33.8. Security Issues
A brief warning about script security is appropriate.
A shell script may contain a worm,
trojan, or even a virus.
For that reason, never run as root a script (or permit it
to be inserted into the system startup scripts in /etc/rc.d) unless you have obtained
said script from a trusted source or you have carefully analyzed
it to make certain it does nothing harmful.
Various researchers at Bell Labs and other sites, including M.
Douglas McIlroy, Tom Duff, and Fred Cohen have investigated the
implications of shell script viruses. They conclude that it is
all to easy for even a novice, a "script kiddie",
to write one.
Here is yet another reason to learn scripting. Being able to
look at and understand scripts may protect your system from
being hacked or damaged.
