Re: Is there user Anna at your host ?

From: ET LoWNOISE (etat_private)
Date: Wed Sep 12 2001 - 12:02:07 PDT

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    [LoWNOISE]
    
    The same behavior can be used to know if a file exists or not.
    On some web servers like apache. If a file exist the common response is a
    [200 OK] or [405 Method Not Allowed] that will help you evade some NIDS,
    For example while testing for common cgis on the target machine.
    
    ET 
    
    
    On Wed, 12 Sep 2001, Alexander A. Kelner wrote:
    
    > 
    > Hi people !
    > 
    > Look here :-)
    > 
    > You have UNIX server www.yourserver.com
    > You have dozen of usual users at your UNIX server.
    > You have Apache HTTP daemon configured for standard user's
    > homepage location at /home/<username>/public_html.
    > 
    > When someone from the Internet tries to see URL like
    > 
    > http://www.yourserver.com/~anna
    > 
    > he gets one of:
    > 
    > 1. HTTP result code 200, and Anna's homepage,
    >    when user "anna" exists at your UNIX, and she has her homepage.
    > 
    > 2. HTTP result code 403, and message from Apache:
    >    "You don't have permission to access /~anna on this server.",
    >    when user "anna" exists at your UNIX, and she has no homepage
    >    or access to her homepage is denied.
    > 
    > 3. HTTP result code 404, and message from Apache:
    >    "The requested URL /~anna was not found on this server."
    >    when user anna doesn't exist at your UNIX.
    > 
    > So, he can easy discover if user "anna" exists at your UNIX,
    > and try to play with her password, or send her spam etc.
    > 
    > This approach allows him get nesessary info instead of disabled
    > VRFY feature in your Sendmail !
    > 
    > Apache works quickly and IMHO doesnt provide any responce delays
    > for any kind of result code. So bad boy can check 1000 different
    > names for very short time !
    > 
    > Sorry if I'm wrong, or this is something trivial.
    > 
    > A. Kelner
    > 
    > 
    



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