Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1998 18:09:56 -0500 From: Karl Denninger <karl@denninger.net> To: andrew@squiz.co.nz, Studded <Studded@dal.net> Cc: Michael Richards <026809r@dragon.acadiau.ca>, security@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: terminal escape exploit (was Re: cat exploit) Message-ID: <19980910180956.A2858@mcs.net> In-Reply-To: <Pine.BSF.3.96.980911091351.5407B-100000@aniwa.sky>; from Andrew McNaughton on Fri, Sep 11, 1998 at 09:19:42AM %2B1200 References: <35F818CA.8647A116@dal.net> <Pine.BSF.3.96.980911091351.5407B-100000@aniwa.sky>
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On Fri, Sep 11, 1998 at 09:19:42AM +1200, Andrew McNaughton wrote: > On Thu, 10 Sep 1998, Studded wrote: > > > It seems to me that a lot of people missed the point of one of the > > warnings that someone else posted in response actually. Don't use cat > > routinely to view files. Use more, or better yet less since less doesn't > > view binary files by default. > > It's not just cat that you've got to worry about. tail is another one. > How many people routinely use 'tail -f' to monitor log info that includes > potentially tainted content. > > The problem is not cat. It's xterm and other similar terminal programs. > > Andrew The problem is TERMINALS. You can't bitch that an EMULATOR does exactly what it is claimed to do - emulate the REAL DEVICE. This "exploit" is so old its crusty; it is quite possible to do this on a VT-52 (yes, a real Vt-52, you know those terminals that weighed about 100 lbs, had a dinky little screen, were made by DEC and haven't been seen in some 15 years? Yes, those.) -- -- Karl Denninger (karl@denninger.net) Voice: 312-803-6271 x219 To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-security" in the body of the message
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