[paramiko] Paramiko bugs out on windows 2003 server

[Dwayne Litzenberger]

On March 25, 2008 01:51:33 pm Tarun Kapoor wrote:
> The windows server machine has python 2.3 which cannot be upgraded
> (unfortunately). So the version of paramiko and pycrypto are latest ones
> I can install on python 2.3

Old versions of paramiko *looked* like they were working, but would sometimes 
run totally insecurely on Win32---depending on the configuration---due to a 
lack of a strong random number generator.  See this email: 
http://www.lag.net/pipermail/paramiko/2008-January/000599.html

The newest version of paramiko detects the problem and aborts if it can't find 
a good source of random numbers.

If you can't upgrade to Python >= 2.4 and you can't install a modified version 
of PyCrypto, then there is currently no secure way to run *any version* of 
paramiko on your server, since the random number generator is very weak.  
Sorry.

I repeat: If you are getting this error with the latest version of Paramiko, 
then older versions of Paramiko might work, but they will be insecure.

-- 
Dwayne Litzenberger, B.A.Sc.
Information Technology Analyst

Open Systems Canada Limited
#210 - 2332 11th Ave
Regina, SK S4P0K1
Office: (306) 359-OSCL (6725)
http://www.oscl.ca/