8 Security Implications

The client-server protocol for conserver requires the user of the console client to enter a password. This password is passed across the net in cleartext! This means conserver is not really suitable for use across untrusted networks (such as the Internet). Use of conserver-only passwords (in the conserver.passwd file) slightly mitigate this problem, but anyone sniffing a conserver connection can easily get console access, and from there prang your machine using the console break sequence. For operating across the Internet, use something secure like SSH to log into to the server machine, and run the console client there.