December 2003 - cypherpunks-legacy

Re: Freeport information
by L. McCarthy 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- - -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Michelle Montpetite writes (forwarded by Sam Kaplin): > Anonymous users have read-only access (e.g. they cannot > post to the bulletin boards nor send e-mail); [...] > Prerequisite software > > FreePort is distributed in source code. You will need > typical Unix program development tools including an C > compiler, yacc, and linker. The publicly available > layered software mentioned above is available from > various ftp sites on the internet, (where ?) > or is available from CWRU as a complete collection of the prerequisite > source code. (where ?) [...] > Installation and maintenance of the FreePort software > requires an experienced Unix Systems Programmer. The > technical support person requires 'root' access to > install and configure the various prerequisite > communications software. [...] > Licensing > > A 5-year renewable FreePort 2.3 license for a nonprofit > site is $850 ($2800 for-profit). The software is > shipped as a "tar" file on 8mm Exabyte cartridge, or > for extra cost, on 1/2" magnetic tape or DC6150 > cartridge. I'm still not clear about what's free and what costs eight hundred bucks. > The software is AS IS. Stupid is as stupid does ? Zen and the art of software maintenance. - - -L. Futplex McCarthy; PGP key by finger or server "We've got computers, we're tapping phone lines; I know that that ain't allowed" --Talking Heads - -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: 2.6.1 iQCVAwUBLuQf4Gf7YYibNzjpAQEBxwP/QuZ5dkFDpJvMJAWNyqvUd02XudTq+Fod mrPmnY/2JxoxpHbXwbVs6BFvV1R3iEg+/0NpumQxSZYV9bcN5o7yBm5LSjCFurIW 2NkDbAaaEG6e9rV3efzhFO2FCe2jmrcXPkUVIGLORxMJ3oS7cZyYBpZNDidN+fOP z9lBWln7MC4= =h+xK - -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- - --- [This message has been signed by an auto-signing service. A valid signature means only that it has been received at the address corresponding to the signature and forwarded.] -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: 2.6.2 Comment: Gratis auto-signing service iQBFAwUBLuQhISoZzwIn1bdtAQFdeAF/SJVofZS/anhfZe8RkuxJajt1xQZV/aZR n8B66+zP0aCMXZhfdMU2u/udI5LTCcLG =RsyI -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

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Re: Are there *any* internet services runnable from powerpc
by shamrock＠netcom.com 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Tom wrote: >I have a power mac 7100 with an ethernet port to the internet. Does anyone >know if I could, for example, get scripts for Eudora to snarf mail and run >a keyserver, or set up an anon remailer, or do anything at all remotely >cool and for the betterment of the crypto/privacy/pgp/etc. services >available to the internet public? I could leave my mac on 24/7 serving up >services. When I'm debugging code it might crash, but I suppose there >should be fail-safe systems. > >It doesn't seem like I can do much unless I buy a unix emulator, and I >don't have the money for that. I'm a student. Yeah, A/UX is rather overpriced. But you don't need it for a web site. Your PPC can provide any Web service your heart desires without you having to buy A/UX. You can open an HTTP server using the excellent MacHTTP, a ftp site using Peter Lewis' MacFTP, etc. You can even use perl on the Mac using MacPerl, the list goes on. All these programs are available at your friendly neighbourhood InfoMac mirror site. I am not so sure about the keyserver, though. I suppose it might be possible to write an AppleScript for the new scriptable versions of MacPGP and Eudora, but I don't think it would be worth the effort. There are enough keyservers out there. IMHO, the best source of info regarding running your own web server on a Mac is the MacHTTP mailing list. You can join by sending a message to listserv(a)oac3.hsc.uth.tmc.edu with "SUBSCRIBE MACHTTP_TALK Your Name" in the body of the message. Also check the MacHTTP home page for announcements and frequently asked questions and answers. It can be found at: http://www.uth.tmc.edu/mac_info/machttp_info.html Enjoy, -- Lucky Green <shamrock(a)netcom.com> PGP encrypted mail preferred.

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Valid mail -> usenet gateway for alt.security.keydist
by skaplin＠skypoint.com 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Does anyone have a valid mail -> usenet gateway for alt.security.keydist? I've tried a few and they don't seem to work. ============================================================================== No doubt Jack the Ripper excused himself on the grounds that it was human nature. --A. A. Milne-- ============================================================================== skaplin(a)skypoint.com | "...vidi vici veni" - Overheard | outside a Roman brothel. PGP encrypted mail is accepted and | preferred. | Change is the only constant in the | Universe..."Four quarters, please." E-mail key(a)four11.com for PGP Key or | Finger skaplin(a)mirage.skypoint.com | Smile!! Big brother is watching. ============================================================================== -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: 2.6.2 iQEVAwUBLuQjC8lnXxBRSgfNAQHiCwf9FDGkO/yt74Zn0zRE5P23cxBo7pfHr7i3 g3HFJD5kp0b8kUXsj2UwN9X5E6L/9gDED2fyiWbdnh/Q2v75wFGVBusmUwCE4Xgs cTS97xOBLAXCr/snXcZD96Zw3hpGsiNASXKwPtTfflNpKxuEaOSYBPpyaGjHr6gs nFbLitYEVgq51SuKZGO3lYMrUc5kkTLhMBPUk7YxeBmnDaEBduDqSuQrApAw5GwK lcgYVNK2SW69GaCWWqAn2NQsSROVSQlaiiVRIPTKPxV9/5basGfZNKhJpgepBPSY cSplbGwVb7DfcAXD9yu0yXBimiNHbBeuamS8Cm+9eamxD9ZD2vuzbQ== =/aF3 -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- This message digitally signed to verify the identity of the writer.

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no subject (file transmission)
by anon＠losers.hacktic.nl 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Remailed by: anon(a)losers.hacktic.nl X-Remailer-Software: Remail for Waffle 1.4 > > Could someone bring me up to speed on this group? On the surface, it > would seem that there is a lot in common with their objectives and the > general Cypherpunks "philosophy". (quotes because I understand the > diversity of thought in this group.) Posted earlier: > From nobody(a)soda.BErkeley.EDU Wed Aug 3 11:12:35 PDT 1994 > Article: 17449 of alt.privacy > Xref: netcom.com alt.privacy:17449 > Path: netcom.com!netcomsv!decwrl!spool.mu.edu!cass.ma02.bull.com!soda.BErkeley.EDU!nobody > From: nobody(a)soda.BErkeley.EDU (Tommy the Tourist, Anon User) > Newsgroups: alt.privacy > Subject: OCEANIA GETS SCREWED! > Date: 28 Jul 1994 20:47:23 -0000 > Organization: Bull Worldwide Information Systems. > Lines: 65 > Sender: daemon(a)cass.ma02.bull.com > Distribution: world > Message-ID: <199407282045.NAA24571(a)soda.Berkeley.EDU> > NNTP-Posting-Host: cass.ma02.bull.com > Status: RO > > > From CompuServe's Libertarian Political Issues Forum > > > Subject: #216752-Oceania? > From: Scott A. Kjar 70402,3124 > To: L D Weller 71011,1743 > > It turned out to all be a scam, actually. The key people involved, Eric > Kline and Chuck Geshlieder, allegedly had a scheme set up where they > repeatedly paid themselves out of all of the proceeds. It apparently went > something like this: > > 1) Donations came to Oceania. Kline and Geshlider, as principals, got > paid a portion. > > 2) Oceania then contracted with The Gold Standard Press, owned by Kline > and Geshlider, to do printing. Kline got a share as the sales rep. > > 3) Gold Standard Press then printed fund-raising letters for Oceania. > Kline and Geshlider split the profits, as partners in Gold Standard. > > 4) Oceania sent out more fund-raising requests. > > 5) Donations came to Oceania. (see #1) > > It fell apart when Kline and Geshlider allegedly accused each other of > fraud, and Geshlider apparently took his case to the Nevada State Attorney > General's Consumer Fradu Division. (Poor Chuck, there were no consumer's > in this transaction.) What is amazing about all of this is that The Gold > Standard was an ILLEGAL business (no business license) and Chuck had been > hauled before a judge a few months ago on this very charge. He allegedly > threatened to beat her up in the parking lot (something he has threatened > to virtually everyone who has ever met him), and then skipped town for a > couple of weeks. The people at the Attorney General's office apparently > were astounded that Chuck, who is knowlingly running an illegal business, > and is not keeping any records the IRS might get hold of, is complaining > about his business partner and co-conspirator about a scam. After all, > there are NO Gold Standard Press records, and there are NO Oceania > records. (It turns out that Kline was simply writing checks Pay To The > Order of Cash, and then using the cash to cover his reversals in the Stock > Market.) > > Eventually, their need for cash apparently outstripped the rate at which > suckers were sending them money, and like hungry wolves, set upon each > other. > > GOOD RIDDANCE! > > p.s. I know both of these jerks personally. We have tried to throw them > out of the LP in Las Vegas for several years. Like counterfeit money, > they just keep turning up! > > > ------------ > To respond to the sender of this message, send mail to > remailer(a)soda.berkeley.edu, starting your message with > the following 7 lines: > :: > Response-Key: ideaclipper > > ====Encrypted-Sender-Begin==== > MI@```$!S^P;+]AB?X9TW6\8W2:NP&2&04%GSR=BW]`^+`=)MFOA[ER>?SK)G > 8$I$XG.1&][YD$P&3*E2?3N6*&SLZ:_5^ > ====Encrypted-Sender-End==== > >

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Pentium Microcode Encryption (was Re: Another vulnerability)
by nobody＠REPLAY.COM 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

> BIOS Update is a hidden feature that can fix bugs in Pentium Pro and > Pentium II CPUs by patching the microcode inside the microprocessor. > When the processor boots up, the BIOS loads the patches, which are > contained in a 2,048-byte-long BIOS Update data block that is supplied > by Intel. > "The problem is, the BIOS cannot verify whether the BIOS Update data > block contains real microcode or not," claimed one BIOS expert, who > requested anonymity. "As long as the header and the checksum are okay, > the BIOS will load that microcode into the microprocessor. Some hacker > could actually wipe out microcode in the CPU. There is nothing that can > prevent this." The processor doesn't actually burn in the patch to on on-board EPROM, does it? (If it did, then the BIOS wouldn't need to load it on boot-up.) So you can't actually wipe out microcode in the CPU. > Intel doesn't see such a scenario as a realistic threat, pointing to > the fact that the BIOS Update data block is encrypted. "We've spent > quite a lot of time thinking about such scenarios to make sure we had > sufficient mechanisms in place so you couldn't introduce your own > flavor of BIOS Update into the processor," said Ajay Malhortra, a > technical marketing manager based here at Intel's microprocessor > group. "Not only is the data block containing the microcode patch > encrypted, but once the processor examines the header of the BIOS > update, there are two levels of encryption in the processor that must > occur before it will successfully load the update." I can't imagine them wasting precious die space to implement a multiple round, fully cryptanalysis-proof encryption scheme, especially considering that the microcode-update curcuitry takes up quite a bit of space already. It seems more likely that they would use a combination of a few logic gates and some permutations, which wouldn't take up much space. (Unless, of course, they implemented the microcode-updater as microcode software itself, which would be a really stupid thing to do - How could the program run while overwriting itself?) Furthermore, they mentioned "there are two levels of encryption in the processor" That is really bad design from a cryptanalysis point of view. Once the outer layer has been stripped off and you find a valid header, you can then attack the next layer by itself. (assume a valid header decryption could be determined by it having a low entropy in the data-compression sense.) That leaves the checksum question. CRC is widely used, so they probably had a crc design on file and could have just stuck it in. But there is no other use for crc calculation in the cpu, and an arithmetic checksum, or ever XOR would be simpler. Hmm... (Of course you could always try to do it like Matt Blaze did with clipper. :) > "Yes, it is used," said an engineer at one vendor. "I personally know > of five different things in the Pentium Pro related to multiprocessing, > system management interrupt and other areas." That sounds like it could be very useful. A context-switch on a pentium takes over a hundred clock cycles while the processor dumps all its registers. The problem is that on a modern 32-bit OS many of those registers, such as the 16-bit segment registers, are not used. If you could change the microcode so that it would temporarily ignore those registers it would give you faster task-switching and better performance. I think a lot of Linux users would be interested in something like that. Anyone know where I could find some of these 2048-byte update blocks? It might be interesting to run some statistical analysis on it... :)

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Re: Valid mail -> usenet gateway for alt.security.keydist
by Alex de Joode 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

In article <e92vkKjqRe73075yn(a)skypoint.com> you stated: : Does anyone have a valid mail -> usenet gateway for alt.security.keydist? : I've tried a few and they don't seem to work. You can use the {usura,remailer}(a)xs4all.nl for that, instead of Anon-Post-To: , use the header Post-To: alt.security.keydist , (it will -not- be anonymised, if you use simple Post-To: ). A detailed help-file is available by sending mail to this address with a "Subject: remailer-help". Hope this helps, -- Exit! Stage Left. Alex de Joode <usura(a)xs4all.nl>

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Interesting WWW Profile site...
by LAURENN%smtpgate＠earth.wri.org 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

From: Gleason Sackman ("SACKMAN(a)PLAINS.NODAK.EDU") To: net-happenings(a)is.internic.net Date: Tuesday, December 6, 1994 10:56 am Subject: WWW> Profile Registry (fwd) (SMTP Id#: 596) ---------- Forwarded message ---------- SENDER: "Geo. A. Jacobs" <gajake(a)snark.wizard.com> Subject: WWW> Profile Registry Date: 2 Dec 1994 15:46:00 -0800 New on the Internet. A place to post your personal profile. http://snark.wizard.com/wwpr.html The one feature that is available on the on-line services, and missing on the Internet. Register your personal profile with: World-Wide Profile Registry (WWPR) Tell the world: Where to find you (email address) About your personal interests and hobbies Where you live (City, State, Country) A personal quote or favorite saying Alias that you use on irc And which channels you hang out in Your birthdate Occupation / Where you attend school Search the WWPR database: Keyword search to find any of the above that the registrant chooses to include in the profile. _____________________________________________________________________ There is NEVER a charge to search the WWPR database. Profile registration will be FREE to the first 2000 persons entering their profiles. Register today, let the world know who you are, what you are. http://snark.wizard.com/wwpr.html

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NYT on N2 and Star Wars
by John Young 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Two articles today on far-side Witten-Seiberg N2 Supersymmetry and Republican-hots Star Wars chemical laser weaponry: "Physicists Say New Math Tool Will Probe Secrets of Matters", by Malcolm W. Browne. For email copy send blank message with subject: N2_duh "From Fantasy to Fact: Space-Based Laser Nearly Ready to Fly", by William J. Broad. For copy, same, with subject: RAY_dem - --- [This message has been signed by an auto-signing service. A valid signature means only that it has been received at the address corresponding to the signature and forwarded.] -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: 2.6.2 Comment: Gratis auto-signing service iQBFAwUBLuSXyyoZzwIn1bdtAQFWZQF/fh3eH4+IB8DbDjdThlrkXexTA0niTfDV HqQkGJUiygJPLTantn68zc44nLpKcjfi =f1ux -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

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RE: MMB question
by Johnathan Corgan 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- >What's the current thought on MMB? Has it undergone serious analysis >and if so, what's the conclusion been? In the errata to Applied Cryptography, Bruce Schneier makes the following comment, though nowhere did he elaborate on this: Pages 266-7: Since the publication of this book, MMB has been broken. Do not use this algorithm. ======================================================================= Johnathan Corgan "Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent" jcorgan(a)netcom.com -Isaac Asimov PGP Public Key: http://www-swiss.ai.mit.edu/~bal/pks-toplev.html Or send email to: pgp-public-keys(a)pgp.ai.mit.edu Subj: GET jcorgan ======================================================================= -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: 2.6.2 iQCVAwUBLuSWjE1Diok8GKihAQGXcgP/UBZjsglUif76J2BFehx6spAKkPpMtczH XWhszO/6auoC+t2FTnVwL8jmcGaJlLGNjcfUFLAsUl+OSKh+qAt/N/4D0IHBhy/l 5ClWOEButYupazyMaZMGgnurSlN8gjGeqUNcoJvVGC53cPbQ+ol5XhvutURWlxhJ zu2ygeKvC8c= =/iKd -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

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Re: Shrinking government
by frissell＠panix.com 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

At 03:45 AM 12/6/94 PST, John E. Kreznar wrote: >Tax revolts do no good. Taxes are the _result_, not the cause. > >The cause of big government is popular gratuitous acceptance of >government favor. > >If you want to shrink government, you've got to begin by changing the >minds of a hundred million of your neighbors who think it's civilized to >take a government job or contract, accept social security, apply for an >SBA loan or FEMA assistance, and on down the list. I prefer to let "reality" change people's minds. The USSR didn't fall because millions were convinced that Milton Friedman was right and Karl Marx was wrong. What happened was that the changing circumstances of their lives made it obvious that the old ways could not be continued. Technology and "Market Earth"(tm) will convince people that "others government" is inferior to self government and the modern welfare-warfare state will fall. In retrospect, it will even look like it was inevitable (just like the fall of the commies). Wait 'till the Web + Digital Cash = a market growing so fast that even if the governments *had* to tools to control it, they couldn't be applied because it will have grown beyond the control points before the governments can move. The Market is The Blob (without Steve McQueen). "X The Unknown." DCF "You are a libertarian. You make choices and do what you think best for your life. Stop trying to prevent other people from behaving in the exact and natural way you behave."

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