Re: [cobalt-users] secure cert & netscape

[Jeff Lasman <jblists@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

jonothon ortiz wrote:

> Jeff, the issue isn't that we are telling you to tell the customer to
> switch. The issue is that the customer is using something that:
> 
> a. can't handle SSL properly

My copy of Netscape 4.72 has always handled SSL properly.  Until this
weekend.  Including Cobalt RaQ3s using SSL for administration.  The
issue may or may not be a RaQ4/SSl issue.  What's sad from my point of
view is that no one seems to be interested in finding out, everyone is
willing to say "just use something else".  That's the Microsoft
mentality if I ever saw it.  At least from my point of view <frown>.

> b. won't be upgraded to properly handle SSL properly

In whose opinion?  Certainly my running copy of 4.72 didn't just
"break".  And looking at relevant RFCs, SSL hasn't changed in the last
week either.

> c. doesn't even have proper 128 bit encryption

I think you're completely misunderstanding the alert.  Encryption and
authentication are extremely different issues.  Since I don't think
anyone's going to set up a system to look like this one to spoof it
(don't forget it would have to have copies of all the sites, etc.) just
to find out the admin password of the real machine, authentication isn't
the issue.  In fact, in order to spoof the machine successfully, I'd
suppose the person would already have to have the admin password <wry
grin>.

> it's the equivalent of a man weilding a stone club trying to knock open a
> steel door - just wont happen.

If you're saying that Netscape will never AGAIN (because it always did
in the past), then the problem is definitely with Sun/Cobalt; my browser
has NOT changed, and still seems to handle SSL encrypted pages from
other sites.

> however, if SOMEWAY POSSIBLE does arise *I* would like to know!

I'm telling you <smile>.

Jeff
-- 
Jeff Lasman <jblists@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Linux and Cobalt/Sun/RaQ Consulting
nobaloney.net
P. O. Box 52672, Riverside, CA  92517
voice: (909) 787-8589  *  fax: (909) 782-0205