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From: smb@ulysses.att.com (Steven Bellovin)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.wizards
Subject: Re: /etc/hosts.equiv verses $HOME/.rhosts
Message-ID: <13650@ulysses.att.com>
Date: 24 Aug 90 01:02:51 GMT
References: <785@venice.SEDD.TRW.COM>
Sender: netnews@ulysses.att.com
Lines: 8

In article <785@venice.SEDD.TRW.COM>, waldorf@venice.SEDD.TRW.COM (Jerry Waldorf) writes:
> Could some kind sole tell me why using $HOME/.rhosts 
> is unsafe and why /etc/hosts.equiv is safe?  

/etc/hosts.equiv represents the administrator's (presumably informed)
decision to extend trust to certain other hosts, typically those also
under the same person's control.  .rhosts files represent a user's
decision to extend trust, often to a machine not worthy of it.