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Patrick Williamsc124f4f2015-09-15 14:41:29 -05001.TH SAFE_FINGER 8 "21th June 1997" Linux "Linux Programmer's Manual"
2.SH NAME
3safe_finger \- finger client wrapper that protects against nasty stuff
4from finger servers
5.SH SYNOPSIS
6.B safe_finger [finger_options]
7.SH DESCRIPTION
8The
9.B safe_finger
10command protects against nasty stuff from finger servers. Use this
11program for automatic reverse finger probes from the
12.B tcp_wrapper
13.B (tcpd)
14, not the raw finger command. The
15.B safe_finger
16command makes sure that the finger client is not run with root
17privileges. It also runs the finger client with a defined PATH
18environment.
19.B safe_finger
20will also protect you from problems caused by the output of some
21finger servers. The problem: some programs may react to stuff in
22the first column. Other programs may get upset by thrash anywhere
23on a line. File systems may fill up as the finger server keeps
24sending data. Text editors may bomb out on extremely long lines.
25The finger server may take forever because it is somehow wedged.
26.B safe_finger
27takes care of all this badness.
28.SH SEE ALSO
29.BR hosts_access (5),
30.BR hosts_options (5),
31.BR tcpd (8)
32.SH AUTHOR
33Wietse Venema, Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands.
34