encrypted passwords
hi...my situation is hard to explain...so here's an example:
you are on hypermart's Password Encrypt page
you enter a word or words, and it prints the encrypted version when you press the button...
does this store it in a database? or can it just print the encrypted version? if i were to do this on a site i made, would i have to store it? thanks
Peter J. Boettcher posted this at 19:08 — 30th August 2002.
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The encryption algorithm can be on the server or the client, although it's not recommended that you store it on the client. The algorithm itself isn't stored in the database, most likely it is just some code on the server (ASP/PHP/etc).
The data that is encrypted can be stored in the database if you choose, then it has to be decrypted when it is pulled out of the database.
PJ | Are we there yet?
pjboettcher.com
kb posted this at 00:01 — 31st August 2002.
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but does it have to be stored for it to work in a .htaccess file?
Peter J. Boettcher posted this at 00:29 — 31st August 2002.
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I'm not sure what you mean exactly. When you use .htaccess/.htpasswd stuff, the system handles all encryption and storage for you. Are you interfacing something you built with that?
PJ | Are we there yet?
pjboettcher.com
kb posted this at 00:31 — 31st August 2002.
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no...i'm trying to set it up for my own server that will be here soon...after the algorithim processes the password, does it have to be saved if one were to use the password in a .htaccess file?
Suzanne posted this at 00:49 — 31st August 2002.
She has: 5,507 posts
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I think he's talking about .htpasswrd. I hope. Kyle, have you considered taking some courses.
kb posted this at 01:21 — 31st August 2002.
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ahh yea, stupid me...i meant htpasswd...but no-one will answer me....and classes to figure out how to use htpasswd? i know how...i want to learn how to install it upon a server (enable implementation would prob be a better term)
Suzanne posted this at 02:57 — 31st August 2002.
She has: 5,507 posts
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classes in, say, server administration, cgi programming -- in general. you ask a lot of questions where you don't know the terminology, or even how to ask the question, so it takes a few rounds before anyone can even try to answer your question.
I'm suggesting classes so at the very least, you can ask questions that people can answer.
Mark Hensler posted this at 07:35 — 31st August 2002.
He has: 4,048 posts
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[max@host max]$ man htpasswd
htpasswd(1) htpasswd(1)
NAME
htpasswd - Create and update user authentication files
SYNOPSIS
htpasswd [ -c ] [ -m | -d | -s | -p ] passwdfile username
htpasswd -b [ -c ] [ -m | -d | -s | -p ] passwdfile user
name password
htpasswd -n [ -m | -d | -s | -p ] username
htpasswd -nb [ -m | -d | -s | -p ] username password
DESCRIPTION
htpasswd is used to create and update the flat-files used
to store usernames and password for basic authentication
of HTTP users. If htpasswd cannot access a file, such as
not being able to write to the output file or not being
able to read the file in order to update it, it returns an
error status and makes no changes.
Resources available from the httpd Apache web server can
be restricted to just the users listed in the files cre-
ated by htpasswd. This program can only manage usernames
and passwords stored in a flat-file. It can encrypt and
display password information for use in other types of
data stores, though. To use a DBM database see dbmmanage.
htpasswd encrypts passwords using either a version of MD5
modified for Apache, or the system's crypt() routine.
Files managed by htpasswd may contain both types of pass
words; some user records may have MD5-encrypted passwords
while others in the same file may have passwords encrypted
with crypt().
This manual page only lists the command line arguments.
For details of the directives necessary to configure user
authentication in httpd see the Apache manual, which is
part of the Apache distribution or can be found at
<URL:<a href="http://httpd.apache.org/" class="bb-url">http://httpd.apache.org/</a>>.
OPTIONS
-b Use batch mode; i.e., get the password from the
command line rather than prompting for it. This
option should be used with extreme care, since the
password is clearly visible on the command line.
-c Create the passwdfile. If passwdfile already
exists, it is rewritten and truncated. This option
cannot be combined with the -n option.
-n Display the results on standard output rather than
updating a file. This is useful for generating
password records acceptable to Apache for inclusion
in non-text data stores. This option changes the
syntax of the command line, since the passwdfile
argument (usually the first one) is omitted. It
cannot be combined with the -c option.
-m Use Apache's modified MD5 algorithm for passwords.
Passwords encrypted with this algorithm are trans
portable to any platform (Windows, Unix, BeOS, et
cetera) running Apache 1.3.9 or later. On Windows
and TPF, this flag is the default.
-d Use crypt() encryption for passwords. The default
on all platforms but Windows and TPF. Though possi
bly supported by htpasswd on all platforms, it is
not supported by the httpd server on Windows and
TPF.
-s Use SHA encryption for passwords. Faciliates migra
tion from/to Netscape servers using the LDAP Direc
tory Interchange Format (ldif).
-p Use plaintext passwords. Though htpasswd will sup
port creation on all platforms, the httpd deamon
will only accept plain text passwords on Windows
and TPF.
passwdfile
Name of the file to contain the user name and pass
word. If -c is given, this file is created if it
does not already exist, or rewritten and truncated
if it does exist.
username
The username to create or update in passwdfile. If
username does not exist in this file, an entry is
added. If it does exist, the password is changed.
password
The plaintext password to be encrypted and stored
in the file. Only used with the -b flag.
EXIT STATUS
htpasswd returns a zero status ("true") if the username
and password have been successfully added or updated in
the passwdfile. htpasswd returns 1 if it encounters some
problem accessing files, 2 if there was a syntax problem
with the command line, 3 if the password was entered
interactively and the verification entry didn't match, 4
if its operation was interrupted, 5 if a value is too long
(username, filename, password, or final computed record),
and 6 if the username contains illegal characters (see the
RESTRICTIONS section).
EXAMPLES
htpasswd /usr/local/etc/apache/.htpasswd-users jsmith
Adds or modifies the password for user jsmith. The
user is prompted for the password. If executed on
a Windows system, the password will be encrypted
using the modified Apache MD5 algorithm; otherwise,
the system's crypt() routine will be used. If the
file does not exist, htpasswd will do nothing
except return an error.
htpasswd -c /home/doe/public_html/.htpasswd jane
Creates a new file and stores a record in it for
user jane. The user is prompted for the password.
If the file exists and cannot be read, or cannot be
written, it is not altered and htpasswd will dis
play a message and return an error status.
htpasswd -mb /usr/web/.htpasswd-all jones Pwd4Steve
Encrypts the password from the command line
(Pwd4Steve) using the MD5 algorithm, and stores it
in the specified file.
SECURITY CONSIDERATIONS
Web password files such as those managed by htpasswd
should not be within the Web server's URI space -- that
is, they should not be fetchable with a browser.
The use of the -b option is discouraged, since when it is
The use of the -b option is discouraged, since when it is
used the unencrypted password appears on the command line.
RESTRICTIONS
On the Windows and MPE platforms, passwords encrypted with
htpasswd are limited to no more than 255 characters in
length. Longer passwords will be truncated to 255 charac
ters.
The MD5 algorithm used by htpasswd is specific to the
Apache software; passwords encrypted using it will not be
usable with other Web servers.
Usernames are limited to 255 bytes and may not include the
character ':'.
SEE ALSO
httpd(8) and the scripts in support/SHA1 which come with
the distribution.
May 2000 1
Mark Hensler
If there is no answer on Google, then there is no question.
Mark Hensler posted this at 07:37 — 31st August 2002.
He has: 4,048 posts
Joined: Aug 2000
Ya know, it might have been easier to just link to here:
http://httpd.apache.org/docs/programs/htpasswd.html
zollet posted this at 15:41 — 31st August 2002.
He has: 1,016 posts
Joined: May 2002
Kyle,
if you're getting a control panel with your server, it'll most likely have a web protect script included where you can manage these through the web. But then again, it's good to learn how to do things through the shell since you're going to have to manage this server.
kb posted this at 17:22 — 31st August 2002.
He has: 1,380 posts
Joined: Feb 2002
ok...
suzanne: i understand what you are saying, but it is hard to describe what i want, when i can't totally tell you what i need it for and why. and...i understand most of what is done, but not necessarily all the terms...and alot of what i ask here is me trying to learn/figure out things...not necessarily tweak. you may have noticed i have posted less for help, and more to help.
mark: thanks
sarvi: it isnt' coming with a control panel...its a custom built server, nothing coming with it
nike_guy_man posted this at 18:17 — 31st August 2002.
They have: 840 posts
Joined: Sep 2000
Can't you order a control panel with it?
Using htpasswd in *nix is simple enough for me... I've tried it out a few times and it protects it fine...
However, I've found that sessions in PHP work just as easily, if not more easily...
With PHP, I write in a session code to see if they are logged in... I title that 'protect.php' then I include that at the top of every page I want protected. That way, you can protect certain files, or all the files in a directory.
If you don't want 1 file in a directory protected, it is kind of a pain to do with htpasswd, but very easy with PHP.
Try it out
kb posted this at 00:43 — 1st September 2002.
He has: 1,380 posts
Joined: Feb 2002
ok...well thanks peter, i mean nike_guy_man ....
....
nike_guy_man posted this at 00:50 — 1st September 2002.
They have: 840 posts
Joined: Sep 2000
what?
kb posted this at 00:59 — 3rd September 2002.
He has: 1,380 posts
Joined: Feb 2002
lol, just playin
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