rm(1) bug, possibly serious

[Oleg Nauman]

On Tue, Sep 25, 2007 at 05:12:50PM +0200, Oliver Fromme wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> Today I noticed the following behaviour on a 6-stable
> machine:
> 
> $ cd /tmp
> $ mkdir -p foo/var
> $ cd foo/bar

 Looks like you have mistyped 'mkdir' argument :)

> $ rm -rf ../
> rm: ../: Invalid argument

 Please type 'pwd' here

> $ rm -rf ../
> $ 
> 
> Note that the command "rm -rf ../" was entered twice.
> The first time I got an error message (and exit code 1),
> the second time it apparently succeeded.  The very same
> command.
> 
> Further investigation:
> 
> $ cd /tmp
> $ mkdir -p foo/var
> $ cd foo/bar
> $ rm -rf ../
> rm: ../: Invalid argument
> $ ls -al ..
> ls: ..: No such file or directory
> $ ls /tmp/foo/bar
> ls: /tmp/foo/bar: No such file or directory
> 
> That means:  Even though "rm -rf ../" prints an error
> message, indicating that the argument is invalid, it
> *DOES* remove the contents of the parent directory!
> 
> To add further confusion, another "rm -rf ../" does
> not print an error message and seemingly succeeds,
> even though ".." does not exist anymore in the current
> directory (which has been removed).
> 
> Shall I file a PR?  Or is rm working correctly, and
> my assumptions are wrong?
> 
> Best regards
>    Oliver
> 
> -- 
> Oliver Fromme, secnetix GmbH & Co. KG, Marktplatz 29, 85567 Grafing b. M.
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> 
> "The scanf() function is a large and complex beast that often does
> something almost but not quite entirely unlike what you desired."
>         -- Chris Torek

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