Lesson 10

Date: 4/2/2014
Basics of Linux Security
Linux for Engineering and IT Applications


How systems get compromised


  • Cracked, stollen and sniffed passwords
    john password_file         # John the Ripper
    john -show password_file   # Read the cracked passwds 
    

    SSH client with a sniffer on a multi-user system:
    reads user name, password and the destination host.

    SSH brute force attack guesses user credentials.

  • Accounts with empty passwords and root privileges
    awk -F: '$2 == "" { print $1, "has no password!" }' /etc/shadow 
    awk -F: '$3 == 0 { print $1, "is a superuser!" }' /etc/passwd 
    
  • World writable files and directories
    find /dir -xdev -perm /o=w ! \(  -type d -perm /o=t \) ! -type l -print
    
  • SETUID and SETGID executables
    find /dir -xdev -type f -perm /u=s,g=s -print
    
  • Trojans
  • Stack overflow attacks on vulnerable services
  • Worms


  • Take me to the Course Website