iChat Server Security - Persistent Chat Rooms

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Level 1

20 points

iChat Server Security - Persistent Chat Rooms

When using persistent chat rooms w/ iChat Server, does anyone know where the chats are stored on our OS X Server? Are they secured in any way?

I'm using SSL to connect to our iChat Server, so my current understanding is that chat room communications in-transit are SSL encrypted just like normal user-to-user chats?

Also, is it possible to clear the transcript for ALL parties (either as a client or on OS X Server) in a persistent chat room? As far as I know, clearing the transcript as a client just removes your transcript... everyone else in the chat room still has it.

Thanks for the clarification!

Mac OS X (10.6.6)

Posted on Mar 10, 2011 5:27 AM

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Answer 1

Tim Harris

Level 4

1,481 points

Mar 10, 2011 5:46 AM in response to Dreadnought

I'm using SSL to connect to our iChat Server, so my current understanding is that chat room communications in-transit are SSL encrypted just like normal user-to-user chats?

I'll start with this one. SSL only covers the connection between your client and the server. Once the data is unencrypted is it clear and store on the server & client is clear. End to end encryption is done by the client (if they support it). Each user in the chat room will have their own encryption plus the public key for the connection.

Logs are stored on /var/spool/conference.<ichat server host name>

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Answer 2

Dreadnought Author

Level 1

20 points

Mar 10, 2011 6:11 AM in response to Tim Harris

Hi Tim,

Thanks for the transcript location, that's very helpful!

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Answer 3

Dreadnought Author

Level 1

20 points

Mar 11, 2011 7:08 AM in response to Dreadnought

Quick follow-up... so far I think the only way to clear the chat room transcript is to have everyone exit the room, then when everyone re-joins the transcript is gone?

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