Security Basics mailing list archives
RE: Syslog over Internet
From: "matt willson" <mwillson () sbcglobal net>
Date: Tue, 19 Aug 2003 18:27:46 -0700
Altoh I do see the dreamy logic behind the plan, there are too many cons to even attempt to such a deal. From end to end, espicially from a country to the next, your personal data logs would probably go thru 20+ routers, and networks. Home What if someone gets into your machine? They could find the syslog server easily, and quite possibly, get into it the same method as yours, if not another. If they were good. And I mean good. They could send a couple of packets and wipe/shutdown the log(s) and server out on the otherside. Freeway What if someone discovers the routing to the log server, and aims at a router somehwere inbetween you and them? Wham, bam thank you mam. Simple sniffer would pick it up in a heart beat, not to mention be able to poison the logs on their way to the server. Bank Ok, so your logs have made it this far, they're almost home free! Except that a guy with a ski mask is waiting behind a tree(or process list) and waiting to net your ass once in. You'll be broke as a joke, with no hope, when you realize your logs have all been edited. In that regards, I would strongly suggest against it. Research satellite signals, and communications, bwahaha if you really want to do somethin like that. Best of luck -----Original Message----- From: Damian Menscher [mailto:menscher () uiuc edu] Sent: Monday, August 18, 2003 10:01 AM To: Vineet Mehta Cc: security-basics () securityfocus com Subject: Re: Syslog over Internet On Mon, 18 Aug 2003, Vineet Mehta wrote:
I have hired a server located in a different country. I heard that its better to log all your syslog messages on a different machine. As i
dont
have access to any other machine on that network except in my own country. My question is how safe and efficient it is to log Syslogd messages
from
my server in other country to my server in this country? Is it really safe? is it adviced to do so, of not then why?
The reason to do it is so an intruder can't remove evidence of their attack, since the evidence will be stored elsewhere. Normally, this is a good thing to do, if you want to be able to trace suspected intrusions. In your case, however, I don't recommend doing it in the default configuration. The problem is that syslog messages are typically sent in plaintext (over port 514/udp). And it's possible for logs to contain sensitive information. For example, what if you accidentally type your password at a login prompt? It will log a failed login attempt from unauthorized user <password>. Therefore your password will be sent across the internet in plaintext! It is possible to pipe syslog messages through a program (often used for advanced log filtering). In your case, you might consider piping them through a program that encrypts them before sending them over the wire. Be advised that the encryption algorithm should be secure against known-, chosen-, or repeated-plaintext attacks, since all log messages begin the same way, and an attacker can induce certain error messages to appear. Damian Menscher -- -=#| Physics Grad Student & SysAdmin @ U Illinois Urbana-Champaign |#=- -=#| 488 LLP, 1110 W. Green St, Urbana, IL 61801 Ofc:(217)333-0038 |#=- -=#| 4602 Beckman, VMIL/MS, Imaging Technology Group:(217)244-3074 |#=- -=#| <menscher () uiuc edu> www.uiuc.edu/~menscher/ Fax:(217)333-9819 |#=- ------------------------------------------------------------------------ --- ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current thread:
- Syslog over Internet Vineet Mehta (Aug 18)
- RE: Syslog over Internet David Gillett (Aug 18)
- Re: Syslog over Internet Damian Menscher (Aug 18)
- Re: Syslog over Internet Arturo "Buanzo" Busleiman (Aug 18)
- RE: Syslog over Internet matt willson (Aug 20)
- Re: Syslog over Internet Valter Santos (Aug 20)
- <Possible follow-ups>
- RE: Syslog over Internet Keith T. Morgan (Aug 18)
- RE: Syslog over Internet DeGennaro, Gregory (Aug 18)
- RE: Syslog over Internet DeGennaro, Gregory (Aug 19)
- Re: Syslog over Internet Eric Nelson (Aug 20)