Re: passwords in asp pages

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Date: Tue, 9 Mar 2004 17:53:08 -0800 (PST)
To: ian@kingcon.com, SECURITY-BASICS@securityfocus.com

The best practice that I have found here is to leave
it where it is. I would start to worry if it were
easily accessible via FTP.

You are correct in thinking that the ASP is run on the
server and resulting HTML is sent down to the client
so no one will ever see the password.

I would also make sure that they aren't using
something like the sa account in SQL Server, or the
system accout in Oracle.

If you were to put it an include file, that's when it
is easier to compromise.

I would worry more about SQL Injection than this.

Regards,
Chris

--- <ian@kingcon.com> wrote:
> I am new to security and I have no training in asp
> programming, so I am wondering if I am right in
> being scared of the following instance...
>
> A IIS based website which has asp pages which
> contain plaintext passwords for credentials to an
> sql database on another machine. The passwords are
> in between <% %> so I assume that means they are
> only processed on the server and the user does not
> see them, and there do not seem to be any .inc files
> calling these pages. The server is also up to date
> with patches as far as I know.
>
> This situation really bothers me, but I'm not
> experienced enough too know how it could be
> exploited or whether it could be exploited at all.
> I just don't like the fact that passwords to a db
> user are scattered all over the website. I need
> something to make it easy to say to the people
> responsible... "Here look this is what can be done
> to the website to gather the passwords and destroy
> your data. I don't think it is wise you do this, it
> is in your best interests to change this pattern."
> The programmer seemed to just brush it off, when I
> said that they could be viewed if their source was
> viewed, by telling me that they would be only
> processed by the server itself, which still doesn't
> make me feel good at all.
>
> Shouldn't the password be encrypted? Seperated in
> their own file?
>
> Is it correct to assume that an attacker who
> elevated their priveledges on the web box could view
> these files and gain access too the database that
> way through some other method?
>
> What else can be done by an attacker against asp
> pages that would allow this data to be discovered?
>
> Also if I could actually just demonstrate it right
> before their eyes that would be a big help.
>
> Thanks for any advice.
>
> Ian
> :)
>
>
>
> Go to www.missingkids.com
>
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