From owner-freebsd-security Thu Sep 10 16:10:18 1998 Return-Path: Received: (from majordom@localhost) by hub.freebsd.org (8.8.8/8.8.8) id QAA21915 for freebsd-security-outgoing; Thu, 10 Sep 1998 16:10:18 -0700 (PDT) (envelope-from owner-freebsd-security@FreeBSD.ORG) Received: from Kitten.mcs.com (Kitten.mcs.com [192.160.127.90]) by hub.freebsd.org (8.8.8/8.8.8) with ESMTP id QAA21895 for ; Thu, 10 Sep 1998 16:10:10 -0700 (PDT) (envelope-from karl@Mars.mcs.net) Received: from Mars.mcs.net (karl@Mars.mcs.net [192.160.127.85]) by Kitten.mcs.com (8.8.7/8.8.2) with ESMTP id SAA03462; Thu, 10 Sep 1998 18:09:57 -0500 (CDT) Received: (from karl@localhost) by Mars.mcs.net (8.8.7/8.8.2) id SAA02966; Thu, 10 Sep 1998 18:09:57 -0500 (CDT) Message-ID: <19980910180956.A2858@mcs.net> Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1998 18:09:56 -0500 From: Karl Denninger To: andrew@squiz.co.nz, Studded Cc: Michael Richards <026809r@dragon.acadiau.ca>, security@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: terminal escape exploit (was Re: cat exploit) References: <35F818CA.8647A116@dal.net> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii X-Mailer: Mutt 0.93.2i In-Reply-To: ; from Andrew McNaughton on Fri, Sep 11, 1998 at 09:19:42AM +1200 Organization: Karl's Sushi and Packet Smashers Sender: owner-freebsd-security@FreeBSD.ORG Precedence: bulk X-Loop: FreeBSD.org 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