swordfish --- a password generator Post: 302081450

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Special Forums Cybersecurity swordfish --- a password generator Post 302081450 by Perderabo on Tuesday 25th of July 2006 11:19:23 AM

07-25-2006

Administrator Emeritus

I will post a new copy of swordfish making these changes:

Code:

In the weak_start_tigershark function: the line in green is new.

function weak_start_tigershark
{
        typeset -i  i final duration
        ((final=SECONDS+2))

        while((SECONDS < final)) ; do
                i=$RANDOM
        done

        ((Carry=0))
        ((X0=$$))
        ((X1=RANDOM))
        ((X2=RANDOM))
        ((X3=RANDOM))
        ((DEBUG)) && echo weakstart X3=$X3 X2=$X2 X1=$X1 X0=$X0 Carry=$Carry
        Sum=0
        ((Stigershark=Stigershark+1))
        return 0
}


In the Main section: The lines in red go away:

if [[ $Entropy = $ZeroEntropy ]] ; then
                echo "********************************" >&2
                echo "*                              *" >&2
                echo "*  Warning:  Entropy is zero!  *" >&2
                echo "*                              *" >&2
                echo "********************************" >&2
                echo generating weak entropy... >&2
                weak_start_tigershark
                status_tigershark
                entropy_generator 1 array
                echo  Entropy = ${Entropy}
                NeedMoreEntropy=1
fi

It is too early in the program to call status_tigershark since linecount has not be initialized and also it is sending unsolicted output to stdout. And that "echo Entropy" should have been directed to stderr as well. The remaining error message should be enough to call attention to the fact that swordfish is not operating in an optimum manner. And the user can always turn on debug mode for more output.

Yes, my intent is that swordfish be invoked always in the same directory. swordfish maintains an entropy file which is random data used to initialize the internal random number generator. But the first time the random number generator is called, there won't be an entropy file. So swordfish will initialize the RNG from /dev/urandom or /dev/random. If neither of those is available then swordfish is stuck with no decent source of initial random numbers. So it invokes the internal ksh RANDOM routine to get a few random numbers and it uses its current PID for one more random number. It first spends a couple of seconds burning off some of KSH's random numbers so it is not as bad as it might otherwise be. But it still complains about the situation. This is what is happening to you. Even HP-UX finally implemented /dev/random in 11.23. What OS are you using without a /dev/random?

If you really want to call swordfish from arbitrary directories, you could change the line:
ENTROPYFILE=swordfish.ent
to be an obsolute path to your entropy file. But remember, if other people can read your entropy file, they might be able to predict the passwords it
will generate.

Perderabo

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dxchpwd

dxchpwd(1X)															       dxchpwd(1X)

NAME

       dxchpwd - Create or change password program

SYNOPSIS

       dxchpwd

       dxchpwd -r  | -l

       dxchpwd [-r  | -l] -q

       dxchpwd [-r  | -l] -u  username

OPTIONS

       If dxchpwd is invoked without any options, it is assumed that the current user's password is to be changed.  The following options are also
       accepted: Tells dxchpwd that the password change is to be done for a Local user. This can be combined with the -u and  -q  options.   Tells
       dxchpwd	that the password change is to be done for a NIS user. This can only be done from a NIS master and can be combined with the -u and
       -q options.  Tells dxchpwd to query the user for the user name of the account whose password is to be changed.	Tells  dxchpwd	to  change
       this user's password.

DESCRIPTION

       The  dxchpwd  command lets you change your password.  When you invoke the dxchpwd command, the program prompts you for the old password and
       then for the new password.  Next, the program asks you for the new password again, to verify that you have typed it correctly.	Note  that
       the passwords are not displayed on the screen.

       Your new password must meet the length requirements specified by the authorization database for the user whose password is being changed.

       If  your system is running with enhanced security, you may have to choose a password from a list of randomly generated passwords or you may
       be prohibited from changing your password until its minimum lifetime has expired, as specified in the authorization database.

EXAMPLES

       The following example requests that the password be changed for user smith: dxchpwd -u smith

FILES

       Password file Protected Password Database dxchpwd executable

SEE ALSO

       X(1X), xdm(1X), passwd(1)

																       dxchpwd(1X)