[Info-vax] Shell vulnerabilities, was: Re: What to do with my VAX.....

[abrsvc]

On Sunday, 25 October 2020 13:18:04 UTC-4, Simon Clubley  wrote:
> On 2020-10-24, Bill Gunshannon <bill.gunshannon at gmail.com> wrote:
> > On 10/24/20 5:51 PM, Phillip Helbig (undress to reply) wrote:
> >> In article <rn1qab$oms$1 at dont-email.me>, Simon Clubley
> >> <clubley at remove_me.eisner.decus.org-Earth.UFP> writes:
> >> 
> >>> BTW, that operating system was VMS, and the shell was DCL.
> >> 
> >> Was it ever used in a malicious exploit?
> >> 
> 
> Seriously, Phillip ?
> 
> If someone did find and use it, they are not likely to talk about it... :-)
> 
> >
> > The exploit you never know about is much more of a problem than the ones
> > you do know about.
> >
> 
> Exactly. In the 33 years this was around, you can't assume I was
> the first one to find this.
> 
> Simon.
> 
> -- 
> Simon Clubley, clubley at remove_me.eisner.decus.org-Earth.UFP
> Walking destinations on a map are further away than they appear.

Don't be too sure.  I am aware of a microcode bug for the RET instruction on the 11/780 that was discovered about 25 years after its introduction.  I know that it wasn't fixed because it was never found prior to that.  So, yes things can be wrong for an extended period of time without discovery.