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Article #640

Re: Traceability and Invasion of Privacy

#640
From: Joe We are Borg Foster
Date: Sat, 29 Nov 1997 00:00
92 lines
4692 bytes
Information Security <The@NSA.sucks> writes:

> In news.admin.net-abuse.usenet none <none@nonexx.net> wrote:
> : On 28 Nov 1997 13:55:36 GMT, Information Security <The@NSA.sucks>
> : wrote:

> : [snip]

> : >Question: on the following headers (from the post this is replying to),
> : >
> : >   o what software / newsserver allows users to forge 'NNTP-Posting-Host'
> : >
> : >   o what software / newsserver allows users to forge 'Message-ID'

Ask "Mahmud al-Hijazi". Just about every header in s/h/it's posts were
tampered with. If I recall correctly, s/h/its posts came from Altopia.

> : Question: Which mentally deficient fascist pretends to prove his point
> : by defining it to be true by using verbs like "forge" to imply what
> : he's claiming to "prove"?

> : Question: Why is The@NSA.sucks not "forgery"?

> Who was using it?

Correct. It isn't forgery unless you're impersonating another user.
However, if you start posting under the name TheNSASucks@nsa.gov, when
you have no account at nsa.gov, a valid domain, is it forgery?

> Oh, fair enough:

>    o what software / newsserver allows users to change the 'NNTP-Posting-Host'

Altopia, for one. My home UNIX box running B-News 2.11, for another. It
stores the articles as files, but the files are stored with permissions
rw-rw-rw-. which means that any user can modify any article in any way.
Needless to say, I am *not* considering starting a public BBS on it! =) 

> But, the 'Message-ID' was FORGED as coming from Harvard.

This can be done. Preloading the Message-ID sucks, because it can cause a
valid article to be dropped on the floor later if Harvard's server later
assigns the same ID to a new article.

> : Question: Why should others be restricted because some mentally
> : deficient person doesn't know how to decipher a path?

> I had no problem deciphering the preloaded path: it came from alt.net.

> : >I wanna know for tracking / deciphering reasons.

> : You want to know for CONTROL reasons. If you want power, then earn it.
> : If you want to try to take it by force or poor logic, be ready for a
> : fight.

Huh?

> I want to know what information in the headers is reliable.

None of them, really. When tracking down a forgery, I first use the
Message-ID, and if the admins of the site identified by that header claim
that the article didn't come from their server, I start working my way
back up the Path, unless I see "alt.net" in it, in which case I give
Chris a call. Now that I've said this, various nutcases are going to
start using other servers and preloading "alt.net" into the Path headers
of their forgeries in an attempt to frame Altopia... =)

> What do you mean by this: "If you want power, then earn it."

I guess you're supposed to spend the weekend reading RFCs and loading
Linux and INN onto your home computer and set up a news peering agreement
with your ISP? Don't ask for a full newsfeed, it'll fill up a 9GB drive
each day!

> You got a problem with me asking questions?
> ---guy

I don't have anything against questions. I just won't answer ones I don't
like, that's all. =)

>    Fuhgeddaboutit.

-- 
Joe Foster <mailto:joe@bftsi0.gate.net> Spam is irrelevant. Assimilate this:
<ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/softlib/index.txt> Microsoft's master patch list
<ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/softlib/mslfiles/> MS I got yer patch right here!
<http://www.microsoft.com/kb/default.asp>   MS Knowledge Base
<http://www.dejanews.com/home_ps.shtml>     Usenet search and archival engine
<http://www.altavista.digital.com>          WWW *and* Usenet search engine
WARNING: I cannot be held responsible for the above        They're   coming  to
because  my cats have  apparently  learned to type.        take me away, ha ha!
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From: Joe "We are Borg" Foster <joe@bftsi0.UUCP>
Subject: Re: Traceability and Invasion of Privacy
Date: 1997/11/29
Message-ID: <65pj6b$4el$1@owl.slip.net>
X-Deja-AN: 293681587
Organization: Slip.Net (http://www.slip.net)
Newsgroups: altnet.general,news.admin.net-abuse.usenet,alt.censorship,news.admin.censorship,alt.anonymous,alt.privacy.anon-server