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Re: A modest proposal

  • From: Robert E. Seastrom
  • Date: Wed Sep 18 19:07:47 1996

   *   I haven't used any myself, but apparently there are several software
   *   packages out there with a pretty graphical front end, complete with
   *   Hollywood-style "Click to destroy machine" buttons and menus.
   *
   *Uh huh, right.  If you ever actually see anything like this, lemme know.

   Ok, RS.

   One piece of software is called UpYours! and it's a mailbombing
   tool built by a group called "Global kOS" to run over Windows95.  
   It's got a lovely interface including buttons for "BOMB" "ULTRA"
   and "STOP" with an input window for "Countdown" start & stop 

How did the topic get changed from packet-spewing attacks to
application-layer attacks?  About the only thing UpYours has to do
with synflooding a machine is that they can both generate a bit of
network traffic.  Besides, mailbombings are directed at users, not
hosts (though they have a tendency to take down the latter as
collateral damage).  Bottom line: mailbombing is just an abuse of
resources, not an "exploit" to kick a machine over; in fact, Sendmail
has circuit breakers in it to keep it from taking down a machine by
sheer load (running out of space in the mail spool is a different
issue).  As the unlucky recipient of mailbombing attacks from several
sources including the illustrious Fred Cohen, I have found mailbombing
attacks to be pretty trivial to defend against anyway.

                                        ---Rob






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