which is subscribed to Ubuntu.

-- 
ubuntu-bugs mailing list
ubuntu-bugs at lists.ubuntu.com
https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-bugs