Trojan horse newsreader FIX

News administrator news at rosevax.Rosemount.COM
Tue Dec 6 06:19:30 AEST 1988


Here is a fix for the newsreader trojan horse I posted last week.
Change your newsreader to do:

/full/path/vi '+set nomodeline' filename

...whenever it will invoke vi (or ex)

The '+set nomodeline' happens after the .exrc and EXINIT stuff,
and will prevent vi commands from executing.  However, a strange
side-effect seems to lock up vi iff:

1) modeline is normally on (default or in .exrc or EXINIT)
2) '+set nomodeline' overrides it, and
3) there are commands that would've been interpreted

An interrupt (^C or whatever) at this point will kick vi and go
into edit mode, without executing the commands.

This fix should go into any newsreaders that include text and enter vi.

I report 'em AND fix 'em.

------
Merlyn LeRoy
If you have the bug, you won't be able to (R)eply ex:q:



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