openssh unix dev - May 2002 - [Bug 238] New: sshd.pid file written AFTER key generation causes race condition

http://bugzilla.mindrot.org/show_bug.cgi?id=238

           Summary: sshd.pid file written AFTER key generation causes race
                    condition
           Product: Portable OpenSSH
           Version: 3.1p1
          Platform: All
        OS/Version: All
            Status: NEW
          Severity: enhancement
          Priority: P5
         Component: sshd
        AssignedTo: openssh-unix-dev at mindrot.org
        ReportedBy: libove at felines.org


The SSH Daemon writes its sshd.pid file only after it generates its ephemeral 
server key. This makes the amount of time between starting the daemon and the 
creation / update of the sshd.pid file variable, and can cause a race condition 
with e.g. /sbin/init.d scripts which start the daemon and then want to check to 
see that the start was successful.
Please move the sshd.pid create/update to happen before the generation of the 
ephemeral server key, so that the new SSH Daemon pid is written to the sshd.pid 
file very shortly after the process starts executing.
Thanks.



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The SSH Daemon writes its sshd.pid file only after it generates its ephemeral 
   server key. This makes the amount of time between starting the daemon and the
   creation / update of the sshd.pid file variable, and can cause a race
condition
   with e.g. /sbin/init.d scripts which start the daemon and then want to check
to
   see that the start was successful.
   Please move the sshd.pid create/update to happen before the generation of the
   ephemeral server key, so that the new SSH Daemon pid is written to the
sshd.pid
   file very shortly after the process starts executing.
   Thanks.

Isn't this the proper behavior.  If the server key isn't generated the
daemon
isn't actually started.

James A. Morrison