Newsgroups: comp.os.minix
Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!wuarchive!dsuvax!ghelmer
From: ghelmer@dsuvax.uucp (Guy Helmer)
Subject: Re: password encoding
Message-ID: <1991Jun6.132559.27485@dsuvax.uucp>
Organization: Dakota State University
References: <1991Jun5.183525.3907@nntp-server.caltech.edu>
Date: Thu, 6 Jun 1991 13:25:59 GMT

In <1991Jun5.183525.3907@nntp-server.caltech.edu> gwoho@nntp-server.caltech.edu (g liu) writes:

>looking at the minix source, it appears to me that the passwords
>are encoded into the password file. not encrypted. that is, inverting
>the crypt function looks trivial.

I don't know how trivial it is to decode the passwords, but Norbert
Schlenker posted a MINIX password decoder in <263@rossignol.Princeton.EDU>
about a year ago (19 Jun 90).

>is this so? does unix use the same method of encoding the password?

UNIX encrypts the password in a more secure method.

>gwoho liu.
-- 
Guy Helmer, Dakota State University Computing Services
helmer@sdnet.bitnet, dsuvax!ghelmer@wunoc.wustl.edu, ghelmer@dsuvax.dsu.edu
"Everybody need a soft filter / Everybody need reverse polarity" - Rush