diff -ru in.talkd/process.c in.talkd.new/process.c
--- in.talkd/process.c	2006-11-18 00:01:36.000000000 +0100
+++ in.talkd.new/process.c	2006-11-27 22:37:42.064504000 +0100
@@ -185,6 +185,8 @@
 	struct utmpx *ubuf;
 	int tfd;
 	char dev[MAXPATHLEN];
+	struct stat stbuf;
+	int problem = NOT_HERE;
 
 	setutxent();		/* reset the utmpx file */
 
@@ -207,15 +209,23 @@
 				closelog();
 				continue;
 			}
-			(void) close(tfd);
 			if (*tty == '\0') {
 				/*
 				 * No particular tty was requested.
 				 */
+				if (fstat(tfd, &stbuf) < 0 ||
+				    (stbuf.st_mode&020) == 0) {
+					(void) close(tfd);
+					problem = PERMISSION_DENIED;
+					continue;
+				}
+				(void) close(tfd);
 				(void) strlcpy(tty, ubuf->ut_line, TTY_SIZE);
 				endutxent();	/* close the utmpx file */
 				return (SUCCESS);
-			} else if (strcmp(ubuf->ut_line, tty) == 0) {
+			}
+			(void) close(tfd);
+			if (strcmp(ubuf->ut_line, tty) == 0) {
 				endutxent();	/* close the utmpx file */
 				return (SUCCESS);
 			}
@@ -223,5 +233,5 @@
 	}
 
 	endutxent();		/* close the utmpx file */
-	return (NOT_HERE);
+	return (problem);
 }