From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on inbox.vuxu.org X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-1.1 required=5.0 tests=DKIM_SIGNED,DKIM_VALID, DKIM_VALID_AU,FREEMAIL_FROM,MAILING_LIST_MULTI autolearn=ham autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 Received: (qmail 7921 invoked from network); 20 Nov 2021 02:11:17 -0000 Received: from minnie.tuhs.org (45.79.103.53) by inbox.vuxu.org with ESMTPUTF8; 20 Nov 2021 02:11:17 -0000 Received: by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix, from userid 112) id E03C9945F9; Sat, 20 Nov 2021 12:11:12 +1000 (AEST) Received: from minnie.tuhs.org (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 9460093D61; Sat, 20 Nov 2021 12:08:54 +1000 (AEST) Authentication-Results: minnie.tuhs.org; dkim=pass (2048-bit key; unprotected) header.d=gmail.com header.i=@gmail.com header.b="fseK/tY1"; dkim-atps=neutral Received: by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix, from userid 112) id B0AC493D61; Sat, 20 Nov 2021 12:08:52 +1000 (AEST) Received: from mail-qt1-f176.google.com (mail-qt1-f176.google.com [209.85.160.176]) by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id 34A3E93D5E for ; Sat, 20 Nov 2021 12:08:52 +1000 (AEST) Received: by mail-qt1-f176.google.com with SMTP id q14so11220292qtx.10 for ; Fri, 19 Nov 2021 18:08:52 -0800 (PST) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=20210112; h=content-transfer-encoding:from:mime-version:subject:date:message-id :references:cc:in-reply-to:to; bh=3b1wxy+gLAezJrvM6Ct5OYtitX8MVk0xu3Sl1alccRY=; b=fseK/tY1U1SPAtn3Hkgwp4PTJwNsqEd0RjZ6ToiZB664MNEj/lKjoCf/OFGpx4pJKN jQGO2d8EV+KfQ5eOVFKDVym3hovaTAegwevn8+rUSjwuZOfe/u+9GAwhKcZUDHS4pAlH EK9fUqGMZ89Ht4owzDOEvJzSsd3TEH+IRY8MQ+WEyB59uH5qa+CTDOEPKuDKYx0fbDZL H8ZGW4h5ERQiTuiGNCkLWsWCXudlyp0OCQyjk8cYJuD+GF+SRkGKEp2MzzQ1sW2HLs8c fdodAmNIcSubQhdKbf9nEk2kMF1k4mfdij6hftD098/96KLpQv4xfcAmFA7SvbcHVn3K heog== X-Google-DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=1e100.net; s=20210112; h=x-gm-message-state:content-transfer-encoding:from:mime-version :subject:date:message-id:references:cc:in-reply-to:to; bh=3b1wxy+gLAezJrvM6Ct5OYtitX8MVk0xu3Sl1alccRY=; b=Z0r4esF8xNKFuC9MeQrCd1vXlDuBy+zTGMMlv3X3MxuZp4T9lYzDurUGTAsTMGqdjQ Fl/oTtmLakMpWz57c4Pf74GWXIhN2tvXNC8Bg7FJSeeCaao2xDIfO77lG0fzhKK0m/0m v1qp7nMlAVTEPwgyEUz+pN43IEIsw6gyhD17aHYXxxRbUxxhskt7YlcYRx63gLwcf5F5 6rMJkDP4MNvb810417sMjqDE+3o65EcS/p97N4tf3Q5iUkKxXqxvLUNeg/+EWMa5ATdi FKN4UxwYcnSlHT/1Si6w5ZtCygHKMif8u8eCYnHyT4hWrHsONqjGjfEU0rjktI8xexTK VFzg== X-Gm-Message-State: AOAM532YIjG+iHM6xrdkb/GXtVVUbPrnkTwQH6smpdNBEJHR4rLcFjAs xqP7CCzRNoySIg6ddnMES9hI6O1f2Kg= X-Google-Smtp-Source: ABdhPJyc1wWJZoche+SDBbSLkmcfeqONiWEemeJzTJ7EKD67EUd4m7d/xZ2QOYmGbfMnkwCUG+RBJA== X-Received: by 2002:ac8:5c54:: with SMTP id j20mr11189042qtj.121.1637374130761; Fri, 19 Nov 2021 18:08:50 -0800 (PST) Received: from smtpclient.apple (pool-74-102-50-111.nwrknj.fios.verizon.net. [74.102.50.111]) by smtp.gmail.com with ESMTPSA id v16sm719925qkj.93.2021.11.19.18.08.50 (version=TLS1_3 cipher=TLS_AES_128_GCM_SHA256 bits=128/128); Fri, 19 Nov 2021 18:08:50 -0800 (PST) Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable From: Alan Glasser Mime-Version: 1.0 (1.0) Date: Fri, 19 Nov 2021 21:08:49 -0500 Message-Id: References: <202111200130.1AK1UIj51103141@darkstar.fourwinds.com> In-Reply-To: <202111200130.1AK1UIj51103141@darkstar.fourwinds.com> To: Jon Steinhart X-Mailer: iPhone Mail (19B74) Subject: Re: [TUHS] Two anecdotes X-BeenThere: tuhs@minnie.tuhs.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.26 Precedence: list List-Id: The Unix Heritage Society mailing list List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Cc: TUHS main list Errors-To: tuhs-bounces@minnie.tuhs.org Sender: "TUHS" Most of the hundreds (thousands?) of Unix systems running in Bell Labs seeme= d to have well guarded root passwords. There was always social engineering, l= ike Rob mentioned. And, of course, setuid root exploits that I enjoyed.=20 Another anectdote: Sometime around 1975 the NSA became a proud owner of a Unix system. They rew= rote a whole bunch. And invited Ken to visit. He surreptitiously observed so= meone logging into the console as root. A bit later, they asked him to have a= seat and try to break in. He sat down and logged in as root. Apparently he w= as very good at observing keystrokes. He had to explain himself. I wonder if= they would=E2=80=99ve let him leave otherwise.=20 - Alan > On Nov 19, 2021, at 8:32 PM, Jon Steinhart wrote: >=20 > =EF=BB=BFMy recollection from the 70s is that the default root password on= > all UNIX systems was "foo" and almost nobody ever changed it.