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Are some Web server software programs more secure than others?
Computing Security,Information Security, NT security, Web Security and Network Security Questions and Answers
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Are some Web server software programs more secure than others?
Again, the answer is yes, although it would be foolhardy to give specific recommendations on this point. As a rule of thumb, the more features a server offers, the more likely it is to contain security holes. Simple servers that do little more than make static files available for requests are probably safer than complex servers that offer such features as on-the-fly directory listings, CGI script execution, server-side include processing, and scripted error handling.
Version 1.3 of NCSA's Unix server contains a serious known security hole. Discovered in March of 1995, this hole allows outsiders to execute arbitrary commands on the server host. If you have a version 1.3 httpd binary whose creation date is earlier than March 1995 don't use it! Replace it with the patched 1.3 server or with version 1.4 or higher (available at the same site). The Apache plug-in replacement for NCSA is also free of this bug.
Servers also vary in their ability to restrict browser access to individual documents or portions of the document tree. Some servers provide no restriction at all, while others allow you to restrict access to directories based on the IP address of the browser or to users who can provide the correct password. A few servers, primarily commercial ones (e.g. Netsite Commerce Server, Open Market), provide data encryption as well.
The WN server, by John Franks, deserves special mention in this regard because its design is distinctively different from other Web servers. While most servers take a permissive attitude to file distribution, allowing any document in the document root to be transferred unless it is specifically forbidden, WN takes a restrictive stance. The server will not transfer a file unless it has been explicitly placed on a list of allowed documents. On-the-fly directory listings and other "promiscuous" features are also disallowed.
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Other Interview Questions
- How can I avoid computer viruses?
- What makes a strong password?
- What is Spyware?
- How can I avoid Spyware?
- What is a Firewall?
- How can I protect my home computer?
- I'm new to the Internet and have been hearing a lot about viruses. I'm not exactly sure what they are. Can you help?
- I've been hearing a lot about firewalls, but I'm not sure what it is or if I need it. Can you help?
- What is the security threat level today at the Internet Storm Center (ISC).
- What is this (X) IDS signature mean?
- SEM/SIM Security information management questions
- Checking on the interviewee's knowledge of legal issues and information security
- Use the out put from any network security scanner, which ever network security scanner is used by the interviewer
- How well the person can do architecture from scratch ...
- Where do I get patches, or, what is a Service Pack or a Hot Fix?
- What is impersonation?
- What is a SID (Security ID)?
- What are privileges (user rights)?
- What is an ACE (Access Control Entry)?
- What is an ACL (Access Control List)?
- What is SRM (Security Reference Monitor)?
- What is LSA (Local Security Authority)?
- What is SAM (Security Account Manager)?
- What is a secure channel?
- What is an access token?
- Host security
- Are there any NT based viruses, or can NT be susceptible for other viruses?
- How do I get my computer C2-level secure, or, what is c2config?
- Are there any known problems with the screen saver / screen lock program?
- How can I secure my client computers against my users?
- Can my page file hold sensitive data?
- User security
- Administrator account
- Guest account
- Network security
- Is NT susceptible to SYN flood attacks?
- Is it possible to use packet filters on an NT machine?
- What ports must I enable to let NBT (NetBios over TCP/IP) through my firewall
- What is Authenticode?
- What should I think about when using SNMP?
- What servers have TCP ports opened on my NT system? Or: Is netstat broken?
- What are giant packets? Or, is Windows NT susceptible to the PING attack?
- What is a NULL session?
- Web server security
- FTP server security
- What is Rollback.exe ?
- What is Shutdown.exe
- What is AFTP, NVAlert and NVRunCmd
- There are several security issues related to ODBC usage ...
- There are a number of things to do to get better security on remote connections ...
- By default, all auditing in Windows NT is turned off. You have to manually turn on auditing on whatever object you want audited ...
- Can I grant access to someone to view or change the logfiles?
- What is CryptoAPI
- Where is the password that I configure a service to start with stored?
- How do we “lock down” a new system?
- Securing New Systems questions
- Password Management questions
- Anti-Virus questions
- Software Maintenance questions
- Backups questions
- Physical Security questions
- Network Security questions
- Wireless Security questions
- Data Security questions
- Intrusion Detection and Recovery questions
- Disaster Recovery Planning questions
- Current Awareness of Security Issues questions
- Security interview questions for network admin questions
- What's to worry about Web Security ?
- Exactly what security risks are we talking about?
- Are some operating systems more secure to use as platforms for Web servers than others?
- Are some Web server software programs more secure than others?
- Are CGI scripts insecure?
- Are server-side includes insecure?
- What general security precautions should I take?
- How do I secure Windows 2000 and IIS 5.0?
- What is the URLScan Security Tool?
- What is the IIS Lockdown Tool?
- What is the HFNetChk Security Tool?
- What is the Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer?
- What do you see as the most critical and current threats effecting Internet accessible websites?
- What online resources do you use to keep abreast of web security issues? Can you give an example of a recent web security vulnerability or threat?
- What do you see as challenges to successfully deploying/monitoring web intrusion detection?
- What is your definition of the term "Cross-Site Scripting"? What is the potential impact to servers and clients?
- What are the most important steps you would recommend for securing a new web server? Web application?
- Imagine that we are running an Apache reverse proxy server and one of the servers we are proxy for is a Windows IIS server. What does the log entry suggest has happened?
- You are engaged in a penetration-test where you are attempting to gain access to a protected location. You are presented with this login screen:
- What application generated the log file entry below? What type of attack is this?
- What does this log entry indicate? How could you identify what the contents are of the "hacked.htm" file that the attacker is trying to upload?
- The file is called "logon_validate" and a typical logon request looks like this ?
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