[Sheflug] TCP wrappers

[Will Newton <nospam [at] misconception.org.uk>]

Having recently changed smtp daemons - a new version of sendmail stopped
working, so I looked at the config file, several thousand lines, and
installed exim, which at least doesn't store a novel in /etc.

exim initially bounced incoming mail (I hope none to this list) because of
these lines in hosts.allow:
(I tacked on the exim line on the end, rather than above)

# Set a default deny stance with back finger "booby trap" (Venema's term)
# Allow finger to prevent deadly finger wars, whereby another booby
trapped
# box answers our finger with its own, spawning another from us, ad
infinitum

in.fingerd: ALL : ALLOW

ALL : ALL : spawn (/usr/sbin/safe_finger -l  [at] %h | /bin/mail root) & : DENY

What exactly does this do? It seems to me like it may not be that
sensible.

I'm using RedHat BTW. (Go on, have a pop :)


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