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Re: escape

Rich Connamacher wrote:
> 
> This is dangerous.  The escape character can be used to remap characters
> on the client's keyboard with commands.  For instance, if I had the
> escape character and knew how to do it, I could remap your enter key with
> the command rm -r /, so that every time you hit 'enter', the command rm
> -r / would be executed with your permissions.  (For those non-UNIX bums out
> there, rm -r / deletes everything on any drive connected to your
> computer.  If you're root, that is.  Otherwise, it just creates a ton of
> error messages and only deletes everything you own.)Other things that can/have been done are the ever popular format C: in DOS.
You can figure out what that one does. :)  And 'del *.*' or deltree, whatever.

> 
> It may be possible to do it with non-UNIX systems as well.  And not all
> UNIX systems may have this hole, but it does exist as a standard, or so I
> hear.
> Any terminal that supports all of the ANSI standard will take key reassignments
and in some cases you can change the screen mode with it to, besides doing a lot
of things with the cursor.  Even if it's not dangerous a screen where the text is
flashing bold purple on red kills your eyes.

> And any programmer on a MOO can rewrite his or her :notify verb to catch
> the escape character.  Again, only do it if you ***REALLY*** trust
> everyone on the MOO, and never plan on opening up the MOO to people you
> don't ***REALLY*** trust.No just make sure that only wizards can get to a raw escape.

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