(back on topic in the third paragraph!) I haven't dealt with Windows machines much, but here's my understanding (from dealing with *nixes on a network with a bunch of Windows machines). NetBIOS seems to be mostly equivalent to Ethertalk over TCP. It covers advertising and allowing file and printer sharing (actually SMB does the actual file and printer sharing, but I think that's considered a subset of NetBIOS). Not only do all the Windows machines broadcast (send to a whole bunch of computers at a time) NetBIOS advertising packets, but Code Red infected machines send out packets to individual addresses. This is my minimal understanding from dealing with a bunch of irritating log entries from some fairly extensive firewalls. Code Red hit the network I'm on pretty hard, and I still hear newer versions smacking into my firewalls every day or so.
Bootp is a system that allows machines to boot without local disks. The computer asks everything on the local network if it has the stuff to boot it, and hopefully one of the machines has the instructions on how to boot it. Most pci ethernet cards don't have the capability built in. (I use it for a parallel cluster of Linux machines, a Beowulf). To bring this back on topic, (to make it glisten?) I noticed that there's a bootp option in Open Firmware... Is this only good for booting a BSD or Linux, or can one boot an actual Mac brand OS using this? Just curious. -- Dana [EMAIL PROTECTED] Philip Stortz <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > it's the "net bios" which is part of some network cards for machines > that have to boot over a network. mostly a pc thing, but it can be > exploited. there is also a "boot p" program of some sort on some > machines that can be exploited. the basic bios of the pc itself is > probably safe, but obviously if you can get evil code into a network > card you could have that code attack the main bios or other nasty > things. there were also some more mundane viruses that tried to destroy > a pc's bios all together and resulted in a machine being basically toast > since few people can reprogram a wiped bios chip. yes, i was talking > about an attack aimed at the "netbios", but that's potentially very bad > as well. i apologize for the misphrasing, but i do indeed know what i'm > talking about, it's a "feature" for network admins to make updates etc., > but like most such features it's easily exploited for other uses, like > echoing everything to another machine. -- G-List is sponsored by <http://lowendmac.com/> and... Small Dog Electronics http://www.smalldog.com | Refurbished Drives | -- We have Apple Refurbished Monitors in stock! | & CDRWs on Sale! | Support Low End Mac <http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html> G-List list info: <http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-list.shtml> Send list messages to: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To unsubscribe, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For digest mode, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subscription questions: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Archive: <http://www.mail-archive.com/g-list%40mail.maclaunch.com/> Using a Macintosh? Get free email and more at Applelinks! <http://www.applelinks.com>
