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[Bug 2126689] [NEW] Rust coreutils sleep does not allow exec to replace argv[0]

To: canonical-ubuntu-qa@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
From: Athos Ribeiro <2126689@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 02 Oct 2025 20:03:50 -0000
Reply-to: Bug 2126689 <2126689@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sender: noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Public bug reported:

The bash exec builtin allows a '-a' option to override the value of a
program's argv[0]:

  -a name     pass NAME as the zeroth argument to COMMAND

The "sleep" gnu coreutils binary allows such replacement. However, the
uutils sleep binary does not.

In questing, with gnu coreutils:

$ bash -c 'exec -a background_test sleep 2'
$ echo $?
0

Now, with uutils:
# bash -c 'exec -a background_test sleep 2'
Security violation: Requested utility `background_test` does not match executable name:
  /usr/lib/cargo/bin/coreutils/sleep
# echo $?
1

This issue currently makes the autopkgtest (package) DEP8 tests fail in
with:

5464s 14:52:49 O: autopkgtest [14:09:36]: test bg: - - - - - - - - - - stderr - - - - - - - - - -
5464s 14:52:49 O: Security violation: Requested utility `bg_daemon` does not match executable name:
5464s 14:52:49 O: /usr/lib/cargo/bin/coreutils/sleep
5464s 14:52:49 O: autopkgtest: DBG: sending command to testbed: copyup /tmp/autopkgtest-lxc.a1qx79y_/downtmp/bg-artifacts/ /tmp/autopkgtest.output.w6bkn95m/artifacts/
5464s 14:52:49 O: autopkgtest: DBG: got reply from testbed: ok
5464s 14:52:49 O: autopkgtest: DBG: testbed command ['rm', '-rf', '/tmp/autopkgtest-lxc.a1qx79y_/downtmp/bg-artifacts', '/tmp/autopkgtest-lxc.a1qx79y_/downtmp/autopkgtest_tmp'], kind short, sout raw, serr pipe, env []
5464s 14:52:49 O: autopkgtest: DBG: testbed command exited with code 0
5464s 14:52:49 O: autopkgtest: DBG: needs_reset, previously=False, requested by run_tests() line 231
5464s 14:52:49 O: autopkgtest [14:09:36]: @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ summary
5464s 14:52:49 O: bg FAIL stderr: Security violation: Requested utility `bg_daemon` does not match executable name:
5464s 14:52:49 O: autopkgtest: DBG: testbed stop
5464s 14:52:49 O: autopkgtest: DBG: testbed close, scratch=/tmp/autopkgtest-lxc.a1qx79y_/downtmp
5464s 14:52:49 O: autopkgtest: DBG: sending command to testbed: close
5464s 14:52:49 O: autopkgtest: DBG: got reply from testbed: ok
5464s 14:52:49 O: autopkgtest: DBG: sending command to testbed: quit
5464s 14:52:49 O:
5464s 14:52:49 O:
5464s 14:52:49 O: ----------------------------------------------------------------------
5464s 14:52:49 O: Ran 97 tests in 3637.768s
5464s 14:52:49 O:
5464s 14:52:49 O: FAILED (failures=1, skipped=2, expected failures=2)
5464s 14:52:49 I: Finished with exitcode 1

** Affects: autopkgtest (Ubuntu)
     Importance: Undecided
         Status: New

** Affects: rust-coreutils (Ubuntu)
     Importance: Undecided
         Status: New

** Affects: autopkgtest (Ubuntu Noble)
     Importance: Undecided
         Status: New

** Affects: autopkgtest (Ubuntu Plucky)
     Importance: Undecided
         Status: New


** Tags: update-excuse

** Also affects: rust-coreutils (Ubuntu)
   Importance: Undecided
       Status: New

** Also affects: autopkgtest (Ubuntu Plucky)
   Importance: Undecided
       Status: New

** Also affects: rust-coreutils (Ubuntu Plucky)
   Importance: Undecided
       Status: New

** Also affects: autopkgtest (Ubuntu Noble)
   Importance: Undecided
       Status: New

** Also affects: rust-coreutils (Ubuntu Noble)
   Importance: Undecided
       Status: New

** No longer affects: rust-coreutils (Ubuntu Plucky)

** No longer affects: rust-coreutils (Ubuntu Noble)

** Tags added: update-excuse

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/2126689

Title:
  Rust coreutils sleep does not allow exec to replace argv[0]

Status in autopkgtest package in Ubuntu:
  New
Status in rust-coreutils package in Ubuntu:
  New
Status in autopkgtest source package in Noble:
  New
Status in autopkgtest source package in Plucky:
  New

Bug description:
  The bash exec builtin allows a '-a' option to override the value of a
  program's argv[0]:

    -a name     pass NAME as the zeroth argument to COMMAND

  The "sleep" gnu coreutils binary allows such replacement. However, the
  uutils sleep binary does not.

  In questing, with gnu coreutils:

  $ bash -c 'exec -a background_test sleep 2'
  $ echo $?
  0

  Now, with uutils:
  # bash -c 'exec -a background_test sleep 2'
  Security violation: Requested utility `background_test` does not match executable name:
    /usr/lib/cargo/bin/coreutils/sleep
  # echo $?
  1

  This issue currently makes the autopkgtest (package) DEP8 tests fail
  in with:

  5464s 14:52:49 O: autopkgtest [14:09:36]: test bg: - - - - - - - - - - stderr - - - - - - - - - -
  5464s 14:52:49 O: Security violation: Requested utility `bg_daemon` does not match executable name:
  5464s 14:52:49 O: /usr/lib/cargo/bin/coreutils/sleep
  5464s 14:52:49 O: autopkgtest: DBG: sending command to testbed: copyup /tmp/autopkgtest-lxc.a1qx79y_/downtmp/bg-artifacts/ /tmp/autopkgtest.output.w6bkn95m/artifacts/
  5464s 14:52:49 O: autopkgtest: DBG: got reply from testbed: ok
  5464s 14:52:49 O: autopkgtest: DBG: testbed command ['rm', '-rf', '/tmp/autopkgtest-lxc.a1qx79y_/downtmp/bg-artifacts', '/tmp/autopkgtest-lxc.a1qx79y_/downtmp/autopkgtest_tmp'], kind short, sout raw, serr pipe, env []
  5464s 14:52:49 O: autopkgtest: DBG: testbed command exited with code 0
  5464s 14:52:49 O: autopkgtest: DBG: needs_reset, previously=False, requested by run_tests() line 231
  5464s 14:52:49 O: autopkgtest [14:09:36]: @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ summary
  5464s 14:52:49 O: bg FAIL stderr: Security violation: Requested utility `bg_daemon` does not match executable name:
  5464s 14:52:49 O: autopkgtest: DBG: testbed stop
  5464s 14:52:49 O: autopkgtest: DBG: testbed close, scratch=/tmp/autopkgtest-lxc.a1qx79y_/downtmp
  5464s 14:52:49 O: autopkgtest: DBG: sending command to testbed: close
  5464s 14:52:49 O: autopkgtest: DBG: got reply from testbed: ok
  5464s 14:52:49 O: autopkgtest: DBG: sending command to testbed: quit
  5464s 14:52:49 O:
  5464s 14:52:49 O:
  5464s 14:52:49 O: ----------------------------------------------------------------------
  5464s 14:52:49 O: Ran 97 tests in 3637.768s
  5464s 14:52:49 O:
  5464s 14:52:49 O: FAILED (failures=1, skipped=2, expected failures=2)
  5464s 14:52:49 I: Finished with exitcode 1

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Follow ups

[Bug 2126689] Re: Rust coreutils sleep does not allow exec to replace argv[0]
From: Paride Legovini, 2025-10-03
[Bug 2126689] Re: Rust coreutils sleep does not allow exec to replace argv[0]
From: Launchpad Bug Tracker, 2025-10-02