CONTEST: Name That Program!

David Mazieres dm at amsterdam.lcs.mit.edu
Thu Feb 1 12:29:37 PST 1996


In article <sl3GafqMc50eQWYD0N at nsb.fv.com> Nathaniel Borenstein <nsb at nsb.fv.com> writes:

> As you may have read in my previous message, First Virtual has developed
> and demonstrated a program that completely undermines all known schemes
> for using software-encrypted credit cards on the Internet.  More details
> are avialable at http://www.fv.com/ccdanger.

You are a liar.

Your program does not undermine all known schemes for transmitting
software-encrypted credit cards on the internet.  You have no way of
obtaining my credit card number, because I will not run your software.
Furthermore, because I use a Unix-like operating system (specifically
OpenBSD) which I re-build from source code every week or so, you would
need to hack my compiler to keep mis-compiling itself and compromise
my kernel or netstat, ps, etc, for which you would need to be root.

The first virtual protocol seems to have some real weeknesses.
However, I do not feel like wading through all the pages of text to
figure out what is going on.  I challenge you to post a concise
description of the protocol, using syntax such as:

  A -> B:  {ID, xxx, ...}_Ks

With short descriptions where necessary.  If you do, I'm sure we can
rip your protocol to shreds (which is why you won't).

David






More information about the Testlist mailing list