InterNIC "whois server <handle>" broke?

Sat Dec 19 02:19:18 UTC 1998

On Sat, Dec 19, 1998 at 01:22:07AM +0000, Alex Bligh wrote:
> Perhaps this is dumb, but how about authentication by ensuring the
> TCP connection from the whois comes from the server in question. IE
> you can whois FOO-HST to see which domains are served by FOO-HST
> only from FOO-HST. Mildly inconvenient, but stops random people pulling
> off everyones lists. I can't currently think of an OS that supports
> DNS servers but not whois.

The problem with this, is if there is some sort of network problem or you
are trying to determine what domains are still looking at an old nameserver
you took down.

I don't see why authentication is such a necessity-- why is it a secret
what domains a given nameserver serves?  It would be easy enough to pull
the information down by exhaustive search.

Mike

-- 
Michael P. Lyle
Security Architect
Exodus Communications, Inc.