Re: more info on a hopefully unsuccessful compromise

From: Etaoin Shrdlu (shrdluat_private)
Date: Sun Jul 13 2003 - 11:04:28 PDT

  • Next message: Charles Hamby: "ZBG Server"

    LiNERROR wrote:
    > 
    > upon running an audit on one of my networks Retina 4.90 discovered two
    > systems, running windows 2000 pro, with sp3 and all updates with what
    > appeared to be multiple administrator accounts.
    
    No. This is what happens when users assume the task of auditing, rather
    than leaving it to the professionals. I suspect that you read NONE of the
    very helpful replies to your previous post, as well. To make absolutely
    sure that you understand, I will address each of the logs (these are NOT
    phantom accounts, btw, it's the Administrator account, and it belongs).
    
    > snip ---
    > Accounts: User: Administrator Pass: rotartsinimdA - Account password
    > reverse of account
    
    Here is Retina trying the word administrator backwards. Since the account
    has NO PASSWORD, it succeeds, and incorrectly logs the password as valid.
    
    > Accounts: User: Administrator Pass: Administrator - Account password same
    > as account
    
    Here is Retina trying the word administrator forwards. Since the account
    has NO PASSWORD, it succeeds, and incorrectly logs the password as valid.
    
    > Accounts: User: Administrator Pass: - Account with no password
    > snip ---
    
    Here's the log entry that is meaningful. You have an ADMINISTRATOR account
    with no password. What were you thinking? Put a good password on the
    administrator account, and be done with it. I'd suggest that a little
    reading from the Microsoft site, or from any book not containing the title
    words "21 days" or "dummies" would be of great benefit to you. I'd also
    suggest that a part time administrator to assist you with your machines
    would be helpful.
    
    > However the system shows no evidence of these accounts in the user
    > manager...  but the accounts are there.
    
    No, no, no. The Administrator account is supposed to be there. If some
    moron renamed it, the above stuff with Retina will still work. Look at the
    users, under the manage menu. If there is no Administrator account, then
    check by the properties menu to see what group(s) the accounts are members
    of. The administrator account is traditionally a member of only the
    Administrators group (kind of reminds you of setprv on VMS, hmmmmmm), but
    that's all it needs. Check EACH account. There may be more than one account
    with administrator privileges. If so, then you need to check the (sorry, I
    don't remember the wintel equivalent offhand of UID) specific identifier to
    see which was created first. The oldest is the real Administrator. Rename
    it back to Administrator, and give it a damned password.
    
    --
    I cannot help fearing that men may reach a point where they look on
    every new theory as a danger, every innovation as a toilsome trouble,
    every social advance as a first step toward revolution, and that they
    may absolutely refuse to move at all.   (Alexis de Toqueville)
    
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