Filesystem Access + VolanoChat = VChat admin (fwd)

["K, KRazY" <krazy-k () SHELL ACADIACOM NET>]

Title: VolanoChatPro stores plain text password in a publicly accessible
file.
Date: November 4, 2000
Risk: Low. No system privileges are granted.
Vendor Site: http://www.volano.com


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VolanoChatPro, a widely used chat server on the Internet, allows anyone
with access to the filesystem to obtain chat server admin access.

In the directory where VolanoChatPro is installed, there is a file named
"properties.txt".  This file stores the config for the server, including
the value of server.password and admin.password.  After install, the
permissions on this file are "-rw-r--r--".

I contacted the vendor on August 2, 2000 and have gotten no response.  I
think a workaround would be to change the permissions so that only the
owner can read the file.  I asked the vendor if this would cause any other
problems or if the product would reset the permissions and got no
response. This is not addressed in documentation.

I was saddened to see that the company lists many high profile customers
(Sun, Rational, AT&T Worldnet, Dept. of Energy, etc. See
http://www.volano.com/customers.html), but wouldn't respond to a security
email.



.:Shout outs to:.
 - /* Commander Crash */  -- Driver, pull over at the next cross-over.
 - Scanman