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Date:      Wed, 21 Apr 1999 13:43:28 +091800
From:      Greg Lehey <grog@lemis.com>
To:        gc <gc@virtual-pc.com>
Cc:        FreeBSD Questions <questions@FreeBSD.org>
Subject:   Re: Sniffers and Sniffer detection [General UNIX question]
Message-ID:  <19990421134328.M53374@freebie.lemis.com>
In-Reply-To: <371C77B9.7319B632@virtual-pc.com>; from gc on Tue, Apr 20, 1999 at 01:48:57PM %2B0100
References:  <6C37EE640B78D2118D2F00A0C90FCB441A6090@site2s1> <19990420120647.J40482@lemis.com> <371C77B9.7319B632@virtual-pc.com>

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On Tuesday, 20 April 1999 at 13:48:57 +0100, gc wrote:
> Greg Lehey wrote:
>>
>> On Monday, 19 April 1999 at 17:34:25 -0400, Christopher Michaels wrote:
>>>> On Sunday, April 18, 1999 4:41 AM, Greg Lehey <grog@lemis.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>       <snip>
>>>
>>>>> 2.  Is it possible to install a sniffer, in a user account (with no root
>>>>> access), and sniff the network and watch for passwords?
>>>>
>>>> FreeBSD won't allow you to set promiscuous mode unless you're root.
>>>>
>>>       <snip>
>>>
>>>       This brought up a couple questions in my mind...
>>>
>>>       1. If the interface is already in promiscuous mode (I realize the
>>> implication of this), is it possible for a regular user to use a sniffer
>>> program?
>>
>> No, they still need to be root.  The sniffer program sets promiscuous
>> mode, it's not a separate step.
>>
>>>       2. How do you take the interface out of promiscuous mode once it's
>>> in it?
>>
>> Close the last bpf device.  In other words, stop the sniffer(s).
>
> Is it possible for a user or root to install sniffers if bpf support is
> not compiled into the kernel, without changing the kernel? 

Currently, no.

> (I'm thinking that if root had been compromised, would the naughty
> guy be able to set promiscuous mode without kernel recompilation?)

Theoretically with a kld version of bpf, but none exists at the
moment.  Of course, a sufficiently talented cracker might make a bpf
kld (and call it something non-obvious), which would allow him to do
that.

Greg
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