[geeks] ipfilter question - was:DHCP silliness

David Cantrell geeks at sunhelp.org
Sun Nov 25 14:10:57 CST 2001


On Sun, Nov 25, 2001 at 01:11:12PM -0500, dave at cca.org wrote:
> jdboyd at cs.millersville.edu writes:
> >Hmm.  Looking for information on what pasv means, I find that it appears that
> >linux's ip_masq can be set to eaves drop on ftp connections to allow normal 
> >mode to work.  I bet that NetBSD can do the same thing, whenever I get it 
> >set up for NAT.  I wonder how I set Mozilla and IE to pasv mode in the mean 
> >time...
> Snooping on ftp connections to "fix" that is insane. I don't want
> my firewall being a wiseass about what's really hidden.

I wouldn't want it doing that without my telling it to either.  I had to
specifically enable that functionality by insmodding ip_masq_ftp.  I don't
want to have to bother with trying to remember whether to use pasv mode or
not, so I just make it work regardless.

You're quite right to think that the firewall understanding application-
layer protocols is a Bad Thing.  I consider that the cause of the problem
is the ftp protocol having been designed in a crack-addled haze.

-- 
David Cantrell | david at cantrell.org.uk | http://www.cantrell.org.uk/david

      Blessed are the pessimists, for they test their backups
                                            -- anon



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