If you are using a Workstation version of Windows as your server there are
built in limitations to the number of TCP connections you can make from
external IP addresses. I believe the figure is 10 - but someone else may be
able to clarify the details.

The Windows "Server" editions do not have this limitation.

Otherwise:
1. Did you run out of UniVerse licenses? Each session takes a license slot.

2. Are you running with Device Licensing and using incorrect session keys?
(> 10 sessions with the same key)

3. Does this only happen if you telnet to 31438 regardless of the number of
sessions? The answer to that one is don't telnet - you may be locking the
port down by violating the protocol used for sessions. In which case it will
wait and wait until it detects a fatal protocol violation and time out
(timeout settings are configurable - you can reduce them down).

Worth noting there have been at least three major generations of the client
and server components since 10.0:

10.1.20+ server and 10.1a/10.1b clients. If you order the LATEST 10.1 you
will automatically get the latest clients.

10.2.6 server and 10.2 clients.

Whatever the case - upgrading may change this for you and is worthy of a
check. The timing on initial handshake may have been tightened up. If not
it's always worth asking. I can see why the timeout on an initial handshake
failure might be different to an inactivity timeout.

Hope this helps .... if your problem is (3) then the timeout and "don't do
it" is probably the best I can offer if using the current generation of
client and server components don't change the situation. 

If a hostile application tried to connect there would be authentication
violations and protocol violations everywhere and it should disconnect
pretty quickly. I suspect a Telnet just sits there as a "dead keyboard"
until a timeout or you key something it objects to. In real life of course
you would use firewalls to prevent a Denial of Service attack and you would
have a rather pointed talk (at least) to anyone in-house trying to hack your
systems with a DoS attack. 

Your server ports (all of them - not just 31438) would have firewall
protection and would only be exposed in a limited fashion on an in-house
intranet. If someone gets a virus or tries something detectable by your
firewall then they would get shut down pretty quickly.

If you are using UniObjects on an Internet connection then I am sure you
would be behind an n-Tier architected DMZ so would not be exposed to a DoS
attack from the outside. Any PC in-house tries it? Then take appropriate
action.

*** This is key - no server port in a "green zone" (your data and
application residency) should ever be exposed to the "red zone" (potentially
hostile users) without going through an "amber zone" (a middle-tier firewall
and server). This applies to ALL ports and services - not just those used by
UniVerse. To expose any host ports to the red zone is a very large security
risk ***

Background reading on n-Tier deployment is strongly recommended.

Hope this helps
 
Regards

JayJay

-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Augusto Alonso
Sent: 19 September 2007 12:42
To: u2-users@listserver.u2ug.org
Subject: [U2] Denial Of Service in UVRPC Universe

Hi all.

If you do a telnet against any Universe server on port 31438 (I have tested 
it on Universe 10.0.10 in Windows, Universe 10.0.20 in Linux and Universe 
10.0.6 in HP-UX), you will have something very similar to a Denial Of 
Service on this port 31438:
-    all previous UVRPC established sessions keep on working without 
problem, but
-    any subsequent tries to start new UVRPC sessions, will timeout with 
"Error returned from connect = 81015".

The problem desappears when the PC client closes the telnet session. (Or you

can restart UniVerse or the whole server...)

Could someone tell me if is it a normal behaviour or is it a unirpcd bug?
Is there any way of detect or avoid this kind of sessions?
Could it be the same problem that some viruses (like Blaster) causes on 
UVRPC of Universe Servers?

Any help will be apreciated.

Regards,
______________________________
Augusto Alonso Alonso
IT Manager
Quiter Servicios Informaticos S.L.
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
www.quiter.com
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