From owner-freebsd-hackers  Fri Dec  5 13:16:07 1997
Return-Path: <owner-freebsd-hackers>
Received: (from root@localhost)
          by hub.freebsd.org (8.8.7/8.8.7) id NAA09642
          for hackers-outgoing; Fri, 5 Dec 1997 13:16:07 -0800 (PST)
          (envelope-from owner-freebsd-hackers)
Received: from shell.firehouse.net (brian@shell.firehouse.net [209.42.203.45])
          by hub.freebsd.org (8.8.7/8.8.7) with ESMTP id NAA09588
          for <freebsd-hackers@FreeBSD.ORG>; Fri, 5 Dec 1997 13:15:59 -0800 (PST)
          (envelope-from brian@shell.firehouse.net)
Received: from localhost (brian@localhost)
	by shell.firehouse.net (8.8.5/8.8.5) with SMTP id QAA11519;
	Fri, 5 Dec 1997 16:15:39 -0500 (EST)
Date: Fri, 5 Dec 1997 16:15:38 -0500 (EST)
From: Brian Mitchell <brian@firehouse.net>
To: Jim Bryant <jbryant@unix.tfs.net>
cc: ircadmin@shellnet.co.uk, freebsd-hackers@FreeBSD.ORG
Subject: Re: Telnet Root access
In-Reply-To: <199712052035.OAA00812@unix.tfs.net>
Message-ID: <Pine.BSI.3.95.971205161406.11503A-100000@shell.firehouse.net>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
Sender: owner-freebsd-hackers@FreeBSD.ORG
X-Loop: FreeBSD.org
Precedence: bulk

On Fri, 5 Dec 1997, Jim Bryant wrote:

> ahem...
> 
> why would one wish to have the root password pass over an insecure
> network in plaintext form???
> 
> man su

This is pretty dumb, as the password is _still_ passing over an insecure
network in plaintext form.

> 
> also, for most practical purposes, you should not even be using
> telnet...  i suggest using ssh/sshd, because no passwords, in fact
> nothing in the entire session, is transmitted in plaintext.

Well, some client information is transmitted in plaintext; it does that to
determine what ssh capabilities the other side has.