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Article View: comp.security.misc
Article #589

Re: Secure shell by mail

#589
From: Marc Brett
Date: Wed, 14 Oct 1992 19:09
30 lines
2119 bytes
In article <1992Oct13.172459.28720@zip.eecs.umich.edu>, ayman@eecs.umich.edu (Ayman I. Kayssi) writes:
|> I posted a question on comp.unix.questions about how to get a shell by email,
|> that is a shell that would execute what's in the body of an email message.
|> All the details have been worked out except for one thing: security.
|> Currently, security is obtained using the following:
|> 1- the subject of the message is a certain (fixed) special string
|> 2- a header line is added which contains an encrypted string
|> You can see that the problem is that the message itself contains the security
|> keys, and therefore anyone can intercept the email and fake a message...
|> So, are there any suggestions on how to make this more secure?
|> Email or post...
|> Thanks,

How about running a unique checksum algorithm on the message (including
the source and destination addresses) and appending the result on the end
of the message.  Only the sender and receiver know the algorithm, and so
a third party could not construct a false message without knowing (or
stealing) the checksum algorithm.  

For extra points, change the algorithm periodically.

-- 
All opinions made from fresh ingredients.  No official additives.
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Path: arc1-ca.pugleaf.net!sparky!uunet!airgun!bambi.wg.waii.com!brett
From: brett@bambi.wg.waii.com (Marc Brett)
Newsgroups: comp.security.misc
Subject: Re: Secure shell by mail
Message-ID: <1532@airgun.wg.waii.com>
Date: 14 Oct 92 19:09:43 GMT
References: <1992Oct13.172459.28720@zip.eecs.umich.edu>
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