More Browser Hacking: How to Find Password Files

Is this too boring? Let's hunt for passwords. A search on Google for intitle:"Index of /etc" brings up

OK, that file that says "passwd" looks really interesting. You can read it with your browser by just clicking on it. However, you are likely to be disappointed. You'll probably see something like this. No actual passwords.

Their are several reasons for this. Today most Unix and Linux computers keep mostly just user names in the file /etc/passwd. Some don't even keep user names because a different computer might be handling authentication.

Despite this, the contents of this /etc/passwd are really exciting. This reveals the user names of the people who are probably deeply involved in running this Internet server: dave, nick, pete, ben and rwn. You can probably email them at, for example, dave@foogardelinux.org and so forth. Note that I have foobarred the real name of this web server so as to not embarrass them:)

Newbie note: Foobar is also spelled fubar. It stands for something rude along the lines of F***ed Up Beyond All Recognition.

More --->> 

---