🚀 go-pugleaf

And now for another PC_NFS connected problem: 

Has anyone experience with pc programs that cause a file-server (sun3/280
and 3/50 running 4.0) to stop all activity ?   You know, you type a two
word command, and the moment you press Return, the system dies.  All
activity stops. No response, not from the console, and the only thing you
can do is to reboot the server.

The commands are part of a nice utilities package which had the bad luck
of exposing this problem.  Our Sun representative originally blamed bad
programming on the PC, but he repented after his system died the same way.

PC's are by definition insecure, I can live with that.  I can imagine PC's
hogging the net, pouring junk packets on the ethernet, which would be
considered impolite at least.

But a server may not die as the consequence of something a PC does.  I
cannot forbid the use of these utilities, you remember the first rule of
security hacking ?  -- Find any reference in the manual that says "Don't
do X."  Try as many variations of X as possible.

This message has two objectives:
First I would like to know what is going on between the PC and the
server, and how to fix it. I fear it's going to be 4.0.2 :-( as the
problem appears to be deeply embedded in the system.  

Second this message is ment as a warning.  I'm reluctant to post details,
as anybody with physical access to a PC running NFS could wreak havoc on
your systems.  I'm still waiting for response from Sun.  I'll refrain from
posting more info during the next month.  End of April, if it isn't out of
my hands yet, I'll post a followup.  After that, I'll mail details to
whomever it may concern...

-Henk 
-- 
Henk Langeveld ( Dept. EUR/EF/AIV; Erasmus University Rotterdam )     |
henk@{euraiv1,eurtrx}.uucp || +31 10 4081346			      |
langeveld@hroeur5.bitnet   ||_________________________________________|