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  • B Offline
    B Offline
    Brian Azzopardi
    wrote on last edited by
    #1

    I've thought about implementing the (unoriginal) idea of agents i.e. small (and not so small) scripts that can migrate from a node to another on the network. Security and resource usage worries will be dealt with. My question is: would anyone actually need or find a use for such software? Coz for the life of me I couldn't think of one. I'm guessing that it would be most useful in internal or controlled situations (i.e. inside a company). I'd appreciate your ideas :) bibamus, edamus, cras moriemur

    [eat, drink, for tomorrow we die]

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    • B Brian Azzopardi

      I've thought about implementing the (unoriginal) idea of agents i.e. small (and not so small) scripts that can migrate from a node to another on the network. Security and resource usage worries will be dealt with. My question is: would anyone actually need or find a use for such software? Coz for the life of me I couldn't think of one. I'm guessing that it would be most useful in internal or controlled situations (i.e. inside a company). I'd appreciate your ideas :) bibamus, edamus, cras moriemur

      [eat, drink, for tomorrow we die]

      S Offline
      S Offline
      Senkwe Chanda
      wrote on last edited by
      #2

      Brian Azzopardi wrote: I'm guessing that it would be most useful in internal or controlled situations (i.e. inside a company). Hmmm, and do what there? I'm also struggling to find a use. ASP.NET can never fail as working with it is like fitting bras to supermodels - it's one pleasure after the next - David Wulff

      B 1 Reply Last reply
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      • B Brian Azzopardi

        I've thought about implementing the (unoriginal) idea of agents i.e. small (and not so small) scripts that can migrate from a node to another on the network. Security and resource usage worries will be dealt with. My question is: would anyone actually need or find a use for such software? Coz for the life of me I couldn't think of one. I'm guessing that it would be most useful in internal or controlled situations (i.e. inside a company). I'd appreciate your ideas :) bibamus, edamus, cras moriemur

        [eat, drink, for tomorrow we die]

        T Offline
        T Offline
        Thomas Freudenberg
        wrote on last edited by
        #3

        Brian Azzopardi wrote: My question is: would anyone actually need or find a use for such software? Coz for the life of me I couldn't think of one. I'm guessing that it would be most useful in internal or controlled situations (i.e. inside a company). I'd appreciate your ideas How about distributed source compilation? I am really impressed by IncrediBuild [^], but that's too much for a small (or not so small) script... :omg: Regards Thomas Sonork id: 100.10453 Thömmi


        Disclaimer:
        Because of heavy processing requirements, we are currently using some of your unused brain capacity for backup processing. Please ignore any hallucinations, voices or unusual dreams you may experience. Please avoid concentration-intensive tasks until further notice. Thank you.

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        • B Brian Azzopardi

          I've thought about implementing the (unoriginal) idea of agents i.e. small (and not so small) scripts that can migrate from a node to another on the network. Security and resource usage worries will be dealt with. My question is: would anyone actually need or find a use for such software? Coz for the life of me I couldn't think of one. I'm guessing that it would be most useful in internal or controlled situations (i.e. inside a company). I'd appreciate your ideas :) bibamus, edamus, cras moriemur

          [eat, drink, for tomorrow we die]

          C Offline
          C Offline
          ColinDavies
          wrote on last edited by
          #4

          Maybe I'm off track here. Ok something I had been cosidering for a prospective customers problem with actualization backups. To create a client idle tiem apps that would search and filter out files that have beed modified under seperate dirs. Zipp the files and place them ready to be sent over the net. Next alert the backupserver that retrival of the zips was was waiting. The clients would also get information send additional information as to the status of there net activity. The backup server would retrieve the Zip information during low net usage times. The server would then unzip the data into mirrored directory structures, and encrypt and export the Zips to an external location. But could an agent be used here to do verifcations over the net as to do process filechks and other matters to see taht the system is working correctly, By being a bit of a roving policeman? Regardz Colin J Davies

          Sonork ID 100.9197:Colin

          You are the intrepid one, always willing to leap into the fray! A serious character flaw, I might add, but entertaining. Said byRoger Wright about me.

          B 1 Reply Last reply
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          • C ColinDavies

            Maybe I'm off track here. Ok something I had been cosidering for a prospective customers problem with actualization backups. To create a client idle tiem apps that would search and filter out files that have beed modified under seperate dirs. Zipp the files and place them ready to be sent over the net. Next alert the backupserver that retrival of the zips was was waiting. The clients would also get information send additional information as to the status of there net activity. The backup server would retrieve the Zip information during low net usage times. The server would then unzip the data into mirrored directory structures, and encrypt and export the Zips to an external location. But could an agent be used here to do verifcations over the net as to do process filechks and other matters to see taht the system is working correctly, By being a bit of a roving policeman? Regardz Colin J Davies

            Sonork ID 100.9197:Colin

            You are the intrepid one, always willing to leap into the fray! A serious character flaw, I might add, but entertaining. Said byRoger Wright about me.

            B Offline
            B Offline
            Brian Azzopardi
            wrote on last edited by
            #5

            Mmmm. That could be implemented. The advantage of using agents is that in the case that you mentioned the agents could be given a time to live thus a new updated agent would be able to take its place. And because it's a script it would be easy to modify the code. Much better then writing a service with the functionality hard-coded. bibamus, edamus, cras moriemur

            [eat, drink, for tomorrow we die]

            1 Reply Last reply
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            • S Senkwe Chanda

              Brian Azzopardi wrote: I'm guessing that it would be most useful in internal or controlled situations (i.e. inside a company). Hmmm, and do what there? I'm also struggling to find a use. ASP.NET can never fail as working with it is like fitting bras to supermodels - it's one pleasure after the next - David Wulff

              B Offline
              B Offline
              Brian Azzopardi
              wrote on last edited by
              #6

              Some form of distributed processing comes to mind. However because its script based it can't be password-cracker, SETI-search etc as it would be too slow. There would have to be a reason for the agent to have to go to a node. bibamus, edamus, cras moriemur

              [eat, drink, for tomorrow we die]

              1 Reply Last reply
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              • B Brian Azzopardi

                I've thought about implementing the (unoriginal) idea of agents i.e. small (and not so small) scripts that can migrate from a node to another on the network. Security and resource usage worries will be dealt with. My question is: would anyone actually need or find a use for such software? Coz for the life of me I couldn't think of one. I'm guessing that it would be most useful in internal or controlled situations (i.e. inside a company). I'd appreciate your ideas :) bibamus, edamus, cras moriemur

                [eat, drink, for tomorrow we die]

                C Offline
                C Offline
                Christopher Duncan
                wrote on last edited by
                #7

                That's the problem - the cool technology we want to play with is often a solution in search of a problem. Chistopher Duncan Author - The Career Programmer: Guerilla Tactics for an Imperfect World (Apress)

                B 1 Reply Last reply
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                • C Christopher Duncan

                  That's the problem - the cool technology we want to play with is often a solution in search of a problem. Chistopher Duncan Author - The Career Programmer: Guerilla Tactics for an Imperfect World (Apress)

                  B Offline
                  B Offline
                  Brian Azzopardi
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #8

                  Exactly! I love network programming and I've fallen in love with Lua (a freely available scripting language) and I thought a combinination of the two would be a cool idea. *sigh*. What I could do is just to code an alpha version and release it. I'm sure someone somewhere will find a use for it. Eventually :) bibamus, edamus, cras moriemur

                  [eat, drink, for tomorrow we die]

                  1 Reply Last reply
                  0
                  • B Brian Azzopardi

                    I've thought about implementing the (unoriginal) idea of agents i.e. small (and not so small) scripts that can migrate from a node to another on the network. Security and resource usage worries will be dealt with. My question is: would anyone actually need or find a use for such software? Coz for the life of me I couldn't think of one. I'm guessing that it would be most useful in internal or controlled situations (i.e. inside a company). I'd appreciate your ideas :) bibamus, edamus, cras moriemur

                    [eat, drink, for tomorrow we die]

                    C Offline
                    C Offline
                    Chris Maunder
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #9

                    Aren't these also called "worms" ;) I think a great project would be to do something like this using .NET. With reflection and emittance you could do some wild stuff, and you'd have access to the full .NET framework. (sure - you'd hit a brick wall when you came across a node with no .NET, but details, details...) cheers, Chris Maunder

                    B 1 Reply Last reply
                    0
                    • C Chris Maunder

                      Aren't these also called "worms" ;) I think a great project would be to do something like this using .NET. With reflection and emittance you could do some wild stuff, and you'd have access to the full .NET framework. (sure - you'd hit a brick wall when you came across a node with no .NET, but details, details...) cheers, Chris Maunder

                      B Offline
                      B Offline
                      Brian Azzopardi
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #10

                      Good ideas :) If I were to use .Net would it be possible to control the execution of the agent? In the implementation I have in mind the node would not just run the agent but would be able to control its execution line by line. This is required, indeed crucial, because the node must be able to enforce security policies (ex scripts are not allowed file access accept those scripts coming from XYZ) and the node must be able to control CPU, memory usage. bibamus, edamus, cras moriemur

                      [eat, drink, for tomorrow we die]

                      C 1 Reply Last reply
                      0
                      • B Brian Azzopardi

                        I've thought about implementing the (unoriginal) idea of agents i.e. small (and not so small) scripts that can migrate from a node to another on the network. Security and resource usage worries will be dealt with. My question is: would anyone actually need or find a use for such software? Coz for the life of me I couldn't think of one. I'm guessing that it would be most useful in internal or controlled situations (i.e. inside a company). I'd appreciate your ideas :) bibamus, edamus, cras moriemur

                        [eat, drink, for tomorrow we die]

                        J Offline
                        J Offline
                        James Pullicino
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #11

                        Uses include: Network topology mapping (network exploring) Network availaibility Network speed analysis Spy software Viruses/worms Drinking In The Sun Forgot Password?

                        B 1 Reply Last reply
                        0
                        • J James Pullicino

                          Uses include: Network topology mapping (network exploring) Network availaibility Network speed analysis Spy software Viruses/worms Drinking In The Sun Forgot Password?

                          B Offline
                          B Offline
                          Brian Azzopardi
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #12

                          So u actually think it might be useful? [James Pullicino] wrote: Viruses/worms can u elaborate on this? Do u mean that it could serve as a vector for viruses? This should be impossible as the scripts will be run in a sandbox. No memory or hw access would be allowed. bibamus, edamus, cras moriemur

                          [eat, drink, for tomorrow we die]

                          J 1 Reply Last reply
                          0
                          • B Brian Azzopardi

                            Good ideas :) If I were to use .Net would it be possible to control the execution of the agent? In the implementation I have in mind the node would not just run the agent but would be able to control its execution line by line. This is required, indeed crucial, because the node must be able to enforce security policies (ex scripts are not allowed file access accept those scripts coming from XYZ) and the node must be able to control CPU, memory usage. bibamus, edamus, cras moriemur

                            [eat, drink, for tomorrow we die]

                            C Offline
                            C Offline
                            Chris Maunder
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #13

                            Take a look at the .NET security model. Security policies can be enforced down to the function level within your code. cheers, Chris Maunder

                            1 Reply Last reply
                            0
                            • B Brian Azzopardi

                              So u actually think it might be useful? [James Pullicino] wrote: Viruses/worms can u elaborate on this? Do u mean that it could serve as a vector for viruses? This should be impossible as the scripts will be run in a sandbox. No memory or hw access would be allowed. bibamus, edamus, cras moriemur

                              [eat, drink, for tomorrow we die]

                              J Offline
                              J Offline
                              James Pullicino
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #14

                              If these scripts will run in a sandbox, then the capabilities of the virus will be limited by what the sandbox can offer (unless the sandbox has bugs which can be exploited). If no memory access will be available, then your script will be pretty useless since it cannot have memory based variables!!! I suppose you mean limited memory access instead of no memory access at all. I only mentioned possible uses. Whether its useful or not depends on how you implement your idea. James Drinking In The Sun Forgot Password?

                              B 1 Reply Last reply
                              0
                              • J James Pullicino

                                If these scripts will run in a sandbox, then the capabilities of the virus will be limited by what the sandbox can offer (unless the sandbox has bugs which can be exploited). If no memory access will be available, then your script will be pretty useless since it cannot have memory based variables!!! I suppose you mean limited memory access instead of no memory access at all. I only mentioned possible uses. Whether its useful or not depends on how you implement your idea. James Drinking In The Sun Forgot Password?

                                B Offline
                                B Offline
                                Brian Azzopardi
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #15

                                I should have said pointers. A language without variables is not much use is it. The virus aspect should not pose a problem. A node could be configured to run only signed agents. The default policy would be to prohibit all resource access (i.e. file, registry, net) and limit others (so it does not hog the cpu). As for exploits in the sandbox, well it's just down to being security-conscious. bibamus, edamus, cras moriemur

                                [eat, drink, for tomorrow we die]

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