SUID Binaries in GNU/Linux: the Feature or the Bug?

The paper considers current security issues of GNU/Linux related to the possibility to locally escalate user privileges and caused by errors in the operation of SUID programs. It provides some examples of recently identified vulnerabilities in the operation of various GNU/Linux components. Despite the fact that such vulnerabilities have already been eliminated by the main manufacturers of operating systems, SUID programs are the primary cause of their occurrence, that are still widely used in modern software solutions. There are numerous reasons for using such programs, the main of which is their historical use as part of the Unix operating system, which means that they are inherited in GNU/Linux. The authors offer possible options to solve security problems associated with the use of SUID programs that have already repeatedly arose in the past and will undoubtedly arise in the future. In the conclusion, a SUID-related dilemma is emphasized – one can either continue to use them posing a high risk of future information security problems, or restrict their use, violating the existing standards for OS compatibility.