"Warning - SUID file...will not be repaired"

[MotorcycleBetty]

Hello,

I've been meaning to ask this for some time. When I repair my disk permissions I get the following warning:

"Warning - SUID file 'System/Library/CoreServices/RemoteManagement/ARDAgent.app/Contents/MacOS/ARDAgent' has been modified and will not be repaired"​

What does it mean? Why isn't it being repaired? Do I need to worry about it?

 

[JediMeister]

Apple has an article.

 

[MotorcycleBetty]

OK, so no cause for concern. Thanks JediMeister.

Being the curious person I am, if anybody can tell me what it means and why it isn't being repaired (so maybe I can track it down & fix it myself), I'd be interested to know...

 

[wrldwzrd89]

There isn't anything you need to fix, actually. That message simply means that the file in question has the SUID (set user ID) bit set, AND it's been changed since ... (I'm not sure exactly what, but it's definitely not the last time permissions were repaired; perhaps the last install using Installer?) The SUID bit is a powerful thing. When turned on, it causes the file (or application) to behave like it was being used with the privileges of its owner (which is usually root - the UNIX superuser). This functionality is sometimes needed in UNIX land for applications to do things they normally wouldn't have permission to do.

 

[MotorcycleBetty]

wrldwzrd89, thanks for the additional info.

 

[crismaks]

a gift from Uncle Sam?

There isn't anything you need to fix, actually. That message simply means that the file in question has the SUID (set user ID) bit set, AND it's been changed since ... (I'm not sure exactly what, but it's definitely not the last time permissions were repaired; perhaps the last install using Installer?) The SUID bit is a powerful thing. When turned on, it causes the file (or application) to behave like it was being used with the privileges of its owner (which is usually root - the UNIX superuser). This functionality is sometimes needed in UNIX land for applications to do things they normally wouldn't have permission to do.

maybe this has something to do with the NSA surveillance software Kaspersky warned us about. http://www.cnet.com/news/nsa-planted-surveillance-software-on-hard-drives-report/#!