Fuck the Usenet Cabal

[Paul Bradley]

> ObCrypto: I was offered a 76GB changer for $350.  I thought of the following
> demo application: a user e-mails a piece of a Unix passwd file (password+salt)
> to a server, which looks up a password that works.  Problem is, 76GB doesn't
> seem sufficient for the lookup table. :-( (Assume infinite time available
> on a fast box.)

I have to confess ignorance over the form of the password in the unix 
passwd file, how much salt is used, does it vary from ?nix to ?nix or is it 
pretty standard? Maybe a small(ish) lookup table/ dictionary attack could 
be mounted using this.

        Datacomms Technologies data security
       Paul Bradley, Paul at fatmans.demon.co.uk
  Paul at crypto.uk.eu.org, Paul at cryptography.uk.eu.org    
       Http://www.cryptography.home.ml.org/
      Email for PGP public key, ID: FC76DA85
     "Don`t forget to mount a scratch monkey"