ISSETUGID(2)              OpenBSD Programmer's Manual             ISSETUGID(2)

NAME
     issetugid - is current executable running setuid or setgid



SYNOPSIS
     #include <unistd.h>

     int
     issetugid(void);

DESCRIPTION
     The issetugid() function returns 1 if the process was made setuid or set-
     gid as the result of the last or other previous execve() system calls.
     Otherwise it returns 0.

     This system call exists so that library routines (inside libtermlib,
     libc, or other libraries) can guarantee safe behavior when used inside
     setuid or setgid programs.  Some library routines may be passed insuffi-
     cient information and hence not know whether the current program was
     started setuid or setgid because higher level calling code may have made
     changes to the uid, euid, gid, or egid.  Hence these low-level library
     routines are unable to determine if they are being run with elevated or
     normal privileges.

     In particular, it is wise to use this call to determine if a pathname re-
     turned from a getenv() call may safely be used to open() the specified
     file.  Quite often this is not wise because the status of the effective
     uid is not known.

     The issetugid() system call's result is unaffected by calls to setuid(),
     setgid(), or other such calls.  In case of a fork(), the child process
     inherits the same status.

     The status of issetugid() is only affected by execve().  If a child pro-
     cess executes a new executable file, a new issetugid status will be de-
     termined.  This status is based on the existing process's uid, euid, gid,
     and egid permissions and on the modes of the executable file.  If the new
     executable file modes are setuid or setgid, or if the existing process is
     executing the new image with uid != euid or gid != egid, the new process
     will be considered issetugid.

ERRORS
     The issetugid() function is always successful, and no return value is re-
     served to indicate an error.

SEE ALSO
     execve(2),  setegid(2),  seteuid(2),  setgid(2),  setuid(2)

HISTORY
     The issetugid() function call first appeared in OpenBSD 2.0.

OpenBSD 2.6                     August 25, 1996                              1