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

[abrsvc]

On Sunday, 25 October 2020 20:29:33 UTC-4, Simon Clubley  wrote:
> On 2020-10-25, abrsvc <dansabrservices at yahoo.com> wrote:
> >
> > 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.
> 
> Let me guess: it wasn't properly checking the current mode versus
> the stored mode on the stack ?
> 
> I've never heard of this bug so that's just a guess based on the
> fact you brought it up in a security discussion.
> 
> Simon.
> 
> -- 
> Simon Clubley, clubley at remove_me.eisner.decus.org-Earth.UFP
> Walking destinations on a map are further away than they appear.

I honestly don't recall the specifics as it was quite a while ago, but I do know that it was never fixed as the "bug" had been in existence for over 20 years without any reports other that one problem that ended up being traced to it.  I was working at DEC at the time, so it is possible that the report was in an internal doc, but I don't recall.  Nothing to do with security BTW.  Just making the point that "bugs" can exist for a long time without discovery.