Re: Jul 9 08:06:03 all inetd[122]: httpd/tcp server failing

[karl () bagpuss demon co uk (Karl Strickland)]

>         I was trying a loop test to stress performance on our secure W3
> server and found that inetd under SunOS detects what it thinks to be
> loops and shuts down all httpd services untill a kill -HUP is sent to
> the inetd process.  How is this bug/feature controlled, and doesn't this
> lead very directly to denial of services attacks?

It does.  From memory, I think SunOS 4 requires 40 connections/minute to
decide that a service is looping.  On other OS's its higher - some its 255,
and on some its 1000.  Some inetd's provide a command line option to alter
it (eg BSD 4.4), others need you to change a #define and rebuild.

This is one reason why CERN recommend you dont run their httpd from inetd.

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