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    SHC

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    nawazid
    The document discusses encrypting shell scripts using the shc utility to add an extra layer of security. It explains how to install shc and use it to encrypt a sample shell script that echoes a message. The encrypted script is turned into a binary executable that still runs like a normal shell script. Shc can also set an expiration date and custom expiration message for the encrypted script. While shc encrypts scripts locally, it does not provide encryption for sensitive data transmitted over a network from the script.

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    SHC

    Uploaded by

    nawazid
    99 views3 pages
    The document discusses encrypting shell scripts using the shc utility to add an extra layer of security. It explains how to install shc and use it to encrypt a sample shell script that echoes a message. The encrypted script is turned into a binary executable that still runs like a normal shell script. Shc can also set an expiration date and custom expiration message for the encrypted script. While shc encrypts scripts locally, it does not provide encryption for sensitive data transmitted over a network from the script.

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    The document discusses encrypting shell scripts using the shc utility to add an extra layer of security. It explains how to install shc and use it to encrypt a sample shell script that echoes a message. The encrypted script is turned into a binary executable that still runs like a normal shell script. Shc can also set an expiration date and custom expiration message for the encrypted script. While shc encrypts scripts locally, it does not provide encryption for sensitive data transmitted over a network from the script.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    99 views3 pages

    SHC

    Uploaded by

    nawazid
    The document discusses encrypting shell scripts using the shc utility to add an extra layer of security. It explains how to install shc and use it to encrypt a sample shell script that echoes a message. The encrypted script is turned into a binary executable that still runs like a normal shell script. Shc can also set an expiration date and custom expiration message for the encrypted script. While shc encrypts scripts locally, it does not provide encryption for sensitive data transmitted over a network from the script.

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    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    of 3

    LinuxSecurity.

    com

    Encrypting Shell Scripts


    Posted by Duane Dunston 13 January 2005

    Do you have scripts that contain sensitive information like passwords and you pretty much depend on file permissions to keep it secure? If so, then that type of security is good provided you keep your system secure and some user doesn't have a "ps -ef" loop running in an attempt to capture that sensitive info (though some applications mask passwords in "ps" output). There is a program called "shc" that can be used to add an extra layer of security to those shell scripts. SHC will encrypt shell scripts using RC4 and make an executable binary out of the shell script and run it as a normal shell script. This utility is great for programs that require a password to either encrypt, decrypt, or require a password that can be passed to a command line argument.

    Download shc (http://www.datsi.fi.upm.es/~frosal/) and untar it:

    tar -xzvf shc-X.X.tgz cd shc-X.X/ make make install

    A binary named "shc" will be created along with some test programs. Let's give it a try.

    Create a file called: "script.sh" and add the following contents:

    ############################### script.sh ############################## #!/bin/sh

    echo "I love Duane's articles and will send him a donation via PayPal."

    ############################### script.sh ##############################

    http://www.linuxsecurity.com

    Generated: 6 July, 2010, 15:48

    LinuxSecurity.com

    Now run the command:

    shc -f script.sh

    The switch "-f" specifies the source script to encrypt. The above command will create two files: script.sh.x.c and script.sh.x.

    The program "shc" creates C source code out of your shell script then encrypts it (script.sh.x.c). The encrypted shell script is: script.sh.x. Run that binary and see the output:

    ./script.sh.x I love Duane's articles and will send him a donation via PayPal.

    Now copy the original "script.sh" file to a floppy disk or some other system for backup or in case you need to edit it in the future. Then, delete it from the server and delete the "script.sh.x.c" file it creates.

    Neat feature

    You can also specify a time limit on the shell script so that it will no longer execute after a certain date and you can specify a custom message to echo back to the user. Run this command on the "script.sh" file we created earlier in this tut:

    shc -e 09/10/2004 -m "Dude it is too late to run this script." -f script.sh ./script.sh.x ./script.sh.x has expired! Dude it is too late to run this script.

    http://www.linuxsecurity.com

    Generated: 6 July, 2010, 15:48

    LinuxSecurity.com

    In the above command the date October 9, 2004 is set as the expiration date (-e 09/10/2004) and the custom message was set to display to the user (-m "Dude it is too late to run this script.") when the binary is executed. Note the date format is dd/mm/yyyy.

    Check out the man pages for more info on "shc". Remember that the binary is only encrypted on the local system. If you encrypt a script that transmits sensitive information in clear text across a network, you will need some other encrypted communication channel to transmit that information.

    Duane Dunston received his B.A. and M.S. degrees from Pfeiffer University and he has his GSEC certification from SANS. Hey,Ann Curry"!

    http://www.linuxsecurity.com

    Generated: 6 July, 2010, 15:48

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