Details of vulnerability assessment practices

• vulnerability scans occur from specific pre-announced hostnames
• hostnames are always assigned to Linux or Solaris machines
• this includes testing of Windows machines; programs include
  • NetBIOS Auditing Tool
  • smbclient (from the Samba distribution)
  • the rain.forest.puppy MDAC perl script
• all of these were locally modified
• rarely use Windows client; goes through transport-layer proxies
• software development:
  • protect vulnerability test programs from server-to-client attacks
  • MIT-specific changes (e.g., default passwords or pathnames)
  • long perl script to automatically compose and address mail

• mail must reach right persons and be regarded as high priority
• right persons: incomplete central databases and machine's contents
• high priority: text needs to convince person to fix the problem

Copyright 2000, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. All rights reserved.
The term "Windows" above refers to the Microsoft® Windows® operating system. Microsoft® and Windows® are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and other countries.
Solaris® is a registered trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the United States and other countries.