On Mon, Dec 09, 2002 at 10:04:30AM -0600, Jamin W. Collins wrote: > On Mon, Dec 09, 2002 at 09:25:51AM -0600, Jeffrey Taylor wrote: > > Quoting Alvin Oga <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>: > > > cable ... its you and all your neighbors .... watching/sharing that copper > > > > > > > Can you provide evidence for this? That cable modems run in > > "promiscuous" mode? > > When I was using COX cable (Las Vegas, NV), I was able to readily view a > large number of their customer's via SMB browsing. I brought this to > their attention and was told that it was "by design" and not viewed as a > security risk.
Irrespective of whether the response you received was stupid, the fact that you could "see" your neighbors via SMB browsing is due to the broadcast nature of SMB, not the fact that your cable modem was in some promiscuous mode. It is very difficult to intercept unicast traffic intended for your neighbor on a cabple network. In my opinion, the real lesson from your anecdote is that everyone connected to the Internet should be running some sort of firewall, and that firewall should be a seperate entity between your workstation (whatever OS it has isn't important) and the Internet access point. Windows automatically broadcasts tons of crap onto the nearest ethernet; that's poor design IMO. -- Nathan Norman - Incanus Networking mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] THEY planted The Lone Gunmen to MIND CONTROL the public into seeing TRUTH SEEKERS as CONSPIRACY NUTS. -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
