From: Robert Klemme <shortcutter@...>
Date: 2009-02-06T22:46:02+09:00
Subject: Re: Best way to encrypt/decrypt a word

2009/2/5 Ruby Student <ruby.student@gmail.com>
>
> On Thu, Feb 5, 2009 at 2:52 PM, Iñaki Baz Castillo <ibc@aliax.net> wrote:
>
> > El Jueves, 5 de Febrero de 2009, Ruby Student escribió:
> >  > Hello Team,
> > >
> > > I have the need to encrypt/decrypt a one word string. The encrypted word
> > > will be saved in a file.
> > > Later the word will be picked-up from the file, decrypt it at execution
> > > time, and use it as a UNIX password to perform certain function that
> > > requires authentication.
> > > What Ruby facility is available for this simple function?
> >
> > The problem is:
> > Even if the UNIX password is encrypted by the Ruby programm, if an attacker
> > can see the Ruby code it can know how to decrypt it.

> You are correct. However, we are behind several firewalls.
> Also, the file with the encripted password will be place within a "secured"
> dir.

Well...  I'd rather do something different: set up ssh with ssh-agent
so that you can do automated logins.  Not sure whether that works with
Ruby's Net::SSH but you can fork a SSH shell via system or IO.popen.
Of course, in this scenario someone has to enter the passphrase
once...

My 0.02EUR

Kind regards

robert


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