In a previous post http://www.wiseoldcat.com/?p=176 I wrote about how to block dictionary attacks with iptables and an adaptive blacklist. I’ve moved the script to several different hosts and it worked on all of them but one. It’s an aging CentOS 5.5 system (I know, I know, it should be updated.) For some reason it wasn’t picking up on the active BLACKLIST entries. It would do its thing just fine when run from the bash prompt but not when run from crontab. Turns out it has to do with the environment.
Continue reading “Computer environmental crisis. (or why sysadmins drink)”