Re: [cobalt-users] security

["Rick Ewart" <cobalt@xxxxxxxxx>]

> } Correct my thinking here but if you are hosting a raq in a colo or
dedicated
> } facility, and you telnet in with admin account, anyone with another
machine
> } can run a sniffer, see your admin password, use it to get to root, and
crack
> } your machine.
> } SSH only.
>
> You are right. Unless the network is segmented by a switch
> anyone with root access on any of the machines on that network can
> sniff all the packets on that network - including your packets.

Actually, I was just reading an article entitled "why your switched network
isn't safe from sniffers". Essentially, they have ways to defeat switches
partitioning the network. One of the ways I recall right now was to flood
the switch with more than 255 fake MAC addresses, causing the switch to fail
open and revert to acting like a hub, then sniffing. Or screwing with the
broadcasting of MAC addresses to the swtich and confusing it and/or having
double ones. The days of switched protection are gone. I can find the
article again if you are interested... Mail me off-list.

Rick Ewart