Alerts This Week
Warning Icon 1 764
Alerts This Week
Warning Icon 1 764

Server Security - Page 26

We have thousands of posts on a wide variety of open source and security topics, conveniently organized for searching or just browsing.

Discover Server Security News

Elm and Mplayer Exploits: Critical Security Flaws Affecting Linux Systems

data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22%20viewBox=%220%200%20100%20100%22%3E%3C/svg%3E

Two serious security flaws have turned up in software widely distributed with Linux and Unix. The bugs affect Elm (Electronic Mail for Unix), a venerable e-mail client still used by many Linux and Unix sysadmins, and Mplayer, a cross-platform movie player that is one of the most popular of its kind on Linux. The Elm flaw involves a boundary error when the client reads an e-mail's "Expires" header. A specially crafted e-mail could exploit the bug to cause a buffer overflow and execute malicious code on a system, according to security researchers.

IIS vs Apache: Security Analysis and Server Configuration Comparison

data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22%20viewBox=%220%200%20100%20100%22%3E%3C/svg%3E

Not long ago, Web administrators didn't have a great deal of input into their organization's Web server platform. If they worked in a Windows shop, they ran Microsoft's Internet Information Server (IIS), while those in Linux/Unix shops were tied to Apache, and never the twain did meet. However, times have changed and the Apache HTTP Server Project has broken down the walls by releasing a Windows distribution of the Web server that traces its historic roots to the original NCSA httpd server. There are now two "big kids on the block" and Windows administrators, at least, have some flexibility. (Don't expect Microsoft to release IIS for Linux anytime soon!)

Confidentiality And Integrity In Storage Management Strategies

data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22%20viewBox=%220%200%20100%20100%22%3E%3C/svg%3E

In the first part of our Storage Security Basics series, we looked at authentication, authorization, accountability and access control. In this installment, we examine confidentiality and integrity. If you manage a storage network, one of your primary goals is to ensure that the data is secure. As the administrator, the confidentiality and integrity of information is your responsibility. (Data confidentiality refers to the process of encrypting information to prevent it from being read by users who weren't intended to have access to it. Data integrity means that information has not been changed or modified during transit.)

Exploring Security Challenges in Open Source Software and Networks

data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22%20viewBox=%220%200%20100%20100%22%3E%3C/svg%3E

Security breaches in software applications and networks are one of the biggest threats organizations currently face. But unless you pack your computers into boxes and go back to pencils, paper, and typewriters, being mindful of electronic security is an unavoidable reality and business expense. Because security vulnerabilities are such a high stakes issue, the subject has become a political hot potato between open source and commercial software advocates, with each pointing a finger at the other. Some commercial software vendors claim that their model promotes security while the open source model weakens it; some open source developers claim the exact opposite.

Linux 2.6.12 Advisory: Critical Bugs Fixed, New Defects Found

data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22%20viewBox=%220%200%20100%20100%22%3E%3C/svg%3E

Serious security bugs in key parts of the latest Linux code have been fixed, but some small glitches have been introduced, according to a recent scan. In December, Coverity looked at version 2.6.9 of the Linux kernel, the heart of the open-source operating system, and found six critical defects in the core file system and networking code. In July, the code analysis company scanned the latest version of the Linux kernel, version 2.6.12, and found no such programming errors, Coverity CEO Seth Hallem said.

Linux Kernel 2.6.12 Enhancements Highlighted In Coverity Study

data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22%20viewBox=%220%200%20100%20100%22%3E%3C/svg%3E

Coverity, Inc., makers of the world's most advanced and scalable source code analysis solution today announced results from a new study on the security and quality of the Linux kernel. Six months ago Coverity analyzed Linux kernel 2.6.9, the same version used in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4.0, and found six potentially critical defects in the core filesystem and networking code. Today's findings on the newest Linux kernel 2.6.12 show that all critical defects have been fixed.

Enhancing Data Protection Through Trusted Servers Standards

data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22%20viewBox=%220%200%20100%20100%22%3E%3C/svg%3E

The Trusted Computing Group has announced an open specification for trusted servers to allow manufacturers to offer better data and transaction security. The specification launched by the industry standards body defines the architecture of a trusted server including its management, maintenance and communication between servers and clients.

Implementing Active Directory SSO For Linux Desktops And Servers

data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22%20viewBox=%220%200%20100%20100%22%3E%3C/svg%3E

I am an advocate of centralized identity management and I think Active Directory makes a great repository for user account information. Interoperability can be a challenge, though. For example, you may work in a mixed environment of Linux/Unix and Windows and want users to take advantage of their Windows accounts when logging on at a Linux/Unix machine. This provides single sign-on for users who otherwise would need to maintain two different sets of passwords.

Evaluating Linux And Windows Server Security And Support Costs

data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22%20viewBox=%220%200%20100%20100%22%3E%3C/svg%3E

Both Linux and Windows are here to stay. The decision to deploy a Linux or a Windows server should be based on a careful evaluation of both technical and business needs. For smaller companies with in-house Windows skills, moving to Linux or implementing Linux alongside Windows could cause more headaches and staff issues than value. For larger companies with sufficient staff and training budgets, implementing Linux-based servers may prove cost-effective in the long-term.

Exploring Open Source Benefits For Enhanced Business Security

data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22%20viewBox=%220%200%20100%20100%22%3E%3C/svg%3E

Do you think there are security benefits businesses could reap by simply switching to open source solutions? Greenberg: Yes. A great number of security holes are because of Windows having glaring security holes in its browser and mail agent. Use Windows and Firefox, for example, instead of Windows and IE, and 80 percent of the security concerns vanish. The number of security threats in an OS-to-OS face off is about equal, from what I see. As — and if — Linux usage increases, the Linux threat level may increase.

Strategies For Securing And Integrating Linux Systems Effectively

data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22%20viewBox=%220%200%20100%20100%22%3E%3C/svg%3E

The difficulty in integrating Linux with legacy systems and securing IT systems are two of IT managers' most common complaints about Linux, says Peter Harrison, who canvassed many IT pros while writing The Linux Quick Fix Notebook, a new book from Prentice Hall PTR. In this tip, Harrison doesn't offer a quick fix, but he does offer sage advice about security and integration.

Exploring Linux Process Security and Public Vulnerability Disclosure

data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22%20viewBox=%220%200%20100%20100%22%3E%3C/svg%3E

In his latest entry, Dana asks whether the Linux process is insecure, because it’s not possible to warn the "vendor" before warning the general public about security flaws in Linux. He also notes that "Microsoft has theoretical control of this situation." There are several problems with this line of reasoning. I’m not going to argue that the open source model of development is perfect, but it offers several advantages over the proprietary model. Let’s start with the most obvious.

Intel Hyperthreading: Timing Attacks Expose Security Keys

data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22%20viewBox=%220%200%20100%20100%22%3E%3C/svg%3E

Intel's hyperthreading technology could allow a hacker to steal security keys from a compromised server using a sophisticated timing attack, a researcher has warned. Hyperthreading allows software to take advantage of unused execution units in a processor. It essentially allows two separate processes, or software threads, to execute on a single processor at the same time, improving performance.

Microsoft's Virtual Server 2005 SP1 Brings Linux Support for VMs

data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22%20viewBox=%220%200%20100%20100%22%3E%3C/svg%3E

Microsoft head Steve Ballmer has promised to add Linux support for the first time in one of its products because, he explained, users need to manage heterogeneous networks. Support for the software giant's open-source rival and greatest threat will come in Virtual Server 2005 Service Pack 1, due to ship by the end of the year, Ballmer said as part of his keynote speech at the company’s annual summit.

Your message here