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From: art@mitre.ARPA.UUCP
Newsgroups: mod.computers.vax
Subject: Re: password verification...
Message-ID: <8701291654.AA24289@mitre.ARPA>
Date: Thu, 29-Jan-87 23:20:04 EST
Article-I.D.: mitre.8701291654.AA24289
Posted: Thu Jan 29 23:20:04 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 31-Jan-87 03:21:35 EST
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The MITRE Corp., Washington, D.C.
Lines: 39
Approved: info-vax@sri-kl.arpa

It would be possible to use the remote DECnet loggin facility to allow a 
program to collect the password, pick up the current user name, and
then attempt to loggin remotely thru DECnet to allow LOGINOUT to
verify the usename and password.  The result will be establishment of
a logical link if the password is valid and failure to establish the
link if the password is bad.  Details left to the reader.  I know of
systems using it where they validate to a remote user authorization
file.  I do not see why they would not also work to a local UAF.  I do
not know if you will need the DECnet key to do this.  

Major advantage is it will work across all current and future versions
of VMS, does not require a separate file from the UAF.  Major
disadvantage is that the validation will probably take 1-2 seconds
and will create another process in the computer.

 
     
*
*---Art
*
*Arthur T. McClinton Jr.     ARPA: ART@MITRE.ARPA
*Mitre Corporation MS-Z305   Phone: 703-883-6356
*1820 Dolley Madison Blvd    Internal Mitre: ART@MWVMS or M10319@MWVM
*McLean, Va. 22102           DECUS DCS: MCCLINTON
*

  =-=- This note is in response to yours which follows -=-=

I am interested in the inclusion of a module within my program
which first asks a user to enter their password, passes that
program through the standard VMS one-way encryption formula and
then compares it with the password stored in SYSUAF.DAT.

In this way, I can assure that the authorized user is actually at
the terminal when the command is entered (just as VMS SET PASSWORD
required that you know your old password).

Does anyone know of a high-level (e.g. non-macro) system call
to VMS that accomplishes this}i feat?