The problem with some of these known attacks are the effectiveness of each.

Example:

Last night I was thinking about how it could have happened, but actually during a system evaluation I did in my head, I actually hit a large wall.

Shadow can use cryptographic algorithms of at least 512-bit keys, and if combined with cracklib and Linux-PAM, presents a formidable defense if PAM is set to warn/deny and cracklib enforces a strong password with at least 14 alphanumerical characters and symbols.

Even with orphcrack and a Rainbow Table, you're still going to be waiting a long time to which an Intrusion Detection System is going to alert someone.

As far as internet protocols, again a wall.

Library and Database injections are effective, but only against a weakened system and poor design and controls. Again, PAM and a SQL server would be problematic.

By that, we know at least one server was running Red Hat. Red Hat, by default, if I'm not mistaken, uses SELinux, PAM, and enforces Shadow with high encryption keys and Cracklib. This would make OpenSSH a problem due to it can be controlled with PAM.

You'd have to really spoof PAM and fool the IDS to some extent, and you have Firewalls to get past.

To do this without getting caught, you would need to have a clear path into the system via a Backdoor, and it would have had to exist, and be known, but so far this, from my own conclusion is circumstantial at best.

Even from my own thinking, this was a feet nothing short of interesting, and honestly, from an analytical point of view, I'd love to know how they did it.
________________________________
From: Nuno Magalhães<mailto:nunomagalhaes@eu.ipp.pt>
Sent: ‎7/‎22/‎2015 12:09 PM
To: dng@???<mailto:dng@lists.dyne.org>
Subject: Re: [DNG] Ashley Madison hack

You're forgetting SQL injection and XSS, to name a few. Wireshark in a
cybercafé pops into mind too plus a gazillion of windows
vulnerabilities.

I'm placing no bets on Whether-or-not-it-was-systemd and find that
discussion moot unless there's any solid details on the hack.

Does Devuan keep up to date with known CVEs in its repositories (for
apache and what not) would qualify as devual-related and relevant.

And i try not to project my a/moral views on others so the fact the
site is about adultery is totally irrelevant to me, from a
computer-security perspective.

But that's just me.

Cheers,
Nuno
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