HP-UX 11i Version 2 Release Notes (October 2003)

Security
Boot Authentication
Chapter 7
174
Boot Authentication
The Boot Authentication feature makes it possible to configure a system so that only
authorized users are allowed to boot the machine into Single-user Mode.
Summary of Change
Formerly, the Boot Authentication feature was only available on systems that have been
converted to Trusted Mode. Starting with HP-UX 11i v2, the feature is available on all
Standard Systems.
The Trusted Mode Boot Authentication feature remains unchanged, while the Standard
Mode Boot Authentication feature can be configured by two parameters in the
/etc/default/security file. They are BOOT_AUTH and BOOT_USERS. See the security (4)
manpage for more detailed information.
Impact
If you wish to protect your system against unauthorized booting into Single-user Mode,
you may now do so without converting to Trusted Mode.
Compatibility
There are no compatibility issues.
Performance
There are no performance issues.
Documentation
The init (1M) and security (4) manpages have been updated.
Obsolescence
Not applicable.
File Descriptor Allocation
The behavior of the file descriptor allocation in HP-UX 11i v2 has been changed to
prevent security problems such as unauthorized modification of root-owned files. For
further information, see “File Descriptor Allocation” on page 213.