People keep hammering my sshd with false login requests. I wrote this script which I call nunar_reaper.pl that retaliates against the stupidity in favor of a tarpit. The infamous Dave Dellanave helped out with this one. I still need to fend off imaginary user name attacks, but that’s a little harder.

#!/usr/bin/perl
open(TAIL, "tail -f /var/log/secure|");
while() {
  if(/Failed password for root/) {
  ($ip) = $_ =~ /(\d+\.\d+\.\d+\.\d+)/;
   system "iptables -A INPUT -i eth0 -s $ip  -j DROP"
  }
}

I was thinking a little more about the usability of some of the programs that I’ve settled into _not_ hating. One of those programs is the awesome terminal application program, PuTTY. It really sets the bar for terminal applications on Windows, and it’s free! It can even do things that the Linux terminal applications like “gnome-terminal” can’t do like copying rectangles. The main problem I have with it is the counter-intuitive configuration window. Basically, you type hostnames into a text box, and the default is _not_ to save them. Also, I’ve never quite understood the “Default Settings”, If I load it, then save it, it doesn’t save! This does work for any other saved session except the default. If you type “Default Settings” into the “Saved Sessions” text bar, edit the settings, then “Save”, it will save. Another thing that bothers me is that it makes me hit “OK” when I close a disconnected terminal. Why? Is there anything else I can do with a disconnected terminal at this point? How about displaying a timed dialog that says, “Hey, buddy, I just disconnected from the host, I’m closing down in 3…2…1…blip!”. It seems inane for me to have to keep clicking on the same useless dialogs over and OVER again.

The new SSH is here, the new SSH is here! You can download you some nice rpms here:

• http://rpm.involution.com/openssh