[NTLUG:Discuss] A Vulnerability question

[Randall Gibson]

On 2001.10.08 07:14 Dennis Myhand wrote:
> Okay, I realize this may be a very simplistic sounding question, BUT...
> 
> Whenever there is a vulnerability announced, such as for BIND, or
> another such program (Like everything on my wife's Winderz machine), am
> I vulnerable if I,
> 
> 1.)  Am not running that program, like not even configured but on my
> system?,

Not running, no. Not configured yes. Uninstall it, and dont run it if you dont use it. Unconfigures services are security holes.

> 
> 2.)  Am running a firewall and not running that program, same situation
> as 1?,

Firewalls are only as good as your rulesets. If you havent configured and fully tested it, dont count on it. Things like ip spoofing may easily get around a poorly configured firewall. A default firewall script may be setup to allow in services that someone thought you might like to run .... 

> 
> 3.) Or am simply running a firewall with that program running?

If the firewall is thouroughly blocking access to the system, it is relatively safe. Be safer and patch any security holes anyways, even if no-one should be able to access them.


HTH, 
Randall Gibson

> 
> TNX, Dennis in Victoria
> 
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