[connect.audit] GENERAL WARNING

demon@ibmpcug.co.uk (Cliff Stanford) (09/27/90)

cedman@lynx.ps.uci.edu (Carl Edman) writes:
> Now, really: It is very easy to change particularily a programm like
> a shell to f.e. put the name of a non-backtraceable account into the
> .rhosts file and then send mail to it to inform the hacker that
> he has just gotten a new account. Maybe even a su account ?

	You mean that if that were included in the source to a
large program (ELM, for instance) you'd notice it was there
before compiling it?  I doubt I would.
	Regards,
		Cliff.
-- 
Automatic Disclaimer:
The views expressed above are those of the author alone and may not
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-- 
Cliff Stanford                                cms@demon.co.uk
Demon Systems Limited                         demon@ibmpcug.co.uk
42 Hendon Lane                                demon@cix.co.uk
London N3 1TT - England                       +44 81 349 0063

scs@lokkur.dexter.mi.us (Steve Simmons) (09/28/90)

cedman@lynx.ps.uci.edu (Carl Edman) writes:
> Now, really: It is very easy to change particularily a program like
> a shell to f.e. put the name of a non-backtraceable account into the
> .rhosts file and then send mail to it to inform the hacker that
> he has just gotten a new account. Maybe even a su account ?

demon@ibmpcug.co.uk (Cliff Stanford) replies:
>	You mean that if that were included in the source to a
>large program (ELM, for instance) you'd notice it was there
>before compiling it?  I doubt I would.

I wouldn't either, but to a great degree I'm depending on the collective
benefit of the net.  Were there a trapdoor buried in elm or some other
commonly used code from the net, there's a good chance that *somebody*
will notice it fast.  And woe to the person who got caught doing it!

Of course, this is another reason I'm more likely to blindly compile
stuff from comp.sources.{misc,unix} than alt.sources.