Re: creating backups in temporary directories

[Davis Herring]

>> Because making a "backup" for a file in a place that is regularly
>> cleaned out is creating an illusion of security.
>
> Worse yet: creating backup files in /tmp would be a security hole:
> some other user seeing you're currently editing /tmp/foo could create
> a symlink /tmp/foo~ to some interesting place and then when you save your
> file the backup could be placed at that interesting place chosen by
> the attacker.

That could be avoided by unconditionally backing up by renaming in that
case, I suppose.

Davis

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