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Date:      Wed, 26 Jun 2002 10:43:47 -0600
From:      Brett Glass <brett@lariat.org>
To:        Benjamin Krueger <benjamin@seattleFenix.net>
Cc:        Mike Tancsa <mike@sentex.net>, Darren Reed <avalon@coombs.anu.edu.au>, freebsd-security@FreeBSD.ORG
Subject:   Re: The "race" that Theo sought to avoid has begun (Was: OpenSSH Advisory)
Message-ID:  <4.3.2.7.2.20020626103956.02291aa0@localhost>
In-Reply-To: <20020626093538.B8071@mail.seattleFenix.net>
References:  <4.3.2.7.2.20020626101626.02274c80@localhost> <200206261452.AAA26617@caligula.anu.edu.au> <5.1.0.14.0.20020626103651.048ec778@marble.sentex.ca> <5.1.0.14.0.20020626110043.0522ded8@marble.sentex.ca> <4.3.2.7.2.20020626101626.02274c80@localhost>

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At 10:35 AM 6/26/2002, Benjamin Krueger wrote:

>  Minimized harm? The great majority of systems are (were) not vulnerable. 

Not true at all. OpenBSD, NetBSD, and most recent Linux distributions were
and are vulnerable.

>As for the start of the race? It started the minute Theo's notice hit bugtraq.

No, it didn't. The skript kiddies didn't know where the bug was.

>  Had he said "Use PrivSep or disable ChallengeResponseAuthentication" anyone
>who *was* vulnerable could have been secured in about 24 seconds. 

He DID say to use PrivSep. He did not say to disable 
ChallengeResponseAuthentication for a reason: it would have clued the kiddies
into the location of the bug.

>Somehow, I
>don't think that the script kiddies could can find the vulnerability from
>such minimal information, 

Mentioning ChallengeResponseAuthentication would have been a big hint.

>  I won't even start on how much industry time (and thus, money) was wasted
>while administrators upgraded (many needlessly) their servers. 

Most needed to upgrade. FreeBSD's releases appear to have dodged the bullet 
by sheer luck.

--Brett


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