Re: [cobalt-users] procmail and other GPL source...

["Steve Werby" <steve-lists@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

<baltimoremd@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Sounds real nice....and I'd be willing to buy the logic if I hadn't heard
> from a reliable source that there is at least one person who is not and
> employee of Sun/Cobalt who has access to the back door.

A backdoor may exist, then again it may not.  I've been active on the cobalt
lists since mid-1999 and I have a pretty strong RaQ/Linux admin skills (more
by need than by choice) and can say I'm not certain there is a remote-access
Cobalt-developed back door...and if there is I'm not certain non-Cobalt
employees are aware and able to utilize it.  I challenge anyone on list to
find proof of anyone claiming *first-hand* knowledge of such a back door.  I
can search list archives and search engines better than just about anyone
out there (Dan K are you up for a challenge? <grin>) and I can find nothing
conclusive.  Sure there have been vulnerabilities over the years that can be
exploited to gain shell access and there have been systems that admins have
modified or done less_than_wise things to which make them more vulnerable,
but I don't know of a remote-access Cobalt-developed back door.  I don't
claim to be omnipotent and I have been wrong so I'd love for someone to
present first-hand (or even second-hand) irrefutable evidence that there is
in fact a Cobalt-developed back door.  I do know that someone who was
formerly very active on-list used to claim that he could gain root access
and I think Thom is referring to the same person.  What's getting lost in
the history records is that this person required an account on the RaQ,
access to the GUI for that user and telnet access for that user (in 5
minutes or less).  That's a little different than a universally-available
back door available to anyone who knows the secrets involved.  And I'm
supposed to be speaking on the phone with that person Thursday or Friday so
I'll pick his brain and report back to the list whether this person has
access to a back door...or knows of one...or knows someone who's best
friend's sister's boyfriend's yada yada who saw Ferris Bueller pass out at
31 Flavors (ok, I had to wax nostalgic).

> Given that, I don't have any warm and comfy feelings about the back door.

I may eat my words tomorrow and I won't be upset if a Jeff/Lyle/Taco chimes
in and puts me in my place, but until then I am quite comfortable
classifying this as FUD.  In closing I leave you with an interesting, though
only mildly relevant quote by George Bernard Shaw.

"Build a system that even a fool can use, and only a fool will want to use
it."

--
Steve Werby
President, Befriend Internet Services LLC
http://www.befriend.com/