[comp.dcom.lans] PCNFS Security Problems - Questions...

92disanto@gsb-yen.stanford.edu (05/29/91)

I would like to know about security problems using NFS on a PC.
I'm building an application that needs to download and upload user
files on a UNIX host to and from a personal computer.  At first
I thought that I could rely on NFS to do this for me, but I am finding
out that site administrators seem to think that NFS has too many
security problems to allow its use from a PC.  Can someone summarize
what these problems are?  As I (somewhat) understand it, the standard
NFS protocol allows an entire volume to be mounted, and it has no
way to enforce user-level restrictions on access to files on that volume.
Is this correct?  Is there a way to build an application so that it
could use NFS in a secure fashion without exposing an installation
to security risks?

Send response (or copy of) to "simpsons@leland.stanford.edu".  Thanks.

Jim.