Bug 13474

Summary: Maximum Number of IPs Permitted in the .../etc/hosts.allow file
Product: Base System Reporter: rdemeyer <rdemeyer>
Component: miscAssignee: freebsd-bugs (Nobody) <bugs>
Status: Closed FIXED    
Severity: Affects Only Me    
Priority: Normal    
Version: Unspecified   
Hardware: Any   
OS: Any   

Description rdemeyer 1999-08-30 18:40:00 UTC 
We find that when we exceed 52 registered IPs in the /etc/hosts.allow file, the o/s refuses to allow any user to log onto the system.
We have been unable to find any documentation referring to this limitation.  Attempts by our UNIX system administrators to develop "work-arounds" by fiddling with the source code and recompiling lead to more problems.

How-To-Repeat: Have 52 IP numbers in /etc/hosts.allow and every thing works fine.
Have 53 (or more) IP numbers in /etc/hosts.allow and no onw can log onto the server.
Comment 1 Sheldon Hearn 1999-08-31 08:34:11 UTC 
On Mon, 30 Aug 1999 10:31:13 MST, rdemeyer@os.dhhs.gov wrote:

> >How-To-Repeat:
> Have 52 IP numbers in /etc/hosts.allow and every thing works fine.  3
> Have 5(or more) IP numbers in /etc/hosts.allow and no onw can log onto
> Have 5the server.

If you send me a sample hosts.allow which does not work for you, that'll
help.

I assume you know that, for /etc/hosts.allow to be used, you need the
program linked against /usr/lib/libwrap.so.2 or it needs to be launched
from inetd _without_ using tcpd .

Ciao,
Sheldon.
Comment 2 dirk freebsd_committer freebsd_triage 2000-11-08 21:19:00 UTC 
State Changed
From-To: open->feedback

Russell, please check if this problem still exists (with 4.1.1-RELEASE 
or higher) and send your hosts.allow if so.
Comment 3 dirk freebsd_committer freebsd_triage 2000-11-08 23:20:36 UTC 
State Changed
From-To: feedback->open

mail to originator bounces. 8-|
Comment 4 dd freebsd_committer freebsd_triage 2001-06-01 02:24:15 UTC 
State Changed
From-To: open->feedback

I can't reproduce this here; as others have said, the failing 
hosts.allow file would help.
Comment 5 dd freebsd_committer freebsd_triage 2001-06-01 02:28:26 UTC 
State Changed
From-To: feedback->closed

Can't reproduce, and mail bounces.
Comment 6 DougB 2001-06-03 02:09:40 UTC 
It's probably hitting a buffer limit somewhere. There are several in the
code that could be affecting your situation. You can easily avoid the
problem by defining multiple lines for your services. 

sshd : host1 host2 host3 ... : allow
sshd : host53 host54 host55 ... : allow

etc.

HTH,

Doug