MD5 checksum

[Ed Wilts]

On Thu, Jun 10, 2004 at 12:10:07AM -0400, Reuben D. Budiardja wrote:
> On Wednesday 09 June 2004 11:41 pm, Roger wrote:
> > I plan to use md5sum to get the digest of each file in some folders, like
> > /etc /sbin .. and keep this as cron job, so that I can check the integrity
> > of system.
> > But it seems that md5sum can't calculate a sub folder, and always inform
> > that something is a folder bla bla..
> > So, what should I do? Thanks!
> 
> You can also use RPM to check the integrity of your file, especially the 
> critical binary ones (ie. ls, ps, top, cd, etc.). Look at "man rpm", look at 
> the option verivy (-V) and Verify all (-Va). It's also explained in RH manual 
> / Security guide at www.redhat.com. I think it's under the chapter "RPM as 
> intrusion detection", or something like that.

However, if somebody has compromised one of your utilities, the odds may
be good that they've compromised your rpm database which renders rpm -V
useless.

-- 
Ed Wilts, RHCE
Mounds View, MN, USA
mailto:ewilts at ewilts.org
Member #1, Red Hat Community Ambassador Program