RE: Recent bugtraq postings

[Vernon Hamberg <vhamberg@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Simon's point is to be well-taken in this discussion, IMO. The greatest 
security vulnerability is those who already have access to a machine. Folks 
who can't get access to a box can't do any of this stuff. I agree that this 
so-called vulnerability - to be able to do something malicious through CA - 
is not about a security flaw, it's about configuration. Not much point 
shutting the barn door behind the horse in order to keep it out. So hire 
people you can trust, then audit them anyway.

At 07:10 PM 4/22/2005, you wrote:
> On Fri, 22 Apr 2005, Joe Pluta wrote:
>
> > But my favorite is the one that warns that if you install Client Access,
> > "malicious AS/400 applications can run programs on your PC."  Uh huh.
> > Malicious AS/400 programs.  Sorry, but iSeries programmers actually work
> > for a living.  We're unlikely to want to write applications that wipe
> > out the workstations of our end users.
>
> That's right.  All iSeries programmers are angels.  Since we actually work 
> for a living we would never do such a thing.  Every programmer who knows 
> RPG is by definition a saint.
>
> Could a malicious program be written?  Certainly.  Could such a program 
> cause harm?  That is the point under investigation.  If so, then there is 
> a security flaw.  But to say that the iSeries is secure because iSeries 
> programmers are such good people that a malicious program would never be 
> written is ridiculous.
>
> btw - all the iSeries programmers I know *are* angels.
>
> James Rich
>
> It's not the software that's free; it's you.
>         - billyskank on Groklaw
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