RE: PGP 7.04 Patch Modifies the Password Cache Setting

From: Cohen, Steve (Steve.Cohenat_private)
Date: Thu Jul 25 2002 - 15:26:55 PDT

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    Roni,
    
    Thanks for your reply.
    
    One of the problems is that Version 7.1 does have exactly the same problem!
    
    I just tested it, and from what I can tell, the same problem exists here,
    too.
    
    I just purchased Version 7.1 this past April.
    
    My only option still seems to be to set the cache to never cache.
    
    
    
    Steve
    
    	-----Original Message-----
    	From:	Roni_Katzat_private [SMTP:Roni_Katzat_private]
    	Sent:	Thursday, July 25, 2002 4:15 PM
    	To:	Cohen, Steve; bugtraqat_private
    	Subject:	RE: PGP 7.04 Patch Modifies the Password Cache
    Setting
    
    	Steve,
    	
    	Sorry but I couldn't get you point of view
    
    	Why don't you simply make a upgrade? The version 7.1.1 does not have
    this problem.
    
    	Regards,
    	 
    	Roni Katz
    	Mcafee Systems Engineer
    	Network Associates do Brasil - www.nai.com
    	Fone: 55 11 5503-0124
    	FAX : 55 11 5503-0131
    	Fingerprint: D405 12F3 8917 63C2 A3AC 2D4F 06B8 4A3E 10F7 177C
    	- Your Network, Our Business
    	 
    
    
    
    	-----Original Message-----
    	From: Steve.Cohenat_private [ mailto:Steve.Cohenat_private
    <mailto:Steve.Cohenat_private> ]
    	Sent: Thursday, July 25, 2002 1:34 PM
    	To: bugtraqat_private
    	Subject: PGP 7.04 Patch Modifies the Password Cache Setting
    	
    	
    	
    	
    	I noticed that the new PGP 7.04 Patch, while addressing the security
    issue
    	that required Network Associates to issue the patch, also appears to
    	affect the Passphrase Cache.
    	
    	After applying the patch, I noticed that my passphrase cache, while
    still
    	set to 2:00 minutes, was now functioning as though I had set it to
    "Cache
    	Passphrase While Logged On."
    	
    	In other words, no matter how long it had been since I had last
    entered my
    	passphrase, I could open any PGP e-mail or document without entering
    my
    	passphrase again.
    	
    	Checking the Options screen, I discovered that the Passphrase Cache
    still
    	appeared to be set at 2:00 minutes.
    	
    	Even setting it to 1 Second did not solve the problem; my passphrase
    was
    	still cached for as long as I was logged on.
    	
    	The only way I could find to resolve this problem was to reset the
    option
    	to NEVER cache my passphrase.
    	
    	I brought this to the attention of Network Associates, and they WERE
    able
    	to replicate my findings.
    	
    	However, their position is that since this is an old and not
    currently
    	supported version of PGP, they were not going to fix this problem.
    	
    	According to them, my only option was to upgrade to version 7.1.1,
    which
    	they feel does not have this problem.
    	
    	
    	I feel that this problem is potentially much more important than the
    	problem that required the patch in the first place, since there is a
    much
    	higher likelihood of a security problem if anyone can read any PGP
    e-mail
    	or document on your computer by simply opening it up.
    	
    	I also feel that if Network Associates felt they had to fix their
    initial
    	security problem with this patch, that they should also have to fix
    the
    	security problem that their patch caused.
    	
    	
    



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