Fixing chmod -R 777 /

This document (7014410) is provided subject to the disclaimer at the end of this document.

Environment

SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 9
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 8

Situation

root user run the chmod -R 777 / command and all file permissions for the entire system have read/write/execute for every user.

***Note: Never run this command***

Resolution

There are two options to fix this issue: 
  • Reinstall - Copy off all pertinent data and then wipe the drive and reinstall with an up to date version of SLE.
  • Restore - Restore from a full system backup taken before the change was made.

Cause

The command chmod -R 777 / makes every single file on the system under / (root)  have rwxrwxrwx permissions.  This is equivalent to allowing ALL users read/write/execute permissions.  If other directories such as home, media, etc are under root then those will be affected as well.  This causes a very large security hole for the entire system and should be fixed immediately.

Disclaimer

This Support Knowledgebase provides a valuable tool for SUSE customers and parties interested in our products and solutions to acquire information, ideas and learn from one another. Materials are provided for informational, personal or non-commercial use within your organization and are presented "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND.

  • Document ID:7014410
  • Creation Date: 14-Jan-2014
  • Modified Date:26-Aug-2022
    • SUSE Linux Enterprise Server

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