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Linux users can delete folders (including content) that are not shared with them
Dropbox Business Standard with multiple users. Folders that are not shared with a user still show as an empty folder for that user. They can access the folder but not the files - it looks like an emp...
Thank you, I'll have a read through that shortly as it may help.
I have investigated more and in all Linux distros I have checked, an empty directory can be deleted even if the user doesn't have write access. So DropBox is showing the folder but, because the user doesn't have access to the content it is empty. The write attribute is cleared so in theory a user can't do anything with it, and that works in Windows. In Linux a user can delete such an empty directory, even without write access. This deletion then gets synchronised by the Dropbox desktop client and removed from other users who do (or did) have shared access.
I have been on to Dropbox support about it and they have passed it on to somebody else. I can work round the problem now I know about it and what is causing it.
Thanks again for your attention.
asnell wrote:... The write attribute is cleared so in theory a user can't do anything with it, and that works in Windows. ...
Hi asnell,
Not exactly! User cannot change content only. This is the same both for files and for folders. It's another story how much Windows matches to any standards.
asnell wrote:... In Linux a user can delete such an empty directory, even without write access. ...
Yes, and that's correct behavior. Permission to change/delete a folder (not its content) are described by access that's set to the containing folder. The target folder is a content of its parent folder.
asnell wrote:... This deletion then gets synchronised by the Dropbox desktop client and removed from other users who do (or did) have shared access.
...
And this is a real security issue!!! That means user can make some changes even when appropriate permission is missing! Bad thing...
