[Rdiff-backup-bugs] [bug #20690] Symbolic link to a directory as the target cann't be used

[gw]

URL:
  <http://savannah.nongnu.org/bugs/?20690>

                 Summary: Symbolic link to a directory as the target cann't
be used
                 Project: rdiff-backup
            Submitted by: gw_
            Submitted on: Saturday 08/04/2007 at 23:37
                Category: None
                Severity: 3 - Normal
              Item Group: None
                  Status: None
                 Privacy: Public
             Assigned to: None
             Open/Closed: Open
         Discussion Lock: Any

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Details:

If you try to backup something to a target that is a symbolic link to a empty
(or not) directory, you get the error:
Fatal Error: Destination <target symlink> exists and is not a directory
This happens in both cases: if you append a trailing "/" (usually for
referring to the contents of where it points to) to the symbolic link or not.
This behavior is partially correct and it also prevents  from some sorts of
hacks (if the attacker has control of the symlink and rdiff-backup is run
automatically by root), but it is not always wanted and useful.

Therefore I would recommend the addition of a parameter that would enable the
follow of symbolic link to directory if it is passed as the target. Another
solution would be to distinguish between added "/" or without it (in first
case following the symlink in other not).

(rdiff-backup 1.1.12)




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