Re: Ffingerd privacy issues

From: Eilon Gishri (eilonat_private)
Date: Fri Apr 23 1999 - 12:00:08 PDT

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    On Fri, Apr 23, 1999 at 07:43:33PM +0200, Felix von Leitner wrote:
    > Thus spake Eilon Gishri (eilonat_private):
    > >   I found a couple of bugs in ffingerd 1.19 which are related to
    > > privacy.
    >
    > OK.  I would be happy if you email me (the author) first before
    > publishing this on bugtraq.  Next time, maybe.
    
    I've e-mailed you and Cc-ed BugTraq. As my email includes a fix (A
    very complicated one I must say :)) I also notified the list. I'm
    not sure I would have done the same if I couldn't fix it myself.
    
    > [ffingerd assumes the user wants to be fingered if his home does not
    > give public execute access]
    
    Huh, It's opened if it's closed ?
    
    > This is documented in ffingerd.  If you want ffingerd to look into
    > protected homes, run it as root.
    
    I want the machine itself to be protected and not only the users home
    directory. I consider it a feature when I don't have to run fingerd
    as root. Please don't consider it as a flame, I do like this utility
    and am using it.
    
    > > -----
    > > (aristo)/cc/eilon>finger rootat_private
    > > [host.domain]
    > > That user does not want to be fingered
    > > -----
    >
    > > Hmmm, now for an unknown user.
    >
    > > -----
    > > (aristo)/cc/eilon>finger root1at_private
    > > [host.domain]
    > > That user does not want to be fingered.
    > > -----
    >
    > > Oops. Notice the dot ('.') at the end of the sentence. A very simple
    > > and efficient way to find whether the user exists on the remote host
    > > or not (taking into account the fact that ffingerd has been installed
    > > on the remote host).
    >
    > This has been pointed out to me yesterday.  I fixed it today (before I
    > saw this message, by the way), and announced version 1.20 on Freshmeat
    > pointing out this fixed problem.  Did you see my announcement and then
    > posted to bugtraq?
    
    Nope. I was playing with it on a machine which I would like to see all
    fingers which are done to it without giving away any "free" information
    
    > This is debatable.
    > If a user wants privacy, he should remove the world readable permission,
    > not the world executable permission.
    
    I disagree.
    
    > I will not add this right now but think it over.  If anyone wants to
    > comment on the way to go here, feel free to email me.  I would prefer
    > discussion this in private email than on bugtraq, but if you must, I
    > will also read bugtraq comments.
    
    
    
    --
    Eilon Gishri					eilonat_private
    Security Consultant				Office: +972-3-6406723
    Israel Inter University Computation Center	Fax:	+972-3-6409118
      /* On a matter of national security */	Home:	+972-3-5078671
    



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