So, I went to log onto AIM today from the office. My client logged on and promtly logged off.<\/p>\n
This time I know what it is. And i can’t believe I did it twice.<\/p>\n
My network at home is flakey. So, I set up my AIM client at home to auto log in if it gets dropped. unfortunately, this has an undesirable side effect. When I log in at the office, it logs out my connection elsewhere.<\/p>\n
The client at home thinks, “Hey! I’ve been dropped, I should log right back in again.” It does and knocks me at the office off.<\/p>\n
Yes, it’s net tennis. I knock it off, it knocks me off.<\/p>\n
Okay…Hmmn, I’m smarter than this.<\/p>\n
The last time I tried this I figured (WARNING TECHIE STUFF COMING)
\nI’ll secure shell (telnet) to my box at home. Kill the AIM process entirely and log in…<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, at the time, the computer at home was my laptop. The laptop that I’d used not two days earlier to demonstrate our software at work. For those that don’t know…. I’m a developer on Norton Utilities for the Macintosh. One of the other products we develop is Norton Personal Firewall.<\/p>\n
So, I showed off NPF at a meeting 2 days earlier. And left it on the computer. I’ve now complained to the co-worker in the ext office over from mine. If any of you were curious. No, there is no backdoor to Norton Personal Firewall. I repeat, I am a Norton Software Engineer; there is no way to defeat the security of tis package.<\/p>\n
*keep thinking* So the last time I tried this…I turned to my contact. The product manager of AIM for Mac at AOL:
\n(Name Changed)<\/p>\n
(11:31:06)fraalandru:Is there a way to change your AIM password without logging on with the client?
\n(11:31:43)AOLPGM:I can’t answer password questions without knowing who you are exactly
\n(11:33:41)fraalandru:I’m embarassed to admit. i’m usually on as LordAndrei. I left my client on at home with auto relog in enabled. I was testing our company’s firewall. When I try logging in here, I bounce the client at home which logs on and bounces me here. The firewall doesn’t permit me to ssh into the machine to kill the client. My only guess is to change the password so it can’t log in again.
\n(11:34:26)AOLPGM:there is a forgot my password url
\n(11:34:30)AOLPGM:that you can go to
\n(11:34:52)AOLPGM:and it will send your password to the email address you have registered with AIM
\n(11:35:16)fraalandru:That just remailed my password to me. I know my password. I want to prevent the client at home from successfully logging in.
\n(11:35:28)fraalandru:I have the feeling I have no choice but to wait it out until I get home.
\n(11:35:40)AOLPGM:ah …. I see what you are saying
\n(11:36:06)AOLPGM:no there isn’t a way to change your password unless you are logged into the client
\n(11:36:42)fraalandru:Well, the good news is, the software works as billed \ud83d\ude09
\n(11:36:48)AOLPGM:lol <\/p>\n
But today I realize…My laptop is in the shop. It’s my tower that’s to blame today. But, waitaminute….I don’t have Personal Firewall on that system…Oh, I don’t have SSH enabled on that system….Maybe FTP..no. Apple File Shaing!! Aha… I’m in.<\/p>\n
Now in real time.
\nI feel like I’m Matthew Brodrick in WarGames looking for his grades.<\/p>\n
Log into the file server. Delete the App.
\n“Can’t delete. file is open”<\/p>\n
Didn’t think that would work…<\/p>\n
Port scan to see where I can get in:
\n427, \/\/ Apple File share identification
\n548, \/\/ AFP over TCP
\n1033 \/\/ AIM incoming messages.<\/p>\n
*sigh*
\nWell, folks. If you want to IM me today…Im to FraAlandru as for the moment, LordAndrei is locked up on a Mac running OSX.<\/p>\n
Now, this isn’t an invitation for the net to try to hack into my machine, but if anyone has any ideas…they are warmly welcomed.<\/p>\n