bugtraq - Re: Leak of SNMP write password via SNMP read community in NETGEAR WG102

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Date: Fri, 9 Jan 2009 21:56:10 +0100
From: Simon Richter <Simon.Richter@...yros.de>
To: Steve Shockley <steve.shockley@...ckley.net>
Cc: bugtraq@...urityfocus.com
Subject: Re: Leak of SNMP write password via SNMP read community in NETGEAR
	WG102 - Prosafe 802.11g Access Point

Hi,

On Fri, Jan 09, 2009 at 03:25:44PM -0500, Steve Shockley wrote:

>> SNMP communities are a safety, not a security measure. I know of very few
>> SNMP implementations that have protections against brute force or
>> dictionary attacks.

> srsly?  Passwords don't have much in the way of brute-force or  
> dictionary attack protection, but I wouldn't put my password in my  
> out-of-office message.

Most password authentication systems have a rate limit which is pretty
effective against dictionary attacks -- however SNMP implementations don't
do the same for community strings. My point is that community strings are
not passwords in the strictest sense, and people should stop treating them
as such.

   Simon