iPhone interface for MediaPortal (iPiMP) - original thread (now closed) (2 Viewers)

[globaldonkey]

Re: iPhone interface for MediaPortal (iPiMP) - 4.1.0

Unless you really understand how to harden Apache (or any other webserver for that matter), allowing unfettered internet access to your webserver is not a great idea. You are bound to get discovered by net crawlers and come under attack. It is of course possible if you are under active attack that an attacker might DoS your system. You'd be better served installing a router, or failing that a VPN server that supports the iPhone's Cisco VPN client and using a VPN to connect.

One obvious point to check. You're not running the web server on port 80 are you? That's just asking for trouble.

 

[pierremenard]

Re: iPhone interface for MediaPortal (iPiMP) - 4.1.0

I was running the webserver on port 80 (it's the only available port for controlling Ipimpi from my office), but now I blocked everything.
I'll have a look at VPN

 

[joz]

Re: iPhone interface for MediaPortal (iPiMP) - 4.1.0

Unless you really understand how to harden Apache (or any other webserver for that matter), allowing unfettered internet access to your webserver is not a great idea. You are bound to get discovered by net crawlers and come under attack. It is of course possible if you are under active attack that an attacker might DoS your system. You'd be better served installing a router, or failing that a VPN server that supports the iPhone's Cisco VPN client and using a VPN to connect.

One obvious point to check. You're not running the web server on port 80 are you? That's just asking for trouble.

I do not agree with this at all. I have been running apache on Port 80 for about 3 years now and never experienced any kind of successful attack. There are a lot of script kiddies out there that barely know what they are doing, you need not to be afraid of those. Only serious security holes will let any of those thru.

I Personally feel this is exagerated by most people

 

[wijnand]

Re: iPhone interface for MediaPortal (iPiMP) - 4.1.0

Hi, I'm concidering buying a Ipod touch as a remote for MP. Now I have a few questions wich I could'nt find in the topic's..

1. how is the feel of the interface? quick and responstive?
2. how is the volume adjusting? can you quickly adjust the volume without first tabbing trough tabs or windows?
3. how high is the Wife Acceptance Factor? This remote is mainly for my wife..

in advance for the answers..

 

[mr viggo]

Re: iPhone interface for MediaPortal (iPiMP) - 4.1.0

I think the remote thing is just a bonus feature. Go for a real remote instead.

 

[globaldonkey]

Re: iPhone interface for MediaPortal (iPiMP) - 4.1.0

Unless you really understand how to harden Apache (or any other webserver for that matter), allowing unfettered internet access to your webserver is not a great idea. You are bound to get discovered by net crawlers and come under attack. It is of course possible if you are under active attack that an attacker might DoS your system. You'd be better served installing a router, or failing that a VPN server that supports the iPhone's Cisco VPN client and using a VPN to connect.

One obvious point to check. You're not running the web server on port 80 are you? That's just asking for trouble.

I do not agree with this at all. I have been running apache on Port 80 for about 3 years now and never experienced any kind of successful attack. There are a lot of script kiddies out there that barely know what they are doing, you need not to be afraid of those. Only serious security holes will let any of those thru.

I Personally feel this is exagerated by most people

I do IT Security for a living. And I agree script kiddies are not your problem. But looking at logs it's sometimes hard to tell if you have a script kiddie on your doorstep, or a professional. Even professionals use the same tools script kiddies do. In any case, it's a good idea to at least obscure your web server and move it off port 80, and better still get a VPN. The bottom line is, if you see somebody is trying to get into your webserver, I wouldn't like to take the risk that it was just a script kiddie. Why would you, when it's pretty easy to prevent in the first place? It's pretty easy to DoS an Apache web server

 

[joz]

Re: iPhone interface for MediaPortal (iPiMP) - 4.1.0

Well on that I do agree although I also way out the importance of the data (which is low from my point of view) to the level of security that I provide.
Regular backups can save you a lot of trouble.

And who would get it in his head to DDOS or DoS a homeserver? Just for the fun of it? well yeah maybe but I think companies (and especially larger once) have to fear this, not consumers.
Besides that DDoS'ing my router is already doable if you know what to do. Don't need a webserver to expose me to those threads If someone just floods me with nonsense packets it can easily bring down any home router equipment, ever heard of that happening? I haven't. It wouldn't take much of a botnet to do that.

I know a bit of this stuff since I'm a webdeveloper however I just know by reading bits here and there and picking stuff up along the way.
Setting up a VPN might be a nice learning experience. I was more thinking about securing my server console app with https to start with first.

although I have had this discussion before and I find it really interesting I think this is not the place to discuss it in detail and I think it will be hard to convince me otherwise I have not seen solid arguments, examples and such, except some vague what if statements that sometimes neither hit nail nor wood.

 

[JamesClem]

Re: iPhone interface for MediaPortal (iPiMP) - 4.1.0

Hi Cheezey,

First off, great plugin its been a fun afternoon getting it all setup. As per usual couple of questions:

1. Do you have an ETA for the TV-Series client?

2. With the WOL feature is there a way to set it up so that my PC is on but MediaPortal not running? So that when I set the WOL request it boots up Mediaportal?

Many thanks,

James

 

[joz]

Re: iPhone interface for MediaPortal (iPiMP) - 4.1.0

I think number two should be possible.
I do that overhere with eventghost webserver plugin (do not really use the iPimp remote feature).
Although I do not send a WOL packet to trigger it but just some stuff that's implemented in eventghost.

Anyways. I can fire up a process in PHP here too so shouldn;t be different for DotNet

p.s.
cheezey: sorry for taking over your thread Thought I might as well spew some of the stuff I know here

 

[JamesClem]

Re: iPhone interface for MediaPortal (iPiMP) - 4.1.0

Hi Joz,

Thanks for the quick reply. I should probably point out that i'm not very experianced in MediaPortal but your help is most appriciated.

Is what you're doing easy to implement?

James