Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ames!ncar!ico!ism780c!haddock!kencr
From: kencr@haddock.ima.isc.com (Kenny Crudup)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.wizards
Subject: Re: Multiple Root ID's considered evil?
Message-ID: <14617@haddock.ima.isc.com>
Date: 15 Sep 89 17:37:35 GMT
References: <435@lxn.eds.com> <347@galadriel.bt.co.uk>
Reply-To: kencr@haddock.ima.isc.com (Kenny Crudup)
Organization: Interactive Systems, Cambridge MA
Lines: 20

From article <435@lxn.eds.com>, by bill@lxn.eds.com (Bill Doviak):
> After checking both PASSWD(4) and PASSWD(1), I can't determine the signifcance
> of an asterisk in the password field unless you wish to prevent logins
> entirely for that account. Is this the intention or is there some other
> purpose for the "*"?

In article <347@galadriel.bt.co.uk> pcf@galadriel.bt.co.uk (Pete French) says:
>Yup - you got it !
>The star is 'traditional' for some reason. technically known as being
>'starred out'.

One day while bored at work, I got out a piece of paper and traced back
the DES crypt routine for some popular combinations of salt/key. If
anyone is intrested, I have the passwords that make *, x, X, and 13 X's
and 13 x's work. Send me E-mail.

-- 
Kenneth R. Crudup, Contractor, Interactive Systems Co.(386/ix), Cambridge MA
Not all men are fools; some are still single! 	   Phone (617) 661 7474 x238
{encore, harvard, spdcc, think}!ima!haddock!kencr      kencr@ima.ima.isc.com