NIS May Update the Group Files with an Invalid UNIX User (299367)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows Services for UNIX 2.0
This article was previously published under Q299367

SYMPTOMS

Network Information Service (NIS) servers may not authenticate UNIX users with their group permissions.

CAUSE

When a UNIX user is added to a UNIX group by using Active Directory, the NIS server updates the group.byname and group.byuid files in its MapCache folder to be the same. These files are used for group authentication. When NIS updates these files, it uses the user's CN name rather than the MsSFUName attribute. This can result in an invalid user ID being added to the group files if these are different.

For example, a user with a CN name of "First Last" and a logon name of "firstlas" would have the invalid "First Last" name added to the group files.

RESOLUTION

A supported hotfix is now available from Microsoft, but it is only intended to correct the problem that this article describes. Apply it only to systems that are experiencing this specific problem.

To resolve this problem, contact Microsoft Product Support Services to obtain the hotfix. For a complete list of Microsoft Product Support Services telephone numbers and information about support costs, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://support.microsoft.com/contactus/?ws=support

Note In special cases, charges that are ordinarily incurred for support calls may be canceled if a Microsoft Support Professional determines that a specific update will resolve your problem. The usual support costs will apply to additional support questions and issues that do not qualify for the specific update in question.

The English version of this fix should have the following file attributes or later:
   Date         Time   Version        Size      File name    Platform
   ------------------------------------------------------------------
   23-May-2001  14:25  5.2000.328.19  1,566 KB  Nis2ad.exe   ix86
   23-May-2001  14:25  5.2000.328.19  1,606 KB  Nisctrl.dll  ix86
   23-May-2001  14:25  5.2000.328.19  1,566 KB  Nismap.exe   ix86
   23-May-2001  14:00  5.2000.328.19     80 KB  Nisprop.dll  ix86
   23-May-2001  14:19  5.2000.328.19    127 KB  Nissvc.exe   ix86

WORKAROUND

To work around this issue, change the user's object name to match the user ID; this will put the correct name in the group files.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article.
Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:10/19/2005
Keywords:kbenv kbprb kbQFE KB299367
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