Xref: utzoo comp.sys.dec:4447 comp.dcom.lans:6462
Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!freedom!cornutt
From: cornutt@freedom.msfc.nasa.gov (David Cornutt)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.dec,comp.dcom.lans
Subject: Re: DECnet task-to-task programming
Message-ID: <1990Nov7.231928.20631@freedom.msfc.nasa.gov>
Date: 7 Nov 90 23:19:28 GMT
References: <873@fred.UUCP>
Organization: MSFC
Lines: 27

rbraun@polygen.uucp (Richard Braun) writes:

>I'm developing a DECnet task-to-task interface for a distributed
>Unix application being ported to VMS.

...problem with having to give server process SYSNAM privilege...

>Question:  under DECnet, how to I initiate a task-to-task
>connection *between two existing processes* (a la Berkeley sockets)
>without having to resort to named objects?  If I have to use named
>objects, can I get around the security problem some other way?

As far as I know, you can't.  In order to create a known object, you have
to have SYSNAM privilege, which, as you've correctly surmised, allows the
system to be easily subverted (I'm not disclosing how, but VMS sysadmins
probably already know how).  However, it isn't necessary for both processes
to have the privilege, just the server.  (The client doesn't need to create
any object.)  If your server will be running all of the time, perhaps you
can use the INSTALL utility to set up the server with the privilege at
boot time.

Incidentally, if you can, use a numbered object instead of a named one.
It's somewhat more secure; if the server process dies, someone could take
advantage of an unattached named object, but not a numbered object.

David Cornutt, freedom.msfc.nasa.gov  (.sig forthcoming)
Don't get the idea that I'm a VMS head just because of this...