I reproduced the state where inetd doesn't allow telnet, ftp, etc...  I checked 
the console as well as the messages log and found nothing, other than an xaudio 
error message.

In the end, I think we are going to pound out xaudio in inetd.conf.  These are 
servers and don't do an xwindows at all.

Thanks for the info, it was very helpful.

Pete
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Devitto, Dom 
  To: [email protected] 
  Sent: Friday, July 13, 2007 11:47 AM
  Subject: RE: Disable service identification


  Michel is still right.



  Inetd is trying to start the non-existent executable, when a connection is 
made, and can't, so terminates the connection immediately.



  Further connections from Nessus, with a short, or nearly no delay, do the 
same, and inetd will detect this *perfectly correctly*, as a misconfigured 
inetd.conf.  As it's misconfigured it then backs off and doesn't allow any 
further connections for a while.  This is the documented behaviour of Solaris 8:



             -r  count interval



             count  and interval are decimal numbers that represent

             the  maximum   count  of  invocations  per interval of

             seconds a service may be started before the service is

             considered  ``broken.''



             Once considered ``broken,'' a server is suspended  for

             ten  minutes.   After ten minutes, inetd again enables

             service, hoping the server behaves correctly.



             If the -r flag is  not  specified,  inetd  behaves  as

             though -r40 60 was specified.



  So you would expect, by default 40 connections in under 60 seconds of your 
misconfigured Xaudio service to result in a 10 minute suspension of the Xaudio 
service.



  Anything beyond this behaviour (e.g. disabling telnet in any way) is a 
Solaris 8 bug, and certainly nothing to do with Nessus.



  Dom

  Dom De Vitto  | Security Consultant

  Virgin Media,  Crawley Court, Crawley, Winchester, Hants, SO21 2QA

  M: 07855 805 271   D: 01483 87 5500   E: [EMAIL PROTECTED]

  -----Original Message-----
  From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Pete Duffin
  Sent: 12 July 2007 22:34
  To: Michel Arboi
  Cc: [email protected]
  Subject: Re: Disable service identification



  I'll have a look in the morning regarding the messages you mentioned.



  However, I pounded out xaudio in inetd.conf and the problem is now gone. 

  Interestingly enough, this is the line in inetd.conf:



  xaudio        stream   tcp              wait     root 

  /usr/openwin/bin/Xaserver              Xaserver -noauth -inetd



  The binary /usr/openwin/bin/Xaserver  does not exist on the box.  Not sure 

  if that has something to do with it.



  There are about 600 or so solaris 8 boxes, all with the same inetd.conf, all 

  with this problem.  I'm hoping xaudio was the problem.  They are servers, so 

  audio isn't needed.





  ----- Original Message ----- 

  From: "Michel Arboi" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>

  To: "Pete Duffin" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>

  Cc: <[email protected]>

  Sent: Thursday, July 12, 2007 4:40 PM

  Subject: Re: Disable service identification





  Le Thu, 12 Jul 2007 16:30:26 -0400,

  "Pete Duffin" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> a écrit :



  > Do you recall if xaudio has ever been a problem with Nessus?



  No.



  I am convinced that your problem is the classical rate limitation on

  inetd. Have you seen something like "telnet/tcp server failing

  (looping), service terminated" on your console or in /var/log/messages?



  Solaris is not uncommon and I'd be very surprised if a denial of

  service against such a critical component would have been unnoticed

  until now. 



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  Nessus mailing list

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  http://mail.nessus.org/mailman/listinfo/nessus


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