RE: iSeries FTP security

> From: Evan Harris
> 
> Hi Patrick
> 
> I, too,
> appreciated hearing about this method of circumventing security.
Security
> that can be circumvented would seem to me to be fairly termed an
exposure.
> The view I take is that in this case the access methodology is not an
> "approved" access method and that the intent has been to lock it down
> using an exit point to control access.

Here's an interesting take on it: you might want to understand how FTP
works before you open up your mission critical machines to it.
Seriously, the ".." exploit is known to just about every script kiddie
who ever set up an FTP server only to see somebody go rifling through
their files.  The problem is not that the iSeries is allowing access,
but that people are allowing FTP access to their iSeries without really
knowing how FTP works.

Every time somebody posts something about how they "must" allow FTP
access, or "must" allow ODBC access to their data, I cringe because I'm
almost certain that they haven't gone out and investigated how these
utilities work.  There are similar exploits with ODBC too numerous to
mention, especially for people with authorized access to your machine.

The right answer is to create separate, low-access user profiles with
access only to sandbox areas, and then to put data in those areas only
on demand.  Unfortunately, some of those same people who are opening
their machines to ODBC and FTP access will be the first to say this is
too much work.

Anyway, my .02 on this is that you need to know how the tools work,
warts and all, BEFORE you implement them.  The ".." technique is a good
one to guard against, and I guess if you have to learn it from the guy
in question, then that's better than nothing.  But you might want to
talk to a local twelve-year-old before you open your production data to
FTP access.

Joe

P.S. Among the many ways around this particular issue is to a create
special IFS folder with limited access and disable access to that
folder's parent folder, then create symbolic links to the data in
question.