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Date:      Tue, 13 Feb 2001 12:07:22 -0800
From:      Cy Schubert - ITSD Open Systems Group <Cy.Schubert@uumail.gov.bc.ca>
To:        turbo23 <turbo23@gmx.net>
Cc:        Cy Schubert - ITSD Open Systems Group <Cy.Schubert@uumail.gov.bc.ca>, freebsd-security@FreeBSD.ORG
Subject:   Re: Secure Servers (SMTP, POP3, FTP) 
Message-ID:  <200102132007.f1DK7fZ15502@cwsys.cwsent.com>
In-Reply-To: Your message of "Tue, 13 Feb 2001 18:02:42 %2B0100." <5.0.2.1.2.20010213174457.009f70b0@mail.gmx.net> 

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In message <5.0.2.1.2.20010213174457.009f70b0@mail.gmx.net>, turbo23 
writes:
> 
> > > >I'm not aware of any security issues in FreeBSD's inetd that involve it
> > > >running an external (ie, exec) service.  Care for pointers?
> > > >
> > > >19 June 2000, xinetd had the following bug:
> > > >
> > > >     Certain versions of xinetd have a bug in the access control
> > > >     mechanism. If you use a hostname to control access to a service
> > > >     (localhost instead of 127.0.0.1 ), xinetd will allow any connection
> > > >     from hosts that fail a reverse look-up.
> > > >
> > > >Perhaps you mean inetd's on other systems (like those that don't have
> > > >connection limits, and those that turn services off for 10 minutes
> > > >without configurability on the amount of time turned off)?
> > >
> > > You're right. But we had troubles with some inetd and Linux machines. I
> > > thought this could be a problem with freebsd too. But I was wrong. Anwywa
> y
> > > we are using tcpserver at the moment.
> >
> >You can't make the assumption that just because Linux has a bug that
> >FreeBSD would as well.  In my experience, the quality of code coming
> >out of the FreeBSD project is much better than any Linux distribution
> >I've had to work with.  Take for example the latest Vixie cron bug.
> >Both Linux and FreeBSD use Vixie cron.  FreeBSD's version of Vixie cron
> >has been substantially modified and fixed, while Linux continues to use
> >the original Vixie cron with most of its bugs.
> >
> >Another good example are the various man command security bugs in Linux
> >which are not in FreeBSD.
> >
> >Few bugs discovered on Linux affect FreeBSD.
> 
> 
> Ok that's right. But of course there are examples for the opposite as well. 
> I didn't know the xinetd bug. But I still think that xinetd is a good 
> alternative for inetd. Its has some good features but it isn't necessarily 
> for the Freebsd inetd.

Not as many examples however.

Comparing xinetd to Linux and vendor inetd, I agree, however the 
enhancements made to FreeBSD inetd brings our inetd into the same 
league as xinetd.  I do think that xinetd's configuration file format 
is more cumbersome than inetd's.


Regards,                         Phone:  (250)387-8437
Cy Schubert                        Fax:  (250)387-5766
Team Leader, Sun/Alpha Team   Internet:  Cy.Schubert@osg.gov.bc.ca
Open Systems Group, ITSD, ISTA
Province of BC





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