Most Secure IRC Server Software? reddit / irc ---------------------------------------------------------------------- jsyorkcol · 2017-05-02 12:13 Hi, I am looking to set up an IRC server for a few users and bots. I have been researching different IRC server softwares for a while and cannot decide which is best for me. I was most interested in inspIRCd until I noticed that the package for it is out of date in the Ubuntu repositories. I need only basic chat features and MOTD. I do not need ChanServ, NickServ or any other features like that. Which IRC server software is the most secure? Thanks ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Japex · 2017-05-02 12:33 ircd-ratbox ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [deleted] · 2017-05-02 13:26 [deleted] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- jsyorkcol · 2017-05-02 13:34 I do not mean security of the chat. I mean security of the IRC server software. Which is least susceptible to attack or exploitation? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Saber_UK · 2017-05-02 14:12 *All* IRC servers are out of date on Debian and its derivatives. The pkg-irc team is basically dead and the few maintainers that exist are not very cooperative. We've tried to get security fixes into older Debian releases but the maintainers just don't care. We have .deb packages for InspIRCd available on [the downloads page](https://github.com/inspircd/inspircd/releases/latest). ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Jonno_FTW · 2017-05-02 14:45 Are people incapable of compiling software themselves? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- jsyorkcol · 2017-05-02 14:59 Ah yes, I have seen those. In the readme it says that I should be using the insp20 branch for stability. Do you provide debs for this or only for the master branch? Thank you. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- jsyorkcol · 2017-05-02 15:00 Updates are easier when installed from repos. I was hoping that there would be an actively maintained IRC server in the Ubuntu repos that I could install easily. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- kellyzdude · 2017-05-02 15:48 For what it's worth, and I'm a live-and-die-by-packages (even if I have to build them myself) admin, installing and upgrading IRC software from source is not at all difficult. I don't run many servers anymore, but when I did I preferred to build from source, precisely because the packaged versions were so outdated. In fairness, I'd recommend the packages that InspIRCd publish, or a self-compiled version. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- MuffinMedic · 2017-05-02 16:01 The packages are for the latest stable release. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Saber_UK · 2017-05-02 17:18 The packages are for 2.0 not for master. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Saber_UK · 2017-05-02 17:19 Packages, when maintained by competent people, are considerably easier to work with. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- jsyorkcol · 2017-05-02 18:34 I am having much trouble when trying to install from inspircd_2.0.23-1_amd64.deb on Ubuntu Server 16.04 (my testing server). It is pretty much a default server, I only set up the VM a few days ago. js@box:~$ sudo dpkg -i inspircd_2.0.23-1_amd64.deb Selecting previously unselected package inspircd. (Reading database ... 100846 files and directories currently installed.) Preparing to unpack inspircd_2.0.23-1_amd64.deb ... Unpacking inspircd (2.0.23-1) ... dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of inspircd: inspircd depends on libgnutls-deb0-28 (>= 3.3.0); however: Package libgnutls-deb0-28 is not installed. inspircd depends on libmysqlclient18 (>= 5.5.24+dfsg-1); however: Package libmysqlclient18:amd64 is not installed. dpkg: error processing package inspircd (--install): dependency problems - leaving unconfigured Processing triggers for systemd (229-4ubuntu17) ... Processing triggers for ureadahead (0.100.0-19) ... Processing triggers for man-db (2.7.5-1) ... Errors were encountered while processing: inspircd I have tried installing those packages, however: E: Package 'libgnutls-deb0-28' has no installation candidate I have installed and tried every package related to libgnutls. I'm really struggling to get this working, I need to have a stable and reliable installation method before I try it on my main server. Do you have any idea what I am doing wrong? Thanks. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [deleted] · 2017-05-03 00:09 [deleted] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Japex · 2017-05-03 01:35 Wrong. People scan the Internet for exploitable shit and pwn it all of the time. Literally every box is constantly under attack. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [deleted] · 2017-05-03 01:55 [deleted] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- thebadshepperd · 2017-05-03 02:27 the necessary gnutls packages are called libgnutls-dev and gnutls-bin in the debian/ubuntu repos. a quick google gives this: https://wiki.inspircd.org/System_Requirements ---------------------------------------------------------------------- gatewayy · 2017-05-03 04:10 https://github.com/evilnet/nefarious2 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- jsyorkcol · 2017-05-03 15:20 Would you be able to tell us more about why this is the most secure ircd? Thanks ---------------------------------------------------------------------- jsyorkcol · 2017-05-03 18:31 I have already installed both of those packages and the others listed on the wiki but I am still getting the error. It is asking for libgnutls-deb0-28 and libmysqlclient18:amd64. Those packages cannot be found. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Japex · 2017-05-03 23:58 Awful suggestion. You just flood the port this thing's running on with UDP packets and the ircd crashes. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Japex · 2017-05-04 00:00 ircd-ratbox & ircd-hybrid were both written to be used for EFNet. Every major IRC network's running a fork of one of those two. EFNet being notorious for having a large population of nefarious users who wouldn't think twice about owning the ircd if they could I think that fact alone is testimony to it's security. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- gatewayy · 2017-05-04 00:00 If you flood any software enough it will crash. It's an IRCU fork that runs fine on multiple networks for years now. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Japex · 2017-05-04 00:01 Not true at all. Most places the network will fail before the ircd literally segfaults. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- gatewayy · 2017-05-04 00:03 You and I are never going to agree on this point. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- rockintheairwaves · 2017-05-04 07:05 I agree. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Saber_UK · 2017-05-05 15:12 >Every major IRC network's running a fork of one of those two. Snoonet and Mozilla, which are in the top 15 most populated networks, both run InspIRCd. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Saber_UK · 2017-05-05 15:13 Hi, i've asked the person who builds our packages about this and apparently they are built for Debian rather than Ubuntu Server. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Saber_UK · 2017-05-05 15:19 [citation needed] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- jsyorkcol · 2017-05-05 15:38 Ah ok, thank you very much! I ended up just compiling InspIRCd from source. It would be really nice though to have packages in the repos that are up to date. I think it's wrong for out of date and insecure software to be in the universe repos. I know it's not just this, many packages have this problem (TOR is a notable example). Especially not good for new users who may just want to apt-get stuff. If I understand correctly, it is an independant package maintainer reponsible for this, not InspIRCd? Anyways, I have been learning the inner workings of InspIRCd for many hours and I've got a nice server set up. Quite daunting at first but I am more confident with it now. Thanks for helping out! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Saber_UK · 2017-05-05 17:40 >It would be really nice though to have packages in the repos that are up to date. We have tried. We even had someone make a list of fixes for the Debian maintainer to apply but they just weren't interested. >If I understand correctly, it is an independant package maintainer reponsible for this, not InspIRCd? Yeah, the Debian-distributed package is maintained by a Debian person not by anyone who is involved with InspIRCd development. >Anyways, I have been learning the inner workings of InspIRCd for many hours and I've got a nice server set up. Quite daunting at first but I am more confident with it now. Thanks for helping out! No problem! If you have any questions then you can ask at irc.inspircd.org #inspircd. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- XavierNite · 2017-05-06 00:04 Your best bet is to compile the IRCd yourself. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ngircdisgood · 2017-05-06 17:16 Try ngircd it's pretty decent, I use it and it's a simple apt-get install away: sudo apt install ngircd Website: https://ngircd.barton.de/ You can setup MOTD very easily, you have your choice of a 1 liner or a single file for it. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Japex · 2017-05-07 00:51 efnet - ircd-ratbox rizon - ircd-plexus - derivative of ircd-hybrid freenode - ircd-seven - derivative of charybdis - derivative of ircd- ratbox undernet - ircu quakenet - some derivative of ircu dalnet - bahamut ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Saber_UK · 2017-05-07 00:55 That has nothing to do with your claim that flooding Nefarious with UDP packets makes it crash. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Japex · 2017-05-07 01:00 This is what I've heard from people that have done it to 420chan's IRC which runs Nefarious. Try UDP flooding Nefarious yourself and report back. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Saber_UK · 2017-05-07 01:12 Those people are most likely talking shit. I've heard people say similar things about InspIRCd and its just FUD spread by fanboys who don't know what they are talking about.