Microsoft invents SOAP

From: Hardcastle, Kevin (Hardcaskat_private)
Date: Thu Oct 28 1999 - 06:39:55 PDT

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    I will start with a link to published propaganda.
    
    http://msdn.microsoft.com/xml/general/SOAP_White_Paper.asp
    
    Microsoft has replace DCOM with SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) for
    e-commerce development.  DCOM had many shortcomings when trying to
    communicate through firewalls, they never really understood how NAT worked.
    This tool set allows DCOM objects to basically be encapsulated inside http.
    Their suggestion is to open a port 80 proxy from your webserver(s) to your
    application server(s) on the inside.
    
    InternetWeek claims this is potentially dangerous and serious security flaw.
    Though doesn't elaborate on the details.
    
    I pose this question to the group, what are the potential dangers of
    tunneling DCOM objects or in essence an application through a well known
    port (http).  I am assuming an application proxy based  firewall with a
    standard inbound port 80 wrapper.  Locked down from the IP of web server to
    the IP of application server.  The application server must be aware of the
    payload and be able to strip it out of the http tunnel and execute it.
    
    Thanks for your input.
    
    Kevin Hardcastle
    Information Security Group
    Alliance Blue Cross Blue Shield
    



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