If you are familiar with tightvnc (it allows for virtual desktops), and you have a tightvnc client for another system on the network, you can use a virtual desktop to run the software on the Network Security Toolkit probe. The tightvnc client software is freely available for a wide range of Operating Systems - the Windows version is included on the Network Security Toolkit ISO - you can it from the Web Interface).
You can start the tightvnc server on the Network Security Toolkit probe using the following script (you may want to examine the script if you don't like the screen size and color depth we set):
[root@probe root]#setup_vnc*** Need to start up a font server on this host... Starting xfs: [ OK ] *** Starting a vnc server on display: 6 /usr/local/bin/vncserver :6 -geometry 1280x1024 -depth 24 New 'X' desktop is probe:6 Starting applications specified in /root/.vnc/xstartup Log file is /root/.vnc/probe:6.log *** Xvnc process started: root 860 1 0 14:40 ttyp0 00:00:00 Xvnc :6 -desktop X -httpd /usr/share/vnc/classes -auth /root/.Xauthority -geometry 1280x1024 -depth 24 -rfbwait 120000 -rfbauth /root/.vnc/passwd -rfbport 5906 -pn[root@probe root]#
Assuming the Network Security Toolkit probe has a IP
address of 192.168.0.131, it is now
possible to bring up a virtual desktop from a different system
(you could even use a Windows system if neccessary). Here is
an example of what I would type from my Linux laptop to
connect to this virtual desktop:
[root@probe root]#vncviewer 192.168.0.131:6VNC authentication succeeded Desktop name "root's X desktop (probe:6)" Connected to VNC server, using protocol version 3.3 VNC server default format: 32 bits per pixel. Least significant byte first in each pixel. True colour: max red 255 green 255 blue 255, shift red 16 green 8 blue 0 Using default colormap which is TrueColor. Pixel format: 32 bits per pixel. Least significant byte first in each pixel. True colour: max red 255 green 255 blue 255, shift red 16 green 8 blue 0 Using shared memory PutImage
A new window pops up on my laptop providing a full X desktop running on the Network Security Toolkit probe. You interact with this desktop in the same way as if you were physically at the Network Security Toolkit probe. One could manage many Network Security Toolkit probes from a single command system using this technique.
The following shows a window on my laptop with the desktop of a remote Network Security Toolkit system. The following screen shows several X based applications running on the Network Security Toolkit probe (ettercap, firefox and gaim).
For the most part, X based applications run at near native speed when using tightvnc on a local network (its pretty amazing). However, over a WAN link (i.e. a relative slower network connection), X based applications that do a lot of animation (like etherape) won't appear to run as smoothly over tightvnc.
The screenshot shown in Figure 5.4, “VNC Screenshot (Windows XP Professional Desktop)” is a Windows XP Professional desktop with the Windows's version of the vncviewer displaying the NST Probe user root's X desktop on virtual display: 6.
Warning
You should avoid runing tightvnc sessions across a public network. The information transmitted across the tightvnc is not encrypted. If you need to run a tightvnc session across a public network, you should read up on SSH tunneling to create a secure communications channel between the two systems first.