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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Posts
    34

    * Dreamhost is COMPLETELY INSECURE

    I was just playing with dreamhost and you can browse into other people's directories!

    I just went back a level in the structure, picked an NSF mount (they start with periods, as if that hides them or something), browsed into someone's directory, went into logs (which is world viewable and tells me the name of their domain name), checked out their access log (which would show me any password sent via GET), browsed into their web directory since now I know its name, and explored their files, including finding out their wordpress mysql password. As far as I can tell, this works for EVERY user, and you can't secure it because if any of those directories are set with non-world-readable permissions, the hosting won't work.

    Wow.

    Time for me to find a new host. Any recommendations on a host with similarly large quantities of storage and bandwidth, but that is secure?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2002
    Location
    Australia
    Posts
    24,027
    Have you informed them of this possible security concern?
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  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Posts
    34
    Informed who? I'm fairly sure that DreamHost knows their setup is insecure.

  4. #4
    Still, you should e-mail them about it...

  5. #5
    WoW I have only heard bad things about dreamhost mostly saying they have so much downtime etc. Now this well that is really bad I never liked them because they oversell so much. But yea try and find a new host if you see fit and or inform them.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Australia
    Posts
    771
    I'd contact them before moving..

    If you don't wanna email them, i'd try browsing the hosting offers section or just typing "web host" in google which should bring up some hosts with large quantites of space and transfer.. since they get more traffic than anyone else..

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Posts
    34
    I'm emailing them.
    Last edited by iterationlab; 02-08-2007 at 03:38 AM.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Posts
    263
    This is quite possibly the stupidest way you could have gone about fixing this.

    A. You shouldn't have viewed other peoples files
    B. You shouldn't have admitted to doing so. I'm sure this is a violation of your AUP.
    C. You should have contacted Dreamhost before telling the thousands of people who view this board

  9. #9
    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    Behind a linux box
    Posts
    687
    Quote Originally Posted by tectonic
    I will send them a link to this thread.
    Already done.
    P.S: when I try to get in someone else's directory I get a permission denied.
    Got Fused?

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Posts
    34
    You cannot view their home directory, but you can go directly into logs.

    Look, I would never abuse this, I just want to know how to secure my own directory, and I want to let other people know that there is a real issue here.

    Email sent, BTW. I did not intend to air dirty laundry on this thread. I genuinely feel like I should tell people about what I think is a real issue. If moderators disagree, feel free to delete the thread.
    Last edited by iterationlab; 02-08-2007 at 03:55 AM.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Location
    Washington, USA
    Posts
    3,262
    I'm surprised they allow full bash SSH access. If I were Dreamhost, I'd immediately yank everyone's SSH access till they get these access issues resolved.
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  12. #12
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Posts
    34
    I found this thread and it answers some of my questions. I'm sorry for the ruckus here. I still think dreamhost is pretty insecure, and their default file permissions don't help, but any admin, feel free to delete this thread.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    Canada
    Posts
    862
    Previous host I was using had similar problem, and I insisted about it in their forum for a few weeks to change the setting (change the ownership of the files/dirs).
    Fortunately, they made the change.

    Similarly, if DreamHost change the owner of the directory, we can change the setting.
    Judging from the fact that logs directory and it's contents are owned by the root,
    I think they can be chowned and chmoded without causing any problem.

    So, if they change the owner to each user and chmod 700 on all dirs and files in logs, it should be secure enough for a shared hosting, IMO.
    It shouldn't be difficult to do these.

    I was wrongly thinking that they were using grsec or pax or something to secure all our directories .....

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Posts
    570
    Quote Originally Posted by tectonic
    I'm sorry for the ruckus here. I still think dreamhost is pretty insecure, and their default file permissions don't help, but any admin, feel free to delete this thread.
    Why should you? Nobody who didn't even understand the basic concept of *NIX file system permissions should be providing hosting services to the public. The proper way of setting this kind of environment up would be assigning all user accounts to the same group and withdrawing group access permissions from home directories, not to simply assign them world execute permissions without world read permissions, which only forbids directory listings, but not accessing the actual contents. Also, revoking SSH access does not make any difference, if script execution is allowed.

  15. #15
    I do not think any host offer shell access is secure!

  16. #16
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Richmond, VA
    Posts
    3,119
    tectonic, it's rather irresponsible to post that here and not tell Dreamhost. You have just put thousands of accounts in danger. Please contact them at once.
    Daniel B., CEO - Bezoka.com and Ungigs.com
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  17. #17
    daniel be responsible and actually read the thread, ...they have been notified.
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  18. #18
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Richmond, VA
    Posts
    3,119
    Dave, posting what one thinks is a security hole before alerting those who can fix it is irresponsible. If I was a bit late in replying to the thread, I apologize that that has offended you. However, I still maintain my stance that it was irresponsible to post it here first.
    Daniel B., CEO - Bezoka.com and Ungigs.com
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    Data Centers in: Chicago (US), London (UK), Sydney (AU), Sofia (BG), Pori (FI)
    Email Daniel directly: ceo [at] bezoka.com

  19. #19
    just as posting he should notify when he already has.
    Technical Advisor for new A&E Series The Killing Season
    There are no random acts of violence
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  20. #20
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Posts
    9,264
    Quote Originally Posted by 2Mhost
    I do not think any host offer shell access is secure!
    Why?
    Offering any file execution (php included) is the equivalent of shell.

  21. #21
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Location
    Amidst several dimensions
    Posts
    4,324
    Why?
    Offering any file execution (php included) is the equivalent of shell.
    Not if php does not allow exec and similar functions.

  22. #22
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Posts
    570
    Quote Originally Posted by 2Mhost
    I do not think any host offer shell access is secure!
    If providing shell access compromises your system's security, there is something else wrong with your setup.
    Quote Originally Posted by unity100
    Not if php does not allow exec and similar functions.
    Relying on PHP's built-in "security" measures is a very bad idea (as far as I see, Dreamhost don't do that, at least). This concept is inherently flawed, system level security does not belong on the level of a scripting language interpreter. PHP is the only scripting language that offers such a false sense of security (although most of that will change in PHP 6, finally).
    Last edited by aldee; 02-08-2007 at 10:54 AM.

  23. #23
    Join Date
    Sep 2001
    Posts
    771
    You can offer jailshell without comprising security. Offering full bash shell access is going to cause problems at times on a shared server.

  24. #24
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Posts
    570
    You should never, ever allow anything but jailed services. That includes apache / FTP / SSH and so on and the entire user directory structure (no harm in putting them all into the same changeroot environment). Obviously, a few security related kernel patches will be a good idea as well (grsecurity, for instance). I stand by my statement.
    Last edited by aldee; 02-08-2007 at 12:02 PM.

  25. #25
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    Canada
    Posts
    862
    In this particular problem, SSH or script, jailed or not, it doesn't matter.
    The directory is in the user's directory, and any CGI script (or PHP if it's not using obsolete safe_mode + open_basedir) can possbily read it.

    It has nothing to do with the availability of full SSH.

    My previous host didn't offer SSH at all, and it had the exactly same type of problem.

    Servage doesn't offer SSH, and it had much worse situation when I was using them (and possibly it's still unchanged).

    And at many hosts, I think we can see other user's processes with their environments.
    http://www.webhostingtalk.com/showthread.php?t=573049

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