HP-UX Reference (11i v3 07/02) - 4 File Formats (vol 8)

ppp.Keys(4) ppp.Keys(4)

FE3FF8FFE1FF87

003C00F001C007

1E007800E00380

E1FF87FF1FFC7F

FFC3FF0FFE3FF8

SECURITY CONCERNS

The keys ﬁle should be mode 600 or 400, and owned by root.

Packets’ IP headers are not encrypted, though their TCP, UDP, or ICMP headers are encrypted along with

the user data portion. This allows encrypted packets to traverse normal internetworks, but permits snoop-

ers to analyze trafﬁc by its endpoints.

Since the TCP, UDP, or ICMP header is encrypted, protocol-based ﬁlters along the packet’s path will be

unable to discern whether it is SMTP, Telnet, or any other network service. This means that encrypted

trafﬁc will only permeate packet-ﬁltering ﬁrewalls if the ﬁrewall allows all trafﬁc between the endpoints,

regardless of trafﬁc type. HP PPP/SLIP software for HP-UX systems, when deployed as the endpoint gate-

ways of the encrypted trafﬁc, decrypt incoming encrypted trafﬁc before applying their conﬁgured packet

ﬁltering rules.

AUTHOR

ppp.Keys was developed by the Progressive Systems.