Login or Register to Ask a Question and Join Our Community


Cybersecurity

Is my terminal input secure?

Login to Discuss or Reply to this Discussion in Our Community

 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Special Forums Cybersecurity Is my terminal input secure?
# 1  
Old 08-14-2008
Is my terminal input secure?
My knowledge of Unix input/output/devices is very hazy so could someone please tell me if the following is secure?

I log on to an account on a shared Unix server (Linux 2.6.18-6-686) using ssh (PuTTY). I start a python program and then type into it (python raw_input command) the username/password of an account on a web site it should log on to using SSL. The python executable is one I downloaded and built myself. Is it possible for someone with root privilege to see the username/password I type into the python program?

Thanks very much in advance.
# 2  
Old 08-14-2008
Root can do anything. Don't run it on a box where you do not trust root.

(The question is not well stated, though. The problem is not in the security of your terminal input, it's in the security of where that input ends up in the memory of a remote computer whose administrator you do not trust.)
# 3  
Old 08-14-2008
era is right. On Linux, root can do anything. Just think about /dev/mem and /dev/kmem or LKM.
1. Root could create a program that would have access to all iomem and ioports.
2. Root could alter the kernel in any way so it would do anything (get out of the virtual memory and go straight to physical memory which only the kernel can touch)
3. Root could just ptrace() your terminal and see whatever you're typing.
Login or Register to Ask a Question

Previous Thread | Next Thread

10 More Discussions You Might Find Interesting

1. What is on Your Mind?

Should we use CODE Tags for terminal input and output?

I've always used code tags for code but not for showing terminal input and output. I noticed a mod edited one of my threads and now I'm confused as to proper protocol. Mike (5 Replies)
Discussion started by: Michael Stora
5 Replies

2. Shell Programming and Scripting

Print Terminal Output Exactly how it Appears in the Terminal to a New Text File

Hello All, I have a text file containing output from a command that contains lots of escape/control characters that when viewed using vi or view, looks like jibberish. But when viewed using the cat command the output is formatted properly. Is there any way to take the output from the cat... (7 Replies)
Discussion started by: mrm5102
7 Replies

3. Shell Programming and Scripting

Cannot get terminal application to launch with a graphical launcher when successful in terminal

I have been having an extremely annoying problem. For the record, I am relatively new at this. I've only been working with unix-based OS's for roughly two years, mostly Xubuntu and some Kali. I am pretty familiar with the BASH language, as that's the default shell for debian. Now, I've made this... (16 Replies)
Discussion started by: Huitzilopochtli
16 Replies

4. Programming

Number of bytes in terminal input queue w/o blocking and consuming?

Hello, everyone. Could someone, please, tell me how to get the number of bytes in the terminal input queue without blocking and without consuming these bytes? I guess it could be called the peek functionality. I've looked at termio tcgetattr() and tcsetattr() functions but could not find... (4 Replies)
Discussion started by: Lucy.Garfeld
4 Replies

5. UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

how to check the user input from terminal

Hello everybody!!! I am writing my own rm command in unix. I prompt the user to type if he wants to delete a file and then read what he typed. But how do i check what he typed? This is my program so far: echo 'Delete prog1.c (y/n)?' read yesOrNo if yesOrNo == 'y' then rm prog1.c... (6 Replies)
Discussion started by: mskart
6 Replies

6. UNIX for Advanced & Expert Users

Pseudo-terminal will not be allocated because stdin is not a terminal.

I am trying to automate a SSH login using Keys using the following command ssh -i id_rsa usernamw@ipaddr. I am successful in doing this and i am getting the Warning Screen and I logon successfully. but when I am executing the command tail -1cf put.dat | ssh -i id_rsa username@ipaddr > get.dat ... (1 Reply)
Discussion started by: Shivdatta
1 Replies

7. Shell Programming and Scripting

Don't show keyboard input on terminal

I am developing a script that will run with '/bin/ksh' shell. The script is intended to receive a password by keyboard input, but for security reasons I would like to hide what the user is typing. The keyboard input is being caught by 'read' command. exmaple : echo "Please type your new... (1 Reply)
Discussion started by: marianor31
1 Replies

8. Solaris

Secure FTP Problem using Sun SSH on Client system F-Secure on Server system

I am using shell script to do secure ftp. I have done key file setup to do password less authentication. Following are the FTP Details: FTP Client has Sun SSH. FTP Server has F-Secure. I am using SCP Command to do secure copy files. When I am doing this, I am getting the foll error scp:... (2 Replies)
Discussion started by: ftpguy
2 Replies

9. UNIX for Advanced & Expert Users

connecting to unix through hyper terminal - as a dumb terminal

I just changed from windows NT to XP and I am no longer able to connect to my unix system. I used to use hyper terminal -- which acts as dumb terminal to my main frame unix system. I think one of the options used to be "direct to comX". This option isn't listed now. I use a serial port and the... (2 Replies)
Discussion started by: michelle
2 Replies

10. UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

How to suppress input keying from displaying on terminal.

I'm a Unix newbie. In a shell-script, is there any way to accept keyboard input (via STDIN) without having it display on the screen? I know keying in a login password sort of does this by replacing what you key with astericks (*) but I believe that's a "C" routine. I'd like to be able to... (2 Replies)
Discussion started by: liteyear18
2 Replies
Login or Register to Ask a Question