Obtaining Shell Access via AIM?

Quicksilver31337 asks: "I have recently been faced with a challenge of getting shell access via a AIM(for mobile access purposes), where Perl would be used to recieve messages (prolly from specified users only) over AIM, and pass them as shell commands, and finally, returning output to the user over AIM again. Its seems to be possible to me (maybe using Net::AIM) and I was wondering if anyone has tried something similar with success. Thanks."

Comments

Hello.

[3-State Bit]

Two considerations.

1. The AIM protocol is not end-to-end secure.
   If you are willing to use an unsecure transport layer, I have the net:AIM module running on my server, sandboxed with access only to ssh. (It's just for me and a few friends, when we have to be at a public computer and want to log in to do something quickly. A web interface might be easier, but this was just a few pipes).
   To log in, query
   AIM: jkpsmdto5fny
   with "HLO". You will receive instructions on supplying a server to connect to and username / password (again, this will be sent over the AIM network in the clear). Obviously, this is textmode ssh, so there are some limitations, but you should be able to do most of what you want to get done. (Excluding using some programs like vi, obviously).
   
2. If you actually want to have some security (including running your own server instead of using mine) you should ditch the AIM network entirely,
   and your best bet would probably be to spin your own quick web interface -- if whatever you're using to access (cell phone, etc), has AIM support, it can probably connect to an https site as well -- and that's real security.
   An SSL license runs you something like $100.
   

Also: I believe that Microsoft must be destroyed.

Re:Security?

[Milican]

Or he could be trying to access from a cell phone or PDA. Most likely cell phone. There are AIM clients for Sprint Wireless Web, but no telnet or ssh client.

JOhn