This Month's GOTCHA


Access change, September 20, 2000:
"r" commands restricted from remote hosts

In compliance with NCAR/UCAR Computer Security Advisory Committee (CSAC) policies and recommendations, "r" commands invoked from outside the UCAR security perimeter will no longer operate on systems inside the UCAR security perimeter.

What is changing

Users or scripts on remote hosts will not be able to invoke "r" commands (rcp, rsh, rlogin) to systems inside the UCAR security perimeter after August 1, 2000. This change is necessary to close a security vulnerability for UCAR systems.

Users or scripts on internal UCAR systems can still invoke "r" commands to other systems, either outside or inside the UCAR security perimeter.

It does not matter which way data are being moved, the critical factor is where the "r" command is invoked.

To log in to, or to transfer files to or from internal UCAR systems from outside the security perimeter, you must either log in to an exposed UCAR system or use SSH.

SSH (secure shell) is a set of commands enabling secure logon, file transfer, and X Window clients. SCD offers a document, Getting Started with SSH at NCAR, that provides information about using SSH.

What is not changing

For more information

The viewgraphs for a presentation on this topic by the NCAR/UCAR Computer Security Advisory Committee Chair are on the web: User Access Changes.

As always, if you have any questions or problems, please contact the SCD Consulting Office by sending email to consult1@ucar.edu or by calling 303-497-1278.


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