IRIX Security HOWTO

In an effort to solve the many security FAQs which pop up, I’ve written a security HOWTO for IRIX. It contains step by step instructions on how to secure your 6.5 system.

The current version is 0.1, and it can be viewed here: irix_security_howto_0.1.pdf

Please send any questions or feedback.

SGI

SGI provides security patches, as well as recommended/required patch sets, for free.
For some of the patches, you’ll need a Supportfolio username and password to download them – you can apply for one here.

• Security patches can be found at http://www.sgi.com/support/security/index.html

• Recommended/Required patch sets are available at http://support.sgi.com/colls/patches/tools/patchset/index.html
  You will require a Supportfolio login. This patch list should be updated monthly.

• If you have an SGI support contract, you can find the Support Contract Required Patches at http://support.sgi.com/colls/patches/tools/patchset/index.html
  You will require a Supportfolio login. Patch list updated daily.

• SGI also provides the Wiretap mailing list, for notification of security bugs and their patches.
  To subscribe, send an email to wiretap-request@sgi.com with a message body of:
  subscribe wiretap <your_email_address>
  end

• CERT – the Computer Emergency Response Team co-ordinates reports of vulnerabilities, and has a fairly comprehensive list of vulnerabilities, plus information on vendor-supplied fixes (and where to get them from)

• SANS – the SANS Institute was founded in 1989 as a co-operative research and education organisation. It’s one of the premier computer security organisations – lots of helpful information here.

• SecurityFocus has grown out of the BugTraq mailing list – it contains archives of vulnerabilities, archives of security related mailing lists, exploits, discussions – the works. You should subscribe to the BugTraq mailing list – it’s well worth it.

• If you have one of the newer SGI Visual Workstations, running Windows, then you should also subscribe to the NTBugTraq mailing list