Encrypted chat with aMSN (with SIMPLITE for unix)

[Mangusta]

Hello, this is my first post, be patient :-)

As you know, Simplite for unix (www.secway.com) is a free application for encryipting MSN chat.

I use Simplite with gaim without problem.

Simplite uses Socks4 as proxy, and aMSN supports only Socks5, so Simplite doesn't work.

Can you help me?

Bye

Mangusta

P.S.: aMSN is amazing

[kakaroto]

hi,
I don't know what's the difference between socks4 and sock5, but could you test it with it (maybe socks5 includes the socks4 protocol) and tell us if it works, if it doesn't, what is the exact problem it reports.
thanks

[WM-666]

I just lose the connection alot... But it works as you can see

1) Unzip the simp-server to /usr/local
2) cd /usr/local/simp/bin
3) ./simpserver
4) aMSN --> Preferences --> Advanced --> Initial notification server. Set to "127.0.0.1:1863"
5) Restart aMSN

[Mangusta]

@WM-666

IT WORKS!!!!

i'll test stability of connection in the next hours

thank you very very much, WM-666

Mangusta

[kakaroto]

hey that's cool, WM, did you make sure the keep alive option is enabled (it should be forced into being enabled if you use the SVN) ? and when you get disconnected, does the simp server say something ?
in any case, this is a cool thing! I'll sticky this post for those who want to use encrypted chat!
anyone mind putting an explanation of how it works and how does the proxy take care of encrypting things, and all ?

[WM-666]

I should be enabled (can't check now, I'm on WinXP now).
Simp-server kept running, no message I think.

- But the encrypted chat only works if BOTH contacts are using Simp... If 1 of them is NOT using Simp, your messages will be send as plain text over the network/internet.
- If you DON'T run Simp-server (before you start aMSN) you should change the "initial notification server" back to "messenger.hotmail.com:1863" or aMSN will not connect.

Since SimpServer (for Unix) is a command-line tool and does not have any graphical user interface, key-based authentication is not available. Encryption is made using the Diffie-Hellman key agreement and is compatible with SimpLite/SimpPro.

More details here

[Mangusta]

Tested stability: it's ok after running for a lot  aMSN 0.95 (official package debian etch) + SimpServer Linux 2.2.1.5c.

I supppose the configuration suggested by WM-666  works on direct connection between aMSN and Simplite not using socks4.

In this case Simplite simulates a MSN server (encrypting the chat)  between aMSN and the real MSN server.

Bye

Mangusta

[Smart]

I use aMSN-svn revision 11098,  simpserver-bin-2.1.5c

and  have changed

aMSN / Preferences / Advanced / Initial notification server to localhost:1863

I have Problems to connect, while aMSN use only Socks 5 Protokol.

Sometime it connect good and works 5-12 hours good, then lost Connection to Server.

I see me as connected but do't see my connected Contacts sometime,
sometime I am Offline.


list doesn't contain element 1
    while executing
"lreplace $list_cmdhnd $idx $idx"
    (procedure "::NS::Snit_methodhandleCommand" line 28)
    invoked from within
"::NS::Snit_methodhandleCommand ::NS ::NS::Snit_inst1 ::ns ::ns {PRP 9 MFN nemysis}"
    ("uplevel" body line 1)
    invoked from within
"uplevel 1 $command $args"
    invoked from within
"$options(-name) handleCommand $command"
    (procedure "::Connection::Snit_methodreceivedData" line 118)
    invoked from within
"::Connection::Snit_methodreceivedData ::Connection ::Connection::Snit_inst2 ::NS::Connection1 ::NS::Connection1"
    ("uplevel" body line 1)
    invoked from within
"uplevel 1 $command $args"
    invoked from within
"::NS::Connection1 receivedData"
    ("uplevel" body line 1)
    invoked from within
"uplevel 1 $command $args"
    invoked from within
"ns receivedData"



And if I start from console

$amsn

** (<unknown>:21093): WARNING **: gstrtpbin: rtpbin0:send_rtcp_src_1 is not one of our request pads

** (<unknown>:21093): WARNING **: gstrtpbin: rtpbin0:send_rtp_sink_1 is not one of our request pads

** (<unknown>:21093): WARNING **: gstrtpbin: rtpbin0:recv_rtp_sink_1 is not one of our request pads
....



Pidgin don't have Problems to connect with Simp Server,

I have set there Server to localhost, and it connect good.


I like aMSN but if I can't use Simp Server i must switch back to Pidgin.


On Gentoo Bugs I put ebuilds for

x11-plugins/amsn-plugins-svn

and

x11-themes/amsn-skins-svn

Yould You include Support to Socks 4, please?  :?:

aMSN is great.

[kakaroto]

Hi,
first, you are using simpserver which isn't officially supported by aMSN, the problem could be from simp itself...
pidgin doesn't use the same protocol version as amsn and doesn't support the same features as amsn so maybe amsn is doing something that simpserver doesn't support or whatever...
giving us protocol and status log (ctrl-D and ctrl-S from main window) of aMSN at the moment of the disconnection would be more helpful.
That bug you reported is quite weird, I think it's a very rare race condition... but I think I may know what the issue is, I'll fix it right away, thanks for reporting.

about socks4, no, we won't support it, there's absolutely no reason to support it, most clients (web browsers, IM clients, whatever, you name it) only support SOCKS5 and not SOCKS4 and there's no reason for us to support it.. I don't there it exists any SOCKS server these days that is only socks4 and doesn't support socks5!!!
The Socks5 RFC has been defined in 1996, so it's 13 years old now... and it's an extension on socks4.. unless your server is from 1980 and hasn't been updated since... but then I would rather suggest you update your socks server than us wasting time implementing support for socks4 (and add the option, bloating the interface, etc...).

[Smart]

I don't use Socks Server this is only SimpServer. This is Binary Package from 2005.:oops:

http://www.secway.fr/us/products/simpserver/

I cant't update SimpServer it is Closed Source.

I use in Firefox and in Pidgin only Socks 4 and this works very well.

Thanks I knew that is this Problem with SimpServer itself, it is Socks 4 Proxy.

Yes Socks 5 is newer and is good that great aMSN use this.

CTL+D

[01:03:35] ->ns FAILED: OUT

[01:03:35] < Connected to: lokalhost 1863 >
[01:03:40] ->ns FAILED: OUT

[01:03:40] < Connected to: lokalhost 1863 >
[01:03:42] ->ns FAILED: OUT


CTL+S is long

[01:03:35] ::MSN::CloseSB ns Called
[01:03:35] ::MSN::ClearSB ns called
[01:03:35] clearing sb ns. oldstat=cw
[01:03:35] ::DirectConnectin::Write: SB ns problem when writing to the socket: can not find channel named ""...
[01:03:35] ::MSN::CloseSB ns Called
[01:03:35] ::MSN::ClearSB ns called
[01:03:35] clearing sb ns. oldstat=d
[01:03:35] ::MSN::CloseSB ns Called
[01:03:35] ::MSN::ClearSB ns called
[01:03:35] clearing sb ns. oldstat=d
[01:03:35] Loging out
[01:03:35] logging out, creating loginscreen : loggedOut
[01:03:35] logging in, destroying loginscreen : reconnecting

I think this is Problem.

I hoppe that this You helps.

Regards,

[kakaroto]

Hi,
actually SimpServer is not socks4, it's not socks at all, it's just a server itself because forusing simp you change the msn server, you don't set a proxy...
anyways, it looks like simp server closes the connection or something like that, so sorry, i don't think we can really help...

[Wally]

CTL+D

[01:03:35] ->ns FAILED: OUT

[01:03:35] < Connected to: lokalhost 1863 >
[01:03:40] ->ns FAILED: OUT

[01:03:40] < Connected to: lokalhost 1863 >
[01:03:42] ->ns FAILED: OUT

Should it be localhost, not lokalhost!?

[kakaroto]

lol, nice catch!

[Smart]

I have writed

lokalhost:1863

and should be

localhost:1863

or

127.0.0.1:1863


13:43:51] < Connected to: localhost 1863 >
[13:43:51] ->ns-sock23 VER 1 MSNP15 CVR0


And if I sign out and sign in

[13:51:23] < Connected to: 127.0.0.1 39677 >
[13:51:23] ->ns FAILED: OUT


[13:51:28] < Connected to: localhost 1863 >
[13:51:28] ->ns-sock51 VER 51 MSNP15 CVR0


Sorry my mistake, all is now good.

Regards,

[tomestat]

Hello,

I arrived here searching for a solution to encrypt MSN conversations which was compatible with amsn and gaim

Being in an opensource spirit, i dont understand why i cannot find a plugin for OTR.

Simp is closed-source. Secway, their authors, registered their name in France, but they could be under the authority of, linked with, infiltred by or a secret part of any organisation, being official or not, being an information mafia, a part of the French government (which becomes more and more Big Brother everyday) or another government, a part of any Big Global Control corporation, ...

Not that i'm pro-conspiracy theory, but i try to keep my eyes open and i dont trust anybody in terms of privacy, because absolute privacy is a right, and government's absolute access to every information they ask becomes a fact, more and more everyday since 9/11.

If you need encryption, why do you trust people who dont want to show you how they encrypt or what they really do with your secrets ? Would you trust a carrier which doesn't want to tell you which way your goods will be carried by ?

Or maybe they dont want to tell because of code weaknesses they are aware of and hackers might find, in which case, once again, privacy would be compromized.

And why do you use an open-source alternative to Kro$oft's troyan ? Did i write toryan ? I meant client, of course...

What's more, on their page, i read :

Due to cryptography export restrictions in France, we can for now only distribute SimpServer in binary form.

I believe this means :

We had not the right to export a strong encryption product so we published a weak one and we cannot tell how it encrypts because it is too weak

because exporting not only sources but also binaries of strong encryption software also would be restricted (or am i wrong ? Please tell me if it is the case...)

Security by obscurity has never been a solution and will never be. Not even an alternative. Just a security feeling, which, if compromized, is more dangerous than no security at all.

Three interesting links :
http://users.softlab.ntua.gr/~taver/security/secur3.html
http://www.notablesoftware.com/Papers/obscurity.html
http://slashdot.org/features/980720/0819202.shtml